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Chicago
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:00 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Northern Illinois

I lost one of my beloved setters today and he went far too young, only 7 1/2. Birch was a great bird dog and had a tremendous love of life, especially in the woods or field. Every year I rent a cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the month of October. It brings back all the memories of having lived here in the 80's and it was nice that Birch got to experience one last fall in the U.P. before he passed. I still have one setter and I find that always makes it a little easier when one leaves us for the happy hunting grounds. So it is now time to celebrate all he gave us and start to thinking about another pup.
Good Hunting,
Mike
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PatrickB
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:42 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Minnesota

Sorry for your loss Mike. Never easy.
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BWW
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:45 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 14 Apr 2020
Posts: 144
Location: Boise,Idaho

Very sorry to hear. Tough for you to lose a high quality friend.

Bob
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Riflemeister
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:27 pm  Reply with quote
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So sorry. Way too young to go.

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Savage16
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Thats a tough one. Sorry for your loss.

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Chicago
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Northern Illinois

Thanks for the thoughts
Good Hunting,
Mike
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hayseed
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:04 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 14 Feb 2017
Posts: 401

Hurts every time I read one of these. The reason I will always have 2 dogs.
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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 10:41 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

lost Molly in early June - still haven't gotten over it .... Know exactly how you feel !

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Gentlemen,

It definitely hurts to loose a great hunting companion, all our great Grouse dog have moved up to heaven now. Our pups are going quite well, I still miss all my other dogs badly.

all the best,


Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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wj jeffery 16
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:24 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 18 Aug 2010
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Location: Ballymoney Northern Ireland

Really sorry to hear about Birch , we lost our wee Katie last year, we will always remember our bird dogs they are a special friend and share some great adventures with us .
You are in our thoughts at this hard time WJ.
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Hammer bill
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:49 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 09 Feb 2015
Posts: 815

[quote="Chicago"]I lost one of my beloved setters today and he went far too young, only 7 1/2. Birch was a great bird dog and had a tremendous love of life, especially in the woods or field. Every year I rent a cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the month of October. It brings back all the memories of having lived here in the 80's and it was nice that Birch got to experience one last fall in the U.P. before he passed. I still have one setter and I find that always makes it a little easier when one leaves us for the happy hunting grounds. So it is now time to celebrate all he gave us and start to thinking about another pup.
Good Hunting,
Mike[/quote

Mike, what part of the UP did you hunt. I used to go every year about 30 miles north of Mackinaw Bridge. Got into some good woodcock hunting also with my 410 couple times.
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8mmFan
PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:59 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 203

Mike,

I’m sorry. If I’m remembering correctly, I seem to remember some very nice pictures of you, and Birch, and your two (three?) sons hunting ruffs up in the UP. Those pics struck a cord with me, as I too have two (young) sons and setters. I took my youngest son and a setter pup (now deceased; lousy situation) hunting for ruffs in Northern WI last year, and we had a ball, even if unsuccessful in our hunt for the King.

Here’s wishing Birch endless woods full of birds on The Other Side while he waits for his boys to join him again someday. Best of luck to you with your remaining setter and soon-to-be new pup. Having experienced it too many times, here’s wishing you the best now. I’m sorry.

8mmFan
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T-Bird
PostPosted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Sep 2015
Posts: 177
Location: Alabama

so sorry for your loss. I had a setter that my dad, who trained hunting dogs for a hobby gave me because "he just wasn't learning fast enough" when I was in high school for my dog, We became fast friends in the woods. I hunted squirrel, he learned to look up and help me follow them when they were going from tree to tree, he pointed countless wild coveys of quail for me over the years. He would also point rabbits (and box turtles) but we were such great friends in the woods I felt like it was he and I going hunting for what ever came up. I felt a great friendship with him and we had a lot of great times in the woods. Setters are not only hunting dogs, they are companions.
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double vision
PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:45 am  Reply with quote
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Sorry to hear this, Mike. 7 1/2 is very young, what happened to him?
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 2:48 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 1376
Location: Northern Illinois

Hammer Bill - I hunt south and southwest of Gwinn, MI and Gwinn is about 20 miles south of Marquette.

8mm Fan - Good memory and yes it is two sons.

T-Bird, I agree and my setters are like having a good friend in the woods. My setters don't retrieve box turtles, but I had a female GSP that used to bring me turtles frequently and an occasional garter snake and my wife was less than pleased with the snake behavior. That shorthair seemed to enjoy teasing my wife with the garter snakes. She never brought them to me.
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