My friends:

In the early fall of 1995, Bob Corley (Director, "A" camera), David Bogan ("B" camera) , Don Swift (my father-in-law), my soon to be famous Llewellin Setter Hank, and I, flew from Portland Oregon to Alaska to embark on an adventure that would last for 10 years (11 actual television seasons) and 135 television episodes. Hunting With Hank aired its first episode the following January, and the rest is outdoor television history. David retired a few years into Hank's shows, and a wonderful young cameraman, Brent Barnett, became our "B" camera for the remainder of our episodes.

After 6 seasons of Hank's shows, I retired Hank and began a new series with his son Dash. "Upland days with Dash and Dez". and then "Dash in the Uplands" (after a Title change) ran for 5 seasons, carrying on the legacy that his dad established. Both Hank and Dash are now the only two television birddogs in the National Birddog Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee. It' an honor they each richly deserve.

Throughout those shows, we traveled to all corners of our country (including Hawaii, and as already mentioned, Alaska). We hunted nearly every upland bird species, and my "boys" pointed and retrieved those birds with great flare and enthusiasm. Together, we all saw wonderful sights, historic locations, wide open deserts, dense forests, and along the way, met wonderful people.

Bob and I want to say a final "thank you" to all our hosts, and on-camera guests who made our shows so much fun to film, and made Hank and Dash the most famous birddogs in the country. Those shows were the most fun I ever had as a performer and an outdoorsman. The memories made through those shows will last me the rest of my life (I have every one of our shows here in my office on DVD, so I can see my "boys" anytime I am missing them...which is pretty much all the time).

In retrospect, I realize those programs would not have been so popular had it not been for the great work of directing, by my friend Bob Corley. His talent behind the camera and in the studio (for editing) was an integral part of the overall quality of each of our shows. In the field, he made sure that the "boys" always were on camera when then were performing their duties searching for, pointing, and retrieving our quarry. He also took care of my fragile ego, and made sure that I always looked my best on camera (and that wasn't always easy)!

So, as I write this final newsletter for the HWH Productions website, my thoughts are both filled with great memories, and a sadness that that part of my life is in the past. But the memories of Hank and Dash are still very much in the minds of their many fans across the country, so I will stay in touch through my Facebook page from now on, and keep you informed of any new developments, or projects. For instance, by the time you read this, I will have been attending the Annual Birddog Jamboree in Wisconsin as the guest speaker.

To all of you who have been long time, loyal fans of Hank and Dash, I offer you my most heartfelt gratitude for giving me the opportunity to bring you our multi-award winning shows. As I said at the end of many of our programs...I'll see you, somewhere in the uplands.

my best to you all...dez

Hi Everyone,

Dez has asked me to add something to this, the final newsletter on our website.

I have been a Producer, Director, Cameraman, and Editor for over 30 years. In that time I have never had the opportunity to work with an on-camera talent as excellent as Dez. If I needed him to walk to a spot, turn to address the camera, and talk about the beautiful fall colors framed behind him, he would take a moment to think of something to say, and at "Action", hit that spot and deliver his lines. If we saw something unique at a location, the Guide or Outfitter would tell us about it, and Dez would deliver the information on camera in an interesting and believable way. As I know from experience, it is not an easy thing to do! It was a pleasure to partner with him throughout all our Series series.

As Dez has mentioned, it takes a number of talented people to create the award winning shows we did. One of the most talented we had was our video editor, Bob Lawhead. I had worked with Bob for years on many projects. When I needed to pick an Editor for the Hank shows, Bob was my first choice. He edited every single episode of the Hank and Dash shows, along with our "Dez Young's Wingshooter's Journal" specials and many other shorter pieces we did. His personality, editing style, and feel for music added tremendously to what the Series became. Thanks Bob for your patience!

Dez’s wonderful audio book about Dash "Dash in the Uplands, legacy of a legend" and the DVD of his favorite clips from the shows "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash" is available by contacting him through his Facebook page.

Complete Seasons of both the Hank and Dash Series are available on DVD through Amazon, along with Dez's hard cover book, "Hunting with Hank: side-by-side in the Uplands."

Dez says he'll see you, somewhere in the Uplands. I'll just say, what a long, strange trip it's been.....

