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1 week ago | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Tony Peterson
The beautiful thing about dogs is that most of us own the best one on the planet. Statistically, that shouldn’t be possible, but somehow the math always works out. Heavy bias toward our current dogs pushes a lot of us in a familiar direction when it’s time to add a new pup to the mix. We simply go back to the last breeder. But what if that breeder isn’t in the game anymore? What if your old dog has some health issues that you’d rather avoid?
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4 weeks ago | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Adam Moore |Tony Peterson
Ding ding. That’s the bell for any number of turkey hunters willing to go toe-to-toe over the morality of reaping a turkey, which consists of using a gobbler fan or decoy to sneak within bow or shotgun range of a longbeard and kill it. Some hunters think it’s one of the most thrilling ways to kill a turkey. Others think it earns you a special place in hell. The opposed often site declining numbers and fair chase beliefs to defend their stance.
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1 month ago | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Spencer Neuharth |Tony Peterson |Janis Putelis
This week’s MeatEater Crossword theme is turkeys. Can you beat Randall’s score of 260 with a time of 30 seconds? Let us know in the comments!If you need help, use the assist button (lightbulb icon) on the top right-hand corner of the screen. You can reveal a letter, reveal a word, or check your answer. Create an account and sign in to save your work or finish on a different device.
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1 month ago | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Brent Reaves |Tony Peterson |Mark Kenyon
If you take away agriculture from turkey hunting, it starts to feel like chasing whitetails in big woods. Low game densities, sparse sign, and endless cover all conspire to make the process more challenging than typical turkey hunts. But big woods toms are available for the taking. Like their...
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Nov 15, 2024 | 
gundogmag.com | Seth Bynum
On the surface, freezing canine semen seems like a perfect solution for preserving valuable genetics for the future. Indeed, it’s estimated that—if properly handled— frozen semen may remain viable for upwards of 10,000 years. That’s a great deal of peace of mind for breeders who want to maintain the pipeline of genetic contribution from a stud dog; especially ones that, in many cases, represent the culmination of their life’s work.
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Oct 3, 2024 | 
shootingsportsman.com | Seth Bynum
Dr. Seth Bynum is an accomplished veterinarian, writer and photographer as well as an avid outdoorsman. His veterinary practice is currently limited to canine reproduction, although he loves tackling sporting dog and internal medicine cases at his home base of Hayden Pet Medical Center. A devout follower of the “work to live” philosophy, Dr. Bynum keeps his clinic schedule as lean as possible to pursue his passion for bird dogs and upland hunting.
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Sep 5, 2024 | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Keith Crowley |Sean Weaver |Tony Peterson
I suppose I should consider myself lucky. I’ve had bird dogs running around for almost 50 years, and up until a few years ago, only once did one of the dogs get sprayed by a skunk. That was a black Labrador retriever named Elsie, and once was enough for her. She felt the full force of the blast and never repeated the mistake despite many ensuing skunk encounters. Then came Ruby, my current English setter.
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Jul 30, 2024 | 
gundogmag.com | Seth Bynum
For gun dog owners, there are few moments more gut wrenching than those following a snake bite. Sideways encounters with one of the most feared and respected serpents in the uplands are wrought with fear and chaos as hunters rush to triage a dog in pain and face the prospect of a more sinister, potentially life-threatening reaction to the bite. Traditionally, dog owners have relied on avoidance training to keep their hunting partner safe.
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May 3, 2024 | 
themeateater.com | Seth Bynum |Tony Peterson |Steven Rinella |Adam Moore
Nothing beats tagging a longbeard right after fly down. You’re back at camp before breakfast, and you look like a turkey guru to your hunting buddies. It’s how most turkey hunters envision a plan unfolding the night before. Unfortunately, it’s not usually the case. I can count on both hands how many times I’ve had a turkey hunt play out this way. Most of my successful hunts occurred late morning or middle of the day after multiple setups, periods of silence, and pity parties.
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Oct 26, 2023 | 
gundogmag.com | Seth Bynum
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of hydration in a working bird dog. Every single metabolic process in our canine athletes relies on water, and their health and safety depend on its abundance and timely delivery. Fortunately, most gun dog owners—myself included—are well versed in the value of hydration and far more likely to mistakenly leave the shotgun at home en route to the hunt than their dog’s water supply.
