Bingo in North Dakota.  1st week of December 2007.

 Spud taking a short break on a November Pheasant hunt in Kansas.

I am addicted to playing with these spaniels and enjoy their companionship around the house and in the field.  When you have a spaniel that will work with you, the hunt is so much more enjoyable and productive.  As you know, a heavy game bag is nice to have at the end of the day but there are many disappointing days if that is your benchmark for a successful day.  However, when you learn to hunt with a nice dog, you will see many more memorable moments in the field and successes which might include more birds in the bag. 

Here, in the Ozarks, I hunt whatever is in season.  I like the spaniels due to the fact that one can start up a fencerow or creekbottom and can take game that is legal.  Depending on the season a hunt might include rabbits, quail, woodcock or doves in the bag.  Having a dog that can work any of the above game and retrieve shot game to hand makes the hunt more exciting.  The duck season opens right at the end of the woodcock season, so when the weather is turning nasty and winter is setting in, we switch to jump shooting ducks on farm ponds or sitting next to the river if the ponds are frozen.   

My dogs are not perfectly trained but we have fun anyway.  There are some hunting situations that I might prefer one dog over another. However, if I am going hunting by myself, I can flip a coin and grab a dog and know that I am  going to enjoy the hunt.  I have had some memorable hunts with each one and they all bring a nice style of hunting and a desire to find game that is hard to beat.  Anyone that has had a nice spaniel knows what I am talking about.

The dogs that make up Nottingham Kennels: 

Keeper of Nottingham "Kasey"

Burcliff's Spud of Nottingham "Spud"

Nottingham's B8  "Bingo" 

Gone but not forgotten:

High Plains Sir Jake -  a very nice springer that was a pleasure to watch hunt. 

Check out their individual pages for more information and hunting photo's.