56 American Shooting Journal // August 2019ROAD HUNTER
Picking up our new pup in mid-
August, at seven weeks of age, the
training progressed nicely. We named
him Kona, and right away he was
fearless and had an eye for the sky.
Kona was never gun shy. So, at 12
weeks of age, I took him dove hunting.
It was the last week of the season,
mid-October, and the field we hunted
was flat with short grass, perfect for
the pup’s first hunt. Sitting beside
me, Kona watched swallows and
songbirds flutter by. We saw one dove
that evening, and I lucked out and
happened to hit it. The bird folded and
landed five paces from us.
Kona ran right to it, feathers still
billowing down from the close-range
shot. He sniffed the bird, mouthed it,
grabbed it and ran to me, tail wagging
all the while. It was a short retrieve,
but a confidence builder for both of
us. Kona cared less about the shot, was
eager to retrieve the bird, didn’t chew
on the dove and brought it to hand. The
fact that he was so close allowed me to
verbally guide and praise him.
Two days later Kona and I were back
at it, on the final day of the mourning
dove season. This time we hunted the
bottom edge of a rolling hill, with a
short grass field in front of us.From my personal experience as a
professional hunter who relies on my
dogs always performing at top level,
switching to the quality food that
NutriSource provides was a game-changer
(nutrisourcepetfoods.com). Right away
both dogs showed increased energy and
stamina on the hunt, and their recovery
time was much faster. No longer were
they stiff and sore the next morning, as
their new diet had no carbs and was not
inflammatory. The food switch allowed me
to hunt them on back to back days, several
days a week, on very demanding outings.
On a recent checkup with the vet, he
said, “You just added a year to Echo’s life
by giving her better quality food.” She’dlost 5 pounds in six months, and kept
it off. I quickly noticed smaller and less
frequent bowel movements from both
dogs, meaning the new diet was being
better metabolized, which optimizes
health and immunity. Giving my dogs
high-protein food that contains no
corn, wheat or byproduct meal had
a major, noticeable impact on their
health and happiness.
When it comes to your hunting
partner, don’t skimp on food, as
pound for pound high-end foods
cost more but you actually use less,
meaning it’s a wash. A dog’s life is
short, and providing quality food will
make it healthier and happier, longer.QUALITY DOG FOOD
After pursuing elk with his bow for the previous 15 years, the author has spent the last two
Septembers hunting with his dogs, chasing doves, band-tailed pigeons and more. Training and
hunting with your own dog is something that must be experienced to be fully appreciated.