Fifty Years of Upland Bird Dogs
My granddad Kisner was a bird hunter and outdoorsman. I first learned to hunt with gun dogs on his farm in Bates County Missouri in 1965. Opening day of quail season was a special time and the male members of the Kisner family always gathered to pursue the multiple coveys that could be found on his farm. While hunting with his pointer, Jack, Granddad taught us life lessons about gun safety, quail habitat and how to read a dog that was making birds.
Granddad owned one shotgun, a well-used classic Browning A5 semi-automatic that was kept upright in the closet with a used Bull Durham tobacco bag over the end of its barrel. Legend had it that Granddad bartered the shotgun in trade as part of a cattle swap in the 1950’s. I remember being in awe of that shotgun while watching him carry it cradled in the crook of his arm. Although the A5 showed itself being well used with more than its share of dings and scratches, to me it was a thing of beauty. Getting the opportunity to carry the A5 in the field was a milestone and Granddad’s way of letting me know that the first segment of my upland apprenticeship was complete.
After Granddad passed in 1974 the A5 went to my dad and was his primary shotgun whenever we hunted together. Over the years the old A5 made numerous trips to Iowa for opening day of pheasant season. To this day each time I open my gun safe and prepare to head to the field a glimpse of the old retired A5 now in my care reminds me of Granddad, Dad and how they passed on their passion for hunting upland birds with dogs to me. They call it, “putting history on a gun.” In the beginning a new store-bought gun has no history, Over the many seasons to come that new gun is forever linked to the numerous flushing birds, special gun dogs, trips and the memories from the field. Now it becomes special, now it has history of its own.
My life with setters began in July of 2008 when I received a visit from close friend and hunting buddy, Ray Stefani. Ray and I have chased upland birds in Eastern Iowa for many years and he has always religiously owned and hunted English Setters. Unknown to me at the time, Ray had arranged the breeding of Taconite Red and Doc’s Limited Edition (Maime) to obtain a replacement female pup for a setter he had recently lost. On May 18, 2008, Maime whelped six healthy puppies, two females and four males. By prior agreement and word of mouth, all of the puppies were selected to be taken to new homes except the last Blue Belton male.
Unable to place the pup and out of options, Ray and dog arrived in my driveway unannounced. Opening the hatch to his SUV revealing two ten-week-old English Setter puppies in a wooden dog crate. “The black and white male is yours. I’m keeping the female,” he said as he removed the puppy and placed him into my arms. Caught off guard I tried to think of some excuse not to take this dog, but I kept visualizing that black and white setter coursing through a huge field of CRP searching for that elusive rooster pheasant. As my mind drifted, I managed to forget the work and effort a puppy demands. Still in disbelief about the puppy events that had unfolded Ray unloaded a complimentary bag of dog food and departed up the street. It seemed the dog had chosen me, not the other way around.
The dog was named Sweet Lou and that day marked the beginning of my present passion for hunting and training English Setter gun dogs. Over the years Sweet Lou developed into that bragging dog that I envisioned in my driveway. From the beginning it was apparent he had been blessed with special talents and skills. His intensity in the field coupled with his bird finding ability put him in a special class. In April 2013 Lou became the first English Setter in Iowa to earn the prestigious American Kennel Club’s Master Hunter Title.
In 2012 we obtained Adeline to provide a second setter for guided hunts and to use in our future breeding program. Adeline is a tri color setter from a Ryman line and has become an asset in the field with her tracking ability and close working style.
In 2015 we launched a web-based video series called Sweet Point’s Setter Tales. Utilizing special camera techniques, humor and great story lines we have used the video series project to promote our passion for upland hunting with gun dogs. During the three seasons we traveled and produced Setter Tales, we were given the opportunity to meet numerous wonderful people while sharing Sweet Lou and Adeline with admiring fans at many trade shows and events. A fan base that still extends outside the United States gave us an invitation to pheasant hunt in Ireland.
In January 2019 our crew spent ten days in Ireland filming four episodes of upland hunting hosted by the English Setter Club of Ireland.
In June of 2022 we moved from producing the video series to producing the Setter Tales Podcast as well as our program preserving stories from yesteryear, Memories from the Field. Today through podcast guest interviews we continue to promote upland hunting with educational content and good story lines.
In September of 2022, we were saddened by the loss of our beloved Sweet Lou. He was a special part of our family and his fourteen years with us built the foundation for the projects currently on-going at Sweet Point Setters. Sweet Lou will live on through his many accomplishments, videos and offspring that carry on his legacy.
Major, Duchess and Darby all have been blessed with Sweet Lou’s bird skills and today you will find our setters being utilized as personal hunting companions as well as being called upon to produce birds for guided hunts and special charitable events.