Swanson's Laced With Gold aka "Lacey" - RIP

On Monday night we said goodbye to the best friend I've ever known. Her love was unconditional and her desire to please was second to none. In addition to the hundreds of birds she returned to my hand, she also helped return me to a better place in my life. I got her while going through some troubling times, and she helped me transition from what I was before to what I am now. There's no doubt in my mind that I would not be the same person today if not for Lacey.

The cutest little yellow dog on the planet was born in Illinois on May 23, 2001 and died on December 10, 2012. She gave me 11-1/2 years of joy. She was the result of a second breeding, and I was lucky to have met one of the dogs from the first breeding, so I had a very good idea of what to expect. I was not disappointed! I sent in my deposit before she was born and received pictures right after she was born.

I picked her up at the Denver airport seven weeks later, and together we learned about love, retrieving, and friendship. I knew her call name would be Lacey, named after John Lacey who introduced the legislation known as the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act is a federal law that prohibits the importation of illegal wildlife and also prohibits the transportation of illegally taken wildlife over state lines. In just so happened that Lacey was born in Illinois, then flew out of Missouri to Tennessee, before arriving in Colorado. Nothing was illegal, but she crossed a bunch of state lines before she was even two months old!  Due to her coloring and how valuable she was to me, I decided her registered name should be Swanson's Laced With Gold.

For that first year, we trained every day. And when I say every day, I mean every day. If memory serves me correctly, not a single day went by that we didn't do some sort of training, even if it was just a few short retrieves or some "yard work" - sit, heel, here, etc. I am proud to say that she retrieved everything that I ever threw for her. There were a couple tough days, but every single bumper or live bird that was thrown for her, was delivered back to my hand.

Of course we did a ton of very in-depth training, thanks to my good friend Joel Harris. He was my boss at the time when we worked at the sporting clays/bird hunting facility for Gorsuch Outfitters. Joel and his wife also own Rocky Mountain Pet Resort in Yampa, CO and he breeds/trains labs for hunt tests and field trials. He took me under his wing and showed me the ins-and-outs of retriever training. Under his watchful and discerning eye, Lacey became the most well-behaved, best trained, and most accomplished hunting dog I have ever known.

We hunted in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and South Dakota for a bunch of different species. Here's what I think is a pretty complete list of all the bird species she has retrieved for me: Chukar, Sandhill Crane, Mourning Dove, White-Winged Dove, many duck species including Mallards and Teal, Canada Goose, Blue Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pheasant, Pigeon, Bobwhite Quail, Gamble's Quail, and Scaled Quail.

Luckily, I carried a camera on many of those hunts so I have many photos to help me remember her. I also took photos of her just being the cool dog she was: hanging out around the house, going for hikes, going camping, playing with Ruby, playing with Mattox, etc. Many of those photos were before the digital age, so I'll just share a bunch that are not still in hard-copy...

Of all the time I spent with her there are a few things that stick out in my mind:

All Business
She was always a happy-go-lucky dog, but as soon as I put on her electric collar, she would turn all business. She would focus on me, and no one else, and give her best effort to please me. Her instant transformation from fun-and-games to work was remarkable.

Ice
On a cold, snowy day, we hunted ducks on the Eagle River with my best friend Rick. He snuck down on a herd of mallards and shot one as they jumped. He pushed them right to me, and I was lucky to shoot two. One died instantly, but the other just had a broken wing. It landed on the ice on the opposite side of the river.

I immediately sent Lacey for the retrieve, but before she could get there, the duck waddled off the ice into the river's current. Of course, Lacey turned to follow. The duck was swept under the ice and Lacey nearly was also. With just her face above the water and her collar caught on the ice, the current tried to pull her body downstream and under the ice. I had just enough time to throw my $2000 Beretta back on the shore, and as I turned back I just knew she would be gone. Thankfully, she continued to fight against the current as I used my elbows to break through the ice to get to her. I reached out and grabbed her collar to pull her from the current.

