Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:48 am Post subject: Hello from South Africa
Hello All,
I am SO happy that we now have a dedicated HPR chat site. The other sites I have been on has been more lab and springer orientated and questions asked on them have rarely shown results.
I live in South Africa and we have the best shooting on the planet. We do not do driven shoots at all and as a matter of fact most wingshooters will view that like canned hunting. Our birds are all 100% wild and the walk up method is mostly used. We have about 10 different francolin species, 4 dove/pigeon species and a handfull of duck/goose species we hunt.
The most popular dog is the GSP. We also have labs/ goldens and springers. I hunt with Brittany's and cannot really fault them.
Looking forward to some decent discussions on this forum.
Hi Leon,
Good to have you on board. Are you aware of any HPR or HPR Breed forums in South Africa? I am on a recruitment drive so if you could point me in the right direction that would be great! _________________ Fi 1 year old Weimaraner
Grace Weimaraner. Gone but not forgotten.
Harley Weimaraner. Much loved and sorely missed.
I am unsure of what model of trials we run, as I have never participated in such an event. I have focused on hunting only. We do have field trial clubs for HPR, labs/ goldens and also another club looking after the springers. See www.wingshooters.co.za.
Some of the francolin we hunt is named as follows:
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject: Haal uit en wys!
> We do not do driven shoots at all and as a matter of fact most wingshooters will view that like canned hunting.>>>>>>
no, not quite. I think you are confusing driven shoots with trials which use cage reared birds. This is only done as a last resort, usually subject to stringent permit conditions from Nature Conservation. A last resort because of fires, rain, poisoning, etc and a trial which has been scheduled for the year and cannot be postponed.
Most bird shooting is guineafowl, a strong and wily bird which is generally ambushed as it flies in from the bush to the grain fields. After the flocks have been broken up, you move through with a dog which can point until you come up to flush and shoot. Guineafowl presents a particular challenge as they do not sit still or tight, but move around as dogs approach. They have exceptional hearing. It needs a really staunchly pointing HPR to hold the birds at the correct distance.
>The most popular dog is the GSP.
And for good reason, we have some exceptional dogs in South Africa and they are not only used for birds. My dogs not only go after guineafowl, francolin and waterfowl with me, I use them for following up kudu/impala/nyala in the bush. They also track stocks thieves (one of the local stock police units have several on active service) are used for sniffing out abalone and ivory, etc. I know somebody (admittedly in the USA) who has a search and rescue GSP, which is also trained to find drowned bodies off the front of a bass boat.
If you look at satellite TV in South Africa, you would have seen that blonde Stevenson-Hamilton lady being tracked by elephants at Kapama last night. Did you notice the GSPs on the back of the pickup truck?
A great many professional hunters use them very successfully as an all-round backup.
Unfortunately we have a lot of dodgy breeders in South Africa. If you want a" hunting dog" which comes from" working parents", send me a message. I also have a cousin who has a bridge going cheap. Both of them come" with papers".
Fortunately there is a strong and dedicated group of people, mainly in the Transvaal Hunt Point and Retrieve Club who are running a scientific breeding program to make the most of the many wonderful dogs we have in South Africa, importing where necessary from the best available in the world, identifying dogs locally which have promise but have not necessarily won prizes in field trials.
>I hunt with Brittany's and cannot really fault them.
Nor can I, not having seen them.
All we have to go on is your word, as I do not believe you have put them into any field trials, or done much hunting. Where there is a good dog, people talk about it.
The HPR club is running working certificate tests this weekend. Will we see you there?
I have seen some excellent Brittanies in the USA and in France and Spain, but the ones I have seen in South Africa are generally not good enough to be hunting dogs.
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Hello from South Africa
Hi
Are there any natively developed bird dogs or HPR dogs in S. Africa?
quote="swainsons"]Hello All,
I am SO happy that we now have a dedicated HPR chat site. The other sites I have been on has been more lab and springer orientated and questions asked on them have rarely shown results.
I live in South Africa and we have the best shooting on the planet. We do not do driven shoots at all and as a matter of fact most wingshooters will view that like canned hunting. Our birds are all 100% wild and the walk up method is mostly used. We have about 10 different francolin species, 4 dove/pigeon species and a handfull of duck/goose species we hunt.
The most popular dog is the GSP. We also have labs/ goldens and springers. I hunt with Brittany's and cannot really fault them.
Looking forward to some decent discussions on this forum.
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:31 am Post subject: Re: Hello from South Africa
[quote="Sherryanne Farr"]Hi
Are there any natively developed bird dogs or HPR dogs in S. Africa?
The indigenous/native dog is canis Africanis, which comes in a range of coat and size, generally identified by a ridge on their back, as in RidgebacK. They are traditionally used to run down/bay game, usually antelope. Small boys keeping the herds will always have a posse of dogs, running down hares and small game and getting up to general mischief.
The dogs are usually sighthounds, although a random selection may be scented. They are resourceful and sharp, which is usually their downfall.
SA most prob has the best GSPs in the world, although based on a small breeding pool, mainly German. Some good USA dogs have been imported and are starting to make their mark. A good dog has been imported from Greece, but still too early to tell. (Mind you, puppy stakes this weekend!)
Some enthusiasts are working hard to widen the pool, and it seems full of promise. Unfortunately, in a society where there is a lot of shooting, there are always suckers who fall prey to breeders who don't test or trial their dogs. We joke that if you have to advertise, your dogs can't be that good.
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