Cold Front moves in, Brittanys excel

Just yesterday, as I drove home from Kansas, I was telling my son that the only thing I dislike about returning home to Texas from my Montana home is that October in Texas is still hot.  Indeed yesterday it was warm. 

Shortly after arriving home last evening there was a big front that pushed into our region.  The wind blew hard then was followed by rain and cold temperatures.  Whew!  What a relief!  I love the 4 seasons and I particularly enjoy fall and winter.

Colder temps mean the Brittany … will be in their element.  The shorthaired dogs perform well but don’t have much cold tolerance.  The Brittany excels in this role.

I think of all the cold weather hunts I’ve been on with pointers and Brittanys in my life and I just can’t think of a time when the Brittanys medium coat didn’t prevail.  I’ll give you some examples.

First, the medium coat as a repellant.  Here in this part of Texas many quail are found in areas that host a plant called ‘catclaw‘ (link opens in popup window, click ‘allow popup’).  If you will visit the link, there is a description with a good photo of the Catclaw plant. 

Notice that the thorn is in the shape of a claw.  If you walk by and it brushes against your skin, it will tear your skin open as a very sharp cat claw would do.  The Brittanys’ coat is impervious to this thorn however, the shortcoated dogs get scratched and bloody.

Since the Brittany has a docked tail, it does not get caught either while the shortcoated dogs tails become bloody beyond belief, especially since they flag (wag the tail).

There have been many times where a covey has holed up in dense catclaw or a shot bird has fallen into deep catclaw.  Each time the Brittany goes in and does their duty unharmed while the shortcoats are reluctant to go in especially when they try to bulldoze their way in and hundreds of claws catch their skin and offer painful resistance.

The medium coat as an insulator.  Many cold weather hunts the Brittany will rest comfortably at ‘break time’ during the hunt while the shortcoats begin to shiver.  The Brittany excels in cold weather.  Of course warm weather hunting can really get to a Brittany but if I had to hunt warm weather all the time, I would reduce the coat by thinning it out or possibly even shaving.

Those are just a couple examples of the Brittanys superiority due to coat.  Of course we all know the English Pointer is the all time athletic pointing dog but then they don’t have the personality of a Brittany do they?

Thanks for dropping in.

Take a child hunting this year, one that has never been.  Make it fun and be a positive role model afield.  Mentorship is not only fun, it’s the responsibility of every ethical hunter.