I had never been so close to losing a dog before. It was very traumatic for us both. Once back on dry land, I just hugged her until Rick made his way back down to us. We took some pictures that day and Lacey has a look on her face like I have never seen. She was clearly pissed...I think it scared us both!

The next day, I forced us both to get back on the horse again. We hunted a different part of the river and I dropped a duck on the ice on the far side. I sent her for the retrieve, but she did not want to do it. It took a little coaxing, but she finally got across the river and up on the ice. I was never so proud to have her make a retrieve!

Nichole and Mattox
Lacey instantly regarded Nichole as her mommy. It took a few years for me to convince Nichole that it should be official, but it was official in Lacey's mind from the start. (I actually think it was official in Nichole's mind, too!) As much as Lacey enjoyed hunting with me, she enjoyed hiking and playing in the snow with Nichole. Lacey was definitely not just my dog...she was a family dog. In fact, when Mattox was born, Lacey would always position herself between Mattox and the door. I remember Nichole and Mattox gently rocking in the rocking chair with Lacey curled up in front of the door to Mattox's room. As soon as I opened the door, she went in and laid down in front of them.

Other Dogs

Lacey thought she was more of a person than a dog. She really just didn't care about other dogs; she would ignore them. That all changed when we got Ruby. Since we never bred Lacey, we got the next best thing: Lacey's niece. She must have known from the start that Ruby was more than just another silly dog because Lacey let her play, chew on her lips, and crawl on her back. Lacey would often look at Ruby like "you are a complete yahoo" but she loved the new puppy and did more than just put up with her. Now that Ruby is alone, I can see pieces of Lacey in her!

I could go on and on with memories, but I think some more photos will have to suffice. Lacey was the nicest, softest, gentlest, most caring, friendliest, best behaved dog I have ever known. She taught me that no matter how crappy your day might be, a wet nose and wagging tail will make it better. They say that dogs come into your life and leave paw prints on your heart. This one also left lasting memories that have helped define who I am as a friend, husband, and father.

Littleone, you will be missed! I love you Sweetdog.

SWAROVSKI OPTIK Mountain Territory Sales Representative!

Some of my favorite SWAROVSKI OPTIK products (clockwise from top left):

10x42 EL Range, STM-80HD, Z5 3.5-15x44, 10x42 EL SWAROVISION

My, how time flies!

Back in September of 2011, I started a new job, and am very thankful to The Evans Group for the opportunity they gave me. However, when SWAROVSKI OPTIK contacted me about becoming a sales rep for them in the mountain territory, it was just too great of a chance to pass up.

As of November 1st, 2011 (yeah, over six months ago!) I started as the SWAROVSKI OPTIK Mountain Territory Sales Representative. My territory includes New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, eastern Montana, and the western parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I obviously specialize in the hunting market, calling on independent dealers as well as national chains, but I'm also rapidly learning the ins-and-outs of the birding and wildlife watching market.

To top it off, I am required to live in my territory so a couple months ago we sold both our houses in Arizona, packed up two U-haul trucks and a trailer, and moved back to Colorado. We chose the Vail Valley and are living in a month-to-month rental while searching for a home in Eagle or Gypsum.

I am ridiculously excited to be working for the best company in the hunting industry, and to be selling high-end optics, which are my passion. After six months on the job, I'm confident in saying I have found my dream sales job and I'm living in one of the best places on Earth!

If you get a chance, check out all of SWAROVSKI's awesome products by clicking here.

Kansas Wheat Harvest 2011 - Part 3

Once wheat harvest was finished, Heath had to start spraying. One of the practices that Heath has helped implement is no-till farming. The basic idea is to conserve moisture in the soil, they don't disc up the ground to kill weeds. Instead, they use herbicides. This year, when the wheat crop only had about 3 inches of rain, they were able to reap fairly good yields from their practices. The downfall is the cost of the chemicals.