Bob Corley

My friends:

September was always the month in which I began daily workouts for myself and for Hank and Dash to get ready for the upcoming bird season. My workouts consisted of jogging, stretching and weight training. For the "boys" it was mostly running through their commands and running them either alongside me while I jogged, or taking them to our local park for their workouts.

By the time my friend and Director, Bob Corley and I were ready to begin the filming of our "Hunting With Hank" or "Dash in the Uplands" shows, the boys and I were ready to go. I have to admit, that without them here now, it's harder for me to get motivated to exercise the way I did when we had shows to tape beginning in the fall.

I did get out on a Dove hunt on the 1st. I couldn't believe the number of Eurasion Doves I saw. Only one Mourning Dove came by for a visit, the rest of the birds were all Eurasions! As you may already know, they are larger than Mourning Doves, lighter in color, and instead of a pointed tail, there's is squared off at the end. We'll be having a Dove dinner later this month, so I'll have a chance to see if the Eurasions taste similar to the Mournings.

With the days getting shorter, cooler and crisper, I think back to the trips that Bob, Hank, Dash and I took for 11 seasons and 135 television shows. It was great fun, and I sure do miss those boys of mine.

I hope you have a great fall/winter bird season. As always, my best,,,dez

Hi everyone: As August begins here in the Northwest (Portland to be exact), the temperatures are really beginning to heat up. I was thinking today about Hank and Dash and how they coped with the summer heat (with their long hair, I always was concerned about them getting over heated).

In order to keep them in shape, I had to run them several times a week, of course...so I would get up early on those hot summer days and take them to our close by park for a run. Sometimes we would get into the park so early that we would catch a glimpse of a coyote coming back from a night forage and heading for the brush along the small creek that divides the park. I would, of course, put them at heal and watch carefully to make sure the coyote had no intension of following us. Hank was always aware, but Dash was mostly oblivious to any distractions like that.

Many of you have been kind enough to check in with me to get a status report on the progress of Upland Almanac Television, so here's the latest: James Dietch (Sales) and John Gosselin (Publisher) are hard at work contacting potential advertisers for this new quarterly series. I have lined up locations around the country for each of the 4 quarterly programs we plan on taping this coming fall/winter. There is lots of interest, but no commitments as of this writing. I'll, of course, keep you informed as we progress.

If you haven't ordered your DVD yet (My boys, the best of Hank and Dash), be sure to get your order in while I still have a few remaining. Send $25.00 (check or money order) to: Dez Young, 5346 Sw 33rd Dr., Portland OR 97239. Each DVD will be signed by me and has a publicity photo of myself and the "boys" on the cover of the DVD. It's over 80 minutes of my favorite clips from their shows, as well as my favorite "Never, ever spoil your birddog" segments.

As each new bird season approaches, I miss Hank and Dash even more than usual. I'm so glad that I have ALL of their shows on my own set of DVD's, so that I can watch them anytime I want...and I watch them often.

Have a great August...I'll talk to you again in September....dez=

Hi everyone:

Although nothing is "for sure", it appears likely that I'll be teaming up with The Upland Almanac magazine to produce/host a new television program, "Upland Almanac Television, with Dez Young". If all comes to fruition, here's how it will work: the magazine is a quarterly publication, so the idea is to air a quarterly television version of it, following each quarter's mailing of the magazine, so that an announcement can be made of the dates/times of the airings on Pursuit Channel. Of course, I'll keep you up to date on the progress, but I'd give this project about a 75% chance of making it on the air...check in next month for more details.

My wife, Karenanne and I are leaving for Fripp Island, in South Carolina, to spend the first few days of July with my son, daughter and their families. It will be the first time we've all been together in the last several years. As my friend and Director Bob Corley and I used to do occasionally on our "Hank" and "Dash" trips, I plan on getting in some fly fishing while there...this time, in the ocean.

Don't forget, if you are looking for my DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash", or my audio book "Dash in the uplands, legacy of a legend", you can order them through Upland Almanac magazine or their web page. Also, all of Hank’s and Dash’s television adventures are still available through Amazon.

Enjoy the summer...before long it will be bird season once again...my best, dez=

I hope your early summer is an enjoyable one for you. As I mentioned last month, those of you who have bird dogs, be sure to begin there exercises now, so you can have them ready and in good physical condition when bird season arrives in a few months.

