"Braque Francais Checks-off all the Boxes" Affectionately known as “Braques,” these dogs are relative newcomers to the United States (about 50 years ago) but have a long history in Europe dating back to the 15th century. The breed was perfected hundreds of years ago in the Pyrenees Mountains of southwestern France. As far as dog breeds go, this is an ancient one. Read more about the Braque Francais, and if it could be the right breed for you, at the 🔗 link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Braque-Francais-Checks-off-All-the-Boxes.aspx Don’t forget, we are down to the final days of Bird Dogs for Habitat, so whether it’s the Braque that you call your favorite, or any other breed, go vote to help us create more habitat for all our dogs to roam. birddogsforhabitat.org ✍️: Tim Fredricks

As is the case every year during our Bird Dogs for Habitat campaign, this month has gone to the dogs. While there is a lot of focus on field gear and training tips, our friends at Orvis have some products that have shifted our attention to also keeping our four-legged companions comfortable during the times between adventures in the uplands. Head to think to read more, and don't forget to vote for your favorite breed at the Bird Dogs for Habitat page as we close out the final week!

On The Wing Podcast EP. 212: Previewing New "Mouthful of Feathers" Book. 🔗 Link below to listen now! Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Tom Reed, Greg McReynolds, and Reid Bryant, the three principles behind the new Mouthful of Feathers book. Each participant previews their contributions to the upcoming book of short stories focused on bird hunting and bird dogs with a heavy dose of literary prose absent of how-to essays. Episode Highlights: - Byrant, host of the Orvis Hunting and Shooting podcast, recounts assembling a group of outdoors writers at a northern Minnesota grouse hunting lodge in 2017 that included Reed, McReynolds, and St.Pierre all meeting for the first time. - McReynolds, who works at Trout Unlimited with Reed, talks about the intersection between Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and Trout Unlimited as the habitat created through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) benefiting upland game birds and cold-water fish species. The new Mouthful of Feathers book will be available in a print edition this summer and includes stories from Quail Forever Editor Chad Love and PF & QF’s Conservation Leadership Program Manager Marissa Jensen.

Have you checked out the Bird Dogs for Habitat Orvis bandana yet?! This custom bandana feature the Bird Dogs for Habitat logo, the not so subtle flush of pheasant and quail, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever included in the border. Get yours plush the Bird Dogs for Habitat Decal by donating just $20 towards your favorite bird dog breed at the link below! https://quailforever.org/Habitat/Bird-Dogs-for-Habitat.aspx Bird Dogs for Habitat runs now through the end of April, with prizes for voting and chances to win our weekly giveaway. The best part is, all funds generated from the competition go towards our Build a Wildlife Area program, so every breed wins with more publicly accessible land to roam.

‼️Giveaway Alert‼️ Win an ORVIS Memory Foam Bolster Dog Bed! Each week during this year's Bird Dogs for Habitat competition our generous sponsors will be giving away fantastic prizes to those who vote. During the final week, everyone who votes for their favorite bird dog breed is entered to win an ORVIS Memory Foam Bolster Dog Bed! To enter, go vote now through Sunday for the bird dog breed you think should be crowned champion! Winner will be announced Monday 5/1 along with our much anticipated Bird Dogs for Habitat champion! 🔗Link Below! https://quailforever.org/Habitat/Bird-Dogs-for-Habitat.aspx Remember vote through Bird Dogs for Habitat helps raise money for public lands through our Build a Wildlife Area program!

“The fact is — and I’ll argue this all day long — you are far more likely to get a great-performing bird dog out of a setter or a pointer than you are from some obscure breed that was originally used to hunt, I don’t know, Icelandic hoary hens, or bred to sniff out truffles, or fight Roman gladiators, or throttle European badgers, or serve as the King of Prussia’s personal canine bodyguards.” READ the full blog "Old English: The Case for the Traditional" at the 🔗 link below. Don't forget to vote for your favorite breed at birddogsforhabitat.org before it's too late Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love — who wrote today’s blog on the merits of the traditional pointer and the English setter breeds — insists on pointing out that “If this organization of GSP and Lab cultists wasn’t actively trying to split the vote toward those breeds by breaking out English and Llewellin setters into separate breeds, which they aren’t,” (his words) then at least one of the two traditional American bird dog breeds would be leading (again, in his words...) “this ridiculously unrealistic popularity contest for enthusiastic but woefully uninformed canine cheerleaders.” Read the rest of Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love’s screed on why he thinks the classic American pointing duo of English setters and pointers are still the best bird dogs going.