For me, the biggest downfall of spraying so far was the nearly eight hours we spent trying to repair the main pump on the sprayer. It wouldn't seal appropriately so we had to keep taking it apart, and then reassembling it. No one planned to stand in the sun for eight hours - my burned and peeling neck is proof! We finally got it to work and a couple days later after it rained we headed to Garden City for some errands. One of the stops was the spray shop... it turns out that one half of the pump is just plain wrong. The next time the seal fails, they can replace the defective part, which should fix it for good.

The broken pump spraying herbicide all over.

The two halves of the broken pump.

Last year's corn stubble Heath was spraying when the pump broke.

We also started having a little fun chasing coyotes and prairie dogs. Nichole's dad has been on a prairie dog eradication program, so where there once were hundreds, there now are just a few. I did get a chance to unlimber my Larue AR-15 on a couple. My longest confirmed kill so far is 238 yards... and Mattox got to watch! Sadly, it's hard to get a good photo of a blown-up prairie dog, or at least one suitable for posting so I just have one of Mattox and me after the fact...

The prairie dog whackers.

Less time on the combine has also given me a chance to take some photos of the other critters on the farm: barn cats, burrowing owls, cottontails, and cattle.

Barn cat.


Cottontail rabbit.

A burrowing owl in the farm pasture.


BoyFarm heifers with the farm buildings in the background.

Old boots lining the fence along the county road.

Kansas Wheat Harvest 2011 - Part 2

There's something very empowering about running the combine. Not only do I have control of a massive machine with tons of moving parts, but I also am contributing to the success and well-being of the family farm. With every pass, I share in the hard work and legacy that has been passed down through multiple generations. Nichole's grandpa farmed some of the same ground her dad and brother are farming today. Her other grandpa farmed in Oklahoma and Kansas, and had a custom cutting business, too.

Cutting wheat!

Between Nichole's brother and dad, they have more than 80 years of farming experience. What's really cool is they seem to balance her dad's old-school farming practices that built the farm with her brother's new-fangled ideas and processes. It's clear that to be successful you must have both strong roots and branching limbs.

Cutting in Mattox Draw.

Combine header - the sickle cuts the straw.

Unloading wheat at the house for storage in the bins.

After harvest finished, one of the main chores we tackled was cleaning the combines. With an air compressor we blew off every nook and cranny where dust and chaff collected. It is one of the dirtiest jobs on the farm and luckily we chose a day when the wind was blowing. Not only did it keep us a little cooler, it also moved most of the dirt away.

Once we loosened up a bunch of the dirt, Heath started up the combine to move it all out the back end.

Kansas Wheat Harvest 2011 - Part 1

The Tree Quarter/Lone Tree Field.

Nichole and I loaded up Mattox, the two cats, and two dogs, and then headed to Western Kansas to help Nichole's family with wheat harvest. On the way in we saw deer, antelope, and quite a few pheasants. A couple fields got hailed out just a few days before needing cut, and the custom cutters took care of a bunch of fields. That meant that our part of harvest only lasted six days - a record for sure!

Wheat!

On our way to the farm we spotted deer, antelope and pheasants.

The first day we arrived, we fed the baby calf, rested, and took some photos at the Tree Quarter, which is the lone tree on the farm, and THE lone tree used for Nichole's business logo. There just happened to be a whitetail doe bedded near the tree that posed for a couple photos before we posed for photos. The next day we started cutting. Nichole took a couple breaks to nurse Mattox when her mom brought him to the field. Otherwise, we were on the combines for about 10 hours. Each day was similar to the next... up early to feed the calf, check the wheat, haul water to the cows, service the combines, and then cut until 9pm or so.

Cinnamon the calf.

A whitetail doe posed for photos, too.

The best girl and the cutest boy in the world!

One night as we were making the first pass around a field straddling Mattox Draw (yes, THE Mattox Draw), I noticed the bin in my combine had way too much chaff. It turned out that a bracket broke, which caused one of the main separating fans to stop working. A quick weld the next day, along with a new bearing, fixed it like new!

