Over the decades ( and decades and decades ..
) of being an upland hunter, being involved with formal bird dog trials, a reluctant internet surfer and overall a casual observer of such things....
It seems more and more and more both on this site and other similar ones that when one posts a bird hunting photo or asks for a kennel recommendation, a breed recommendation or a trainer - for the most part such things revolve around GSP, Griffon, GWP/Drahtaar etc. or to a lesser extent other European breeds - Brittanys' , Vizlas and the like. When I started in this game circa. 1968 it seemed like every dog training book, every bird dog article in the outdoor press etc. featured to one degree or another Setters/Pointer/Pointers/Setters... and even more Pointers/Setters but now browsing through today's similar magazines and websites ...again it's more and more the European dogs - GSPs, Brits, and especially the rough coated breeds. Traipsing around much of my local bird hunting spots and spots further N and across the Straits over the years it seems like it's more and more rare to see a Setter and I honestly would hard pressed to recall seeing a Pointer in the last five years or so .
Now GSPs in my experience have always been and remains a popular choice for mid-west upland hunters but for the last two decades or so there's also been a literal explosion in popularity of, which I again call, the "...rough coated..." breeds. This seems an indication that these breeds are more and more replacing the more "traditional" upland Pointers and Setters.
For what it's worth I've been involved with GSPs since about 1968 and was a founding member of the now long defunct German Wire-Haired Pointer Club of Southern Michigan .
So again - what gives with pointers and setters - relegated to a niche/cult following ?
9mm Hi-Power
It seems more and more and more both on this site and other similar ones that when one posts a bird hunting photo or asks for a kennel recommendation, a breed recommendation or a trainer - for the most part such things revolve around GSP, Griffon, GWP/Drahtaar etc. or to a lesser extent other European breeds - Brittanys' , Vizlas and the like. When I started in this game circa. 1968 it seemed like every dog training book, every bird dog article in the outdoor press etc. featured to one degree or another Setters/Pointer/Pointers/Setters... and even more Pointers/Setters but now browsing through today's similar magazines and websites ...again it's more and more the European dogs - GSPs, Brits, and especially the rough coated breeds. Traipsing around much of my local bird hunting spots and spots further N and across the Straits over the years it seems like it's more and more rare to see a Setter and I honestly would hard pressed to recall seeing a Pointer in the last five years or so .
Now GSPs in my experience have always been and remains a popular choice for mid-west upland hunters but for the last two decades or so there's also been a literal explosion in popularity of, which I again call, the "...rough coated..." breeds. This seems an indication that these breeds are more and more replacing the more "traditional" upland Pointers and Setters.
For what it's worth I've been involved with GSPs since about 1968 and was a founding member of the now long defunct German Wire-Haired Pointer Club of Southern Michigan .
So again - what gives with pointers and setters - relegated to a niche/cult following ?
9mm Hi-Power
