Wild Apple Kennel and Guide Service

Wild Apple Kennel and Guide Service
The 2007 Grand National Grouse Champion, Winner 2008 Northern New England Woodcock Championship, Winner 2010 Lake States Grouse Championship, Runner-up 2011 Northeast Grouse and Woodcock Championship, Winner 2011 International Amateur Woodcock Championship, Winner 2012 Southern New England Woodcock Championship

Wild Apple Kennel Training Blog

This blog will try to present a running account of the training and field trialing season for the pointers of Wild Apple Kennel. NOW ACCEPTING BOOKINGS FOR THE 2015 GROUSE AND WOODCOCK SEASON WITH WILD APPLE KENNEL GUIDE SERVICE! PHONE NUMBERS 603-449-3419 OR CELL 603-381-8763.



Saturday, March 31, 2012

Venango Puppy Classic

Joe McCarl is on a roll. After winning the all-age yesterday he won the Venango Puppy Classic today with a pointer female named Dot. Dave D'Hustler from Michigan took second and third.

In the puppy classic LJ ran hard but came in from the side a couple of times which no doubt detracted from his performance. Trash had something going for awhile but got hung up in a big cut for quite a while. Frankie mad some good moves but was a little inconsistent.

Brad Lambert from West Virginia came up with his family today and picked up Deuce. I'm sure he and his son Jacob will have a lot of fun with him.

Venango Derby and Grand National Grouse Puppy Classic are tomorrow with the Invitational draw tomorrow night.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Venango

Worked all the dogs today in PA. Moved a grouse and a bunch of woodcock. Deuce was dog of the day for me with a back and a woodcock find.

Just found out that Joe McCarl won the Venango with Monteros Rock. Rock had three grouse this morning. The Formans took second and third.

Venango Puppy Classic tomorrow.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Reports From PA

Arrived in Marienville around 6:30 -- 12 hours in the truck with Tony was an ordeal. Reports from the first day of the Venago was that the birds were out.

Steve Groy worked dogs all day and reported all dogs had bird contacts. More tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Trip to PA

Tony and I are headed out in the morning for PA. We have our puppies entered in the Venago Puppy Classic and the GNG Puppy Classic over the weekend and then Jack runs in the Invitational starting Monday. I'm taking my laptop and will try to keep everyone up to date on events down there.

Word out of Marienville is that our friend Scott Chaffee won the Ontario Grouse Championship over a 58 dog entry with Cooper Mountain Pepsi. Congratulations to Scott and Pepsi's owner.

Monday, March 26, 2012

One of Those Days

From the high of yesterday to . . . This morning I left Jack in the house while I went out and ran errands came home to a case of diarrhea all over the kitchen. Then Tony and I ran dogs. It was blowing a gale, spitting snow, and close to 60 degrees cooler then last week's high. Trash got hung out in the wind and had trouble finding us. Jack cut his ear and bled all over himself and the equipment he had on his neck. He then pointed a woodcock who it turned out was already on a nest with one egg in it. Then we ran Frankie and LJ. Frankie went on point but before we got to him he jumped in and caught a Porcupine. Tony and I started pulling quills and then I realized that LJ had lined out of the cover and was 700 yards away (probably following one of Bullwinkle's relatives). We got him back, Led Frankie back to the truck and couldn't hold him down so we headed for the vets. $168 and a lousy Chinese meal later we finally called it quits for the day.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

And That Makes Five




Every field trialer should have the luck and good fortune to experience at least once in a lifetime a dog like Wild Apple Jack who with his win at the Southern New England Woodcock Championship this weekend is now a 5X champion, 1X runner-up champion. From the very beginning he has done what was needed to excel. He naturally runs to the front, always runs hard, and often has the birdwork needed to win. This weekend in a trial where wild birds were at a premium and excessively elusive which resulted in many non-productives throughout the three days, Jack had two perfect woodcock finds and a find that the gallery saw unfold on a pair of quail that had migrated from the nearby derby course. His first find was not far from the spot that Stokely's Mikey D came up on to what was then course five to win runner-up laurels on these grounds when it ran on Labor Day weekend under a different name. The quail find came in the swamp along the river, and the second woodcock was right on the edge of the road by the bridge. On the last find the woodcock flew right out over the gallery for everyone to see. It was quite a show. I wish I could take all the credit, but I'm pretty sure in Jack's case nature outweighs nurture.





As a whole it was a great weekend. There were many of the regions amateur handlers as well as a couple of Georges from PA on hand. Pros John Stolgitis, Joe Dahl (who was also the reporter), and Robert Ecker also supported the trial. John and Jill Stolgitis graciously opened their home to any and all attendees with many of them staying at the house. Eddie McGovern, Karen Unsworth, Dave Marshall, and other members of the club worked hard to ensure everyone was where they needed to be when they needed to be there and took care of the myriad details that need attention to make a trial run smoothly. It is an thrill and an honor to have Jack win this trial. It was fun to walk around with Jack's super scout Mike Flewelling and reminisce about all the times that Jack has run in this championship and in the Invitational on these grounds. I still owed Mike a bottle of scotch from his scouting job at the Amateur Woodcock and now I can't decide whether to get him two or just one really outrageous bottle. Last and definitely not least I wish to thank the judges -- Tony Bly and Mike Best -- judging a wild bird trial, especially in New England where the judges walk, requires a commitment that, unless you have done it, is hard to fully appreciate. I know how heavy those feet can get and truly appreciate the effort these two made.