The Labrador is the origional versatile gundog and very well proven for upland and waterfowl!

My old buddy Jake (RIP 11/23/07) would retrieve any critter I ever shot. He grabbed a fish a buddy shot in a drying pond one time. He would retrieve tree rats, rabbits, dove, ducks, geese, pheasants, chukkars and tried to retrieve a deer a guy killed that we pushed out during a trip to Kansas.

I hunted with Juan Pozzi in Argentina in July of this year. Juan runs a fine group of yellow labs. His female, Africa, was one of the finest I have ever hunted with. She could fetch hundreds of doves and pigeons each day, carted back rabbits we shot at night, tracked-caught and attached a fox we killed and grabbed a feral cat I killed during our hunt.

I you hunt without a dog you waste game.

Perry

quote:

Originally posted by samwise:
The Labrador is the origional versatile gundog and very well proven for upland and waterfowl!

If you like a flushing dog perhaps....but I'd rather have a dog that points AND retrieves with the best of 'em. Unless you get a pointing lab that is.....and they ARE making those these days.

I'd be interested in knowing about those pointing labs. Until their arrival for upland birds a lab IMO is OK except where pointing is needed.

Here in the Mid-South about the only thing that can be pointed is quail (and those I regret to inform are next to extinct in the wild). I suppose maybe woodcock too, although I haven't seen any in huntable numbers in many years. So, the lab generally would be all that's needed at least here.

I'd go with the black lab for the better temperment. On waterfowling I've heard from various sources he can handle cold better than the German short hair and has the muscle to handle big water and currents better. The only possible downside question I see would be which breed is better in extreme heat, as on our Sept 1 dove shoots with temps frequently approaching 100.

Once in a great while you see one of those that I call Giant Labs, just really huge. They can outeat, outrun, outswim and outfight anything else in the duck blind, excepting maybe a large Chessie.

Years ago one of our clubhouse all-night poker games was interrupted when someone's big Doberman came through the door and a member's Giant Lab took exception. No barking, no growling, no posturing, no warning. He just got up and went straight in and it took several of us to pry his jaws loose that contained the whimpering Doberman's badly injured skull.

Anyways, you all have heard the old saying..."the best long range duck load is a good retriever". Truer words in waterfowling were never said. And that describes the lab to a Tee.

http://www.pointinglabs.com/pages/home#

Hey Shack....here's just one of many kennels now specializing in pointing labs. Your point is well taken about the state of wild birds to point in the south. Up north here we have plenty of woodcock, a fair number of grouse, and a reasonable stocking program for pheasants. My GwireP has a long coat and gets hot in 90+ heat.....but all dogs do.

That being said.....I plan on adding a lab to the mix next year anyway.

And if you like heavy-set, thick labs then stick to pure English stock. They have an entirely different character than the American line which tends to be more hyper and skinnier than the Brits. I'll be getting a pure English lab because I like that style where they could be asleep but they're actually watching the sky for birds.....and as soon as one hits the water they're ready to go.

I have 2 female pointing labs out of Snake River Pointing Labs....they are great!!!

I ran GSP (males) for 25 years and had 3 very good ones. But they can be a little hard headed.

My "Girls" are egar to please, have terrific hunting instincts, and lots of drive. But very easy to keep them inside of 40 yards. They do point most of the time.

I only hunt wild pheasants and wild quail....no dog is perfect, even my best GSP bumped birds now and then.

My guy Baxter(named by the boys) is a long legged, svelt runner. Very aggessive leaper into water, and a handsome devil. This will be his 2nd season and our waterfowl opener is Sept 1st. Geese in the morning and ducks in the afternoon. He did well last season and we had him in front of as many birds as we could find, both upland and waterfowl. His first hunts last year were for ruffed grouse and we were in an area with excellent populations limiting out both days. Can't wait to see how well he does this season.
Regards Greg

quote:

Originally posted by PWN375:
My old buddy Jake (RIP 11/23/07) would retrieve any critter I ever shot. He grabbed a fish a buddy shot in a drying pond one time. He would retrieve tree rats, rabbits, dove, ducks, geese, pheasants, chukkars and tried to retrieve a deer a guy killed that we pushed out during a trip to Kansas.

I hunted with Juan Pozzi in Argentina in July of this year. Juan runs a fine group of yellow labs. His female, Africa, was one of the finest I have ever hunted with. She could fetch hundreds of doves and pigeons each day, carted back rabbits we shot at night, tracked-caught and attached a fox we killed and grabbed a feral cat I killed during our hunt.

I you hunt without a dog you waste game.

Perry

That sounds like one game buddy you had. Sorry for your loss. Here's one that's fearless too. or not too bright, depending on how you look at it. "NO! BAD DOG! LEAVE IT! LEAVE IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ext_from=PL&index=15