The view from the combine.

One quick weld and my combine was back in the game.

Palmetto Puppies

I have two Labradors, Lacey and Ruby. I wanted to breed Lacey, but her heat cycles were very erratic so it never worked out. After she was spayed for health reasons, I started my search for the next best thing to a Lacey puppy... a Lacey niece!

I was lucky to find Brodie Cook in the Palmetto State, South Carolina. He has Lacey's sister, Maddy, and he decided to breed her one last time. We had first pick of the females and chose the cutest litlle fox red labrador you've ever seen. In 2009, Nichole and I flew out to Charlotte, NC, toured some NASCAR shops, and then drove down to South Carolina to pick up Ruby. It was quite the adventure smuggling her into a fancy hotel, and then bringing her back on the airplane under the seat in front of me.


Swanson's Prairie Red Gemstone aka "Ruby"

From the beginning I could tell that Ruby was special. I think Lacey hung the moon, but Ruby has more drive, more stamina, better marking capabilities, a better nose, and she is just more “birdy.” Sadly, I did not spend nearly as much time training Ruby as Lacey, so she is a little rough around the edges. She is still a wonderful pet and a great hunter, but Lacey minds a lot better.

It has been awesome to watch the two of them together—Ruby really brought some spunk back into ol’ Lacey. They are great friends and I was so proud to finally get them hunting in the field together where they complimented each other perfectly.


Swanson's Laced With Gold aka "Lacey" and Ruby


Ruby all grown up on her first pheasant hunt.

So back to the original reason for this post…

Brodie has another litter of puppies that will be ready at the beginning of April. He owns both the sire and dam. The dam (SRH Palmetto’s Shelby) is Ruby’s full sister from a previous litter. She is dark yellow and the sire (HRCH American Flyer) is fox red, kind of like Ruby. All the puppies are a dark yellowish, fox red. They don't appear quite as dark as Ruby, but WAY darker than Lacey. If you are in the market for an awesome Labrador who will be a great hunter and even better family dog, check out Brodie’s website: Palmetto Labradors and click on "PUPS". Tell him I sent you or feel free to contact me with any questions. Brodie also has some cool pictures of Ruby on his Reference Dogs page.

The Best Binoculars

I have been lucky enough to use binoculars in the field from the “Big Three” of optics manufactures—Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss. Each has helped me find big game animals and each has led me to the end of at least one successful hunt. They have all been 10-power and, of course, were all tripod-mountable. So which is the best? Some of you might think my answer is a cop-out, but here it is: they all are!

Each has certain features that I like better than the others, but even with the hundreds of hours that I have spent glassing, I am hard-pressed to see much difference in quality between them. For example, the Zeiss Victory RF 10x45s I used last year on my New Mexico antelope hunt has an integral rangefinder. I have not used the Leica Geovid with its integral rangefinder in the field much, but the Zeiss RF has the rangefinder activation button on the “right” side, especially for those of us who are right-handed. In addition, they add their rangefinder to their top binocular model, whereas the Leica rangefinder used to only be available in a lower model. Leica now offers the Geovid in their HD version that compares in quality to the Zeiss, but I have only looked through it at trade shows. Of course, Swarovski has yet to offer a rangefinding binocular.

The new Swarovski SLC 10x42 HD binoculars seem to have a little better color rendition and light transmission than the others, but its all relative. I primarily used the new Swarovskis on my Wyoming mule deer hunt last year where the high elevation and cool, clear air made the glassing easier. I used the Zeiss in New Mexico where it was hot with lots of flat light. My Leicas are over 10 years old so while the clarity and focus are still top-notch, the new advancements in coatings on the newer binoculars have helped immensely.