I don't know how it happened, but my son, Glenn (Sales Manager for Zman fishing lures) has just turned 50!!! My wife, Karenanne and I will be flying down to S.C. later this month to help him celebrate this momentous occasion. My daughter, Stacy and her husband will also be joining us, so it should be quite an event. I expect Glenn and I will be testing out some of Zman's new lures on the resident fish while we're there.

Glenn has done great things with his fishing career, and it all began with me taking him ( and sometimes one of his buddies) on Trout fishing trips here in Oregon when he was a young boy. As he grew, I introduced a fly rod to him, and he soon became a remarkable caster and fly fisherman. His love of the outdoors (fishing in particular), turned into a vocation, and he's been in the fishing industry now for several years. The boy can shoot also. Even though our work schedules seldom matched, I did manage to get him on a "Dash in the Uplands" show a few years ago, and he was terrific on camera, and got his first Sharptail Grouse, which I had mounted for him.

Hard to believe that he's 50, but it's not hard to believe that he has made a success out of something he loves. Happy birthday, son...see you later this month!

Don't forget that you can order my DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash", as well as my audio book "Dash in the Uplands, legacy of a legend" through our friends at The Upland Almanac Magazine. Additionally, all our Hunting with Hank and Dash adventures, including Glenn’s Sharptail hunt, are available on DVD through Amazon....my best, always, dez

My friends:

Near the end of April two nice surprises occurred... First, my DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash" won a TELLY award for the quality of the production. That award was the 19th TELLY that the boys have won.

Then, just this past Monday, I was informed that my Audio Book "Dash in the Uplands, legacy of a legend" won the Communicator Award for excellence in audio production! My boys, just keep performing!

Both the DVD and the audio book are now exclusively available through the fine quarterly magazine, Upland Almanac. You can order yours by calling 1 800 899 7810...or you can go to their web page.

With the onset of spring, I'm sure those of you with bird dogs will be starting your workout routines to get, or keep, your dog in shape for this coming fall. Remember that to get the maximum performance out of your dog, you need to not only keep working them from now until hunting season, but also remind them of the commands they need to follow when you are hunting.

I used to take Hank and then Dash with me on fly fishing trips to the Oregon coast. Not only did they love poking around in the surrounding bushes along the stream, but the also got great exercise swimming in the pools where I was trying to fish! If they got to a pool before I did, I just passed it by and headed to the next one...hopefully before they got there.

Have a great early summer...talk to you again next month...my best, always, dez

My friends:

Spring has finally sprung here in the Northwest...as usual, it's been a wet winter in Portland, so it's great to see the sun, only if it's occasionally!

When Hank and Dash were with me, one of my favorite things to do (besides giving them their daily workouts), was to take them with me on my fly fishing trips to the Trask River on the coast. Lots of Sea Run Cutthroat Trout migrating up the river this time of year to span. I'd let the boys run along the shore, exploring the woods and river side grasses for anything that smelled good to them. If they were near me when I'd hook a fish, they would wade out into the water to inspect it before I released it to go on its way. Not only did they have a good time, it was excellent conditioning for them as well.

Here in Oregon, the released bird season ends the last day of March...don't really think of it much with the boys both gone, but, a few weeks ago, I did take my Grandson, London, up to Horseshoe Bend Ranch near my hometown of Pendleton for a bird hunt for him. There were several fans of our shows there, lots of birds for London to find (including a Melanistic "blue" Pheasant),so it was a wonderful weekend.

I am down to my very last few DVD's (My boys, the best of Hank and Dash), so if you want your copy, you need to get your order in asap. $21.95 plus $3.99 s/h to: Dez Young, 5346 SW 33rd Dr., Portland, OR 97239. This project has been a lot of fun for me, although it was emotionally challenging to put together my favorite "Hank", "Dash" and "spoil..." segments. But, it's been worth it to me to see the response from their fans.

Bob and I hope you have a great spring...and remember, if you have a bird dog, be sure to exercise it often during the next few months, so it will be ready when you get your shotgun out this fall.

my best, dez

Hi everyone:

Now that spring is nearly here (I'm writing this on March 1, 2015), I'm reminded of all the years with Hank and Dash that I would use this month to begin their (and my) conditioning workouts. Where I live here in Portland, Oregon there is a large city park within easy walking distance from our home. It is in that park that I would take my "boys" several times a week for a workout. The time we spent in that park was used to refresh their commands that I used each fall and winter in the field.

