Written by: Glen Blackwood. Rockford, MI
The RGS & AWS community is filled will folks from all walks of life. Their common thread being volunteerism, generosity and the friendships that develop through healthy forest management, the wildlife that prosper in properly managed environs, as well as the canine companions that share our autumn jaunts. This story is just one example. Allow me to step back before going forward.
My summer training showed that my oldest Field Bred English Cocker, Bosco was beginning to show his nine years of hard charging. Like an aging running back he seemed to have lost a step, (maybe more) and his recovery was taking longer. Coming out of the crate his drive remained intense, only to dissipate after a few training bird flushes and retrieves. I passed off his casual attitude to the evenings heat or as “Dad they are just pigeons, I’ve been there done that.” Only deep down, I knew he was beginning to show his age. Then one morning on our morning romp he came up lame. After a couple weeks of rest, and discussions with my wife, Miss Kathleen, he was off the injured reserve list but still relegated to limited duty.
This is where RGS & AWS relationships enter the story. Rick Brantley of Tennessee and Eddie Jordan of North Carolina are both dogmen that travel to Michigan each year in search of Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock. Their friendship was forged on the first night they met at an RGS event in North Carolina. They attend every and all RGS & AWS events they can while in Michigan and have attended banquets from Petoskey to Cadillac and everything between both east and west. At this year’s Highlands Chapter banquet we reconnected and set a date later in the season to spend the day running dogs.
On an early October day, I met them in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. Eddie was in a recliner with a diminutive jet-black and snow- white female named Pearl. Across the room was another cocker, Jeb, a big-boned wide-chested, deep-bodied male whose coat was the color of a golden field of ripe wheat. I admired both dogs and Rick stated we were going “run them both.”
And that we did. Releasing Pearl, Jeb and Bosco, we started through a cover of wrist thick aspens as grey clouds began to spit a warm rain. All three dogs coursed the cover as thoroughly as a trio of spaniels could. Only as woodcock are apt, the birds of yesterday were mostly gone on our day, their splash telling us we should have been there the day before. Although the chaotic trio did find the couple that remained. Back at the truck while his brace mates were anxious to go again, Bosco seemed satisfied with his one woodcock retrieve. We hunted a couple more covers, with both cockers and pointing dogs. Rick and Eddie are equal opportunity dogmen and certainly believe in the benefits of many dogs and many breeds.
Earlier in the day Rick’s wife showed me puppy pictures of a Pearl and Jeb tie, telling me that “two Cockers were just not enough.” I agreed that they were not enough in the fall but Boscoe and my youngster, Whisk were enough the other nine months. While I wasn’t looking for a puppy, their little tri-colored male certainly caught my eye. After watching his parents run and seeing Bosco slow, my mind stretched that a new project might be in order.
Thanks Rick and Eddie and our friendship that RGS & AWS created I have a new puppy.
Meet Cooper.