Typically, the Leicas feel the best in my hands and up to my face, but everyone’s face and hands are a little different. As long as you are using top-shelf binoculars, the ergonomics might just be the most important factor. Assuming you can see really well through all of them, the thing that will keep you looking through them is how they feel. If you can get comfortable with the eyepieces stuck to your face all day, and the controls are easy for you to manipulate then you will glass longer. The longer you glass, the better chance you will have at finding the animal of your dreams.

Luckily, I’m in a unique position where I don’t have to choose just one. Depending on when and where I hunt, I can use them all. If you have to choose just one, I suggest you go somewhere and look through all three. If you can see a distinct difference in quality, more power to you… buy that one! If you can’t see much difference, don’t spend your time trying to find a difference; spend your time getting a feel for each one, and then buy the one that feels the best. You might even try closing your eyes and having the salesman hand you a different binocular to feel in your hands and up to your face. You can try to guess which brand it is, but more importantly, analyze it for its ergonomics. Once you’re out in the field, it won’t matter what you could have seen from the other two—they won’t be there! The performance level between the different brands is so close that I can't say one is better than the other; they are each just a little different.

One final note: Glassing effectively obviously requires skill, but it also requires confidence. Each time you sit down behind your glass, you should expect to find what you’re looking for. Part of that confidence comes from your inherent satisfaction with your purchase. If you think the Zeiss is the best and you use that confidence to find game, who cares what your buddies think? You’re the one looking through the binoculars, not them! Get the “Big Three” binocular you like the best, and then go find some critters!


I used my Leica 10x42s to locate this Kansas whitetail at first light. I watched him until he bedded and then stalked in close, crawling the last 100 yards or so. He got up from his bed and walked towards me. I shot him with a T/C Omega muzzleloader in “self defense” at 17 yards.


This New Mexico antelope fell from my shot of 267 yards. I know how far away he was because I had just ranged him with the excellent Zeiss Victory 10x45 RF binoculars.


I didn’t need binoculars when I finished this Wyoming buck at about 20 yards, but used the Swarovski SLC 10x42 HD to locate the bedded buck the day before.

Gear Review: Christensen Arms

A few years ago I completed a rifle project. Originally, I had a Winchester Model 70 in .300 WIN with the BOSS system and a Ruger M77 .25-06. Each was long and heavy and I wanted to replace them with lightweight rifles. In addition, I wanted two rifles chambered in calibers adequate for taking elk at reasonable hunting ranges so when my wife and I hunted together we would each have a rifle.

My quest led me to Christensen Arms. They use a unique process to lighten rifles by removing much of the steel from the outside of the barrel and replacing it with many layers of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is stronger, stiffer, and lighter than steel. After visiting their facility and talking over my plans with John Mogle, I decided to let them apply their barrel treatment to my Model 70, and then ordered what they now call their Carbon One Extreme in .270 WSM. After getting back my Model 70, I sent it off to Bell & Carlson for a custom stock.

Both rifles shoot great and are a joy to carry. They each feel a little different in my hands but the Bell & Carlson stock on the .300 and the Christensen stock on the .270 compliment each rifle perfectly. Since getting the rifles, I have hunted more with the .270 than the .300, but have been very successful with both. The one time my wife an I hunted together was in Kansas—she carried the .270 and shot her first deer, and then minutes later I used the .300 on great 9-point whitetail.

If you are looking for a quality rifle that is lightweight, easy to shoot, and easy to carry, check out Christensen Arms. In addition to their awesome bolt-action rifles, they also now make lightweight AR-15s and a 1911 pistol.


Christensen Arms Carbon One Extreme .270 WSM - WY Mule Deer


Christensen Arms Carbon One Extreme .270 WSM - NM Antelope


Christensen Arms Barrel Wrap and Bell & Carlson Stock .300 WIN - CO Mule Deer


Christensen Arms Carbon One Extreme .270 WSM - AZ WMAT Black Bear


Christensen Arms Barrel Wrap and Bell & Carlson Stock .300 WIN - KS Whitetail


Christensen Arms Carbon One Extreme .270 WSM - KS Whitetail (Nichole's first deer!)