Being just an amateur trainer, I felt it was important to remind them of the commands I used with them in the field, and the park was as close as I could get to an actual field, here in the middle of the city. My routine was always the same. With first Hank and then later with Dash, I would walk them to the park on a lead at "heel". Once in the park (usually there was no one there early in the morning), I would run through all of the commands I used on our hunting trips. It would begin with the release command (my hand on his nose, thrust forward with an "OK" verbal command. Once out in front, I worked on the direction signals left and right with hand signals and accompanying whistle signals to get their attention. Return commands and retrieving exercises would follow.

A thirty to forty five minute period repeated a minimum of three times a week, kept my boys in good condition through the spring and summer. When we were ready to begin our fall/winter hunting schedule, the summer work outs allowed us to spend long days in the field, taping our shows, without unduly wearing them out. Of course, a side benefit was that it helped me get ready for the fall schedule as well.

Taping our shows required long days of walking behind Hank and then Dash to make sure that my Director Bob Corley and I got the video we needed to move into the studio for the editing process. You can do the same thing for your birddog, even if you don't have a nearby field to use for exercise. A city park, early in the morning is a pretty good substitute. It's much better than the both of you sitting around all summer and then suddenly getting out your shotgun in the fall and expecting either of you to be in shape for chasing birds around in the open country.

Just one more note before I close. I greatly appreciate all of the kind comments coming from many of your that have ordered and received my new DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash". It is so gratifying to hear that watching Hank and Dash again is bringing joy to so many of their fans.

Have a great spring and summer...I'll talk to you again next month. Dez

Hi everyone;

This is the time of year when I look at the weather and wish that Karenanne and I lived in Florida or one of the other southern states. So, I have been spending a great deal of time here in my office, working on new projects, and marketing my DVD, "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash". I have been so pleased with response to this latest project. With my friend and Director Bob Corely's help, the DVD turned out to be all I wanted it to be as my final tribute to Hank and Dash.

There are three segments to it. First, are my favorite clips from our "Hunting With Hank" shows. The second segment is filled with my favorite clips from our "Dash in the Uplands" shows. The final part of this DVD is several minutes of the popular "Never, ever spoil your birddog". scenes that we always put in the last part of each show. Hardly a day goes by when I don't hear from a fan of our shows. It's a great feeling to know that not only are both the boys in the National Birddog Museum in Grand Junction Tennessee, but that so many viewers across the country still think about them.

Many of you might remember my Father-in-law, Don Swift. He was a frequent guest on shows of both the boys, and a favorite of our viewers. I just took him out for a short bird hunt yesterday to celebrate his 86th birthday! We were at my friend Chuck Cates place near Dallas, Oregon...Luckiamute Valley Pheasants for a short afternoon hunt. The guy can still shoot. He dropped two Pheasants with his Browning 20 gauge side-by-side over a couple of fine pointing dogs that are used for clients of the place. It wasn't like having my boys out in front, but it was a nice hunt anyway.

I'll be stopping by the outdoor show being held here in Portland this weekend, and perhaps I'll see some old friends there.

Again, to those of you who have been so complimentary of my new DVD, you have my thanks. I'm so glad this project has been so well accepted...talk to you again in March...dez

My friends;

As we begin this new year, I'm pleased to tell you that 2014 was a great year for wrapping up my trilogy to my "boys" Hank and Dash. If you followed their adventures, and my recent projects celebrating their lives, you may already be aware of these facts: my book about Hank (Hunting With Hank, side by side in the uplands) was a best seller...my audio book about his son Dash, (Dash in the Uplands, legacy of a legend) is still selling extremely well through the magazine, The Upland Almanac...and now, my new DVD (My boys, the best of Hank and Dash) is also selling extremely well (also available through The Upland Almanac), as well as here at HWH Productions.

To order your copy to view during the new few dull winter months when you can't chase birds, just send $21.95 plus $3.99 s/h to: Dez Young, PO Box 132 Beaverton/Hillsdale Hwy, Portland OR 97239. Each copy has a full color, signed, publicity photo of Hank, Dash and me on the disc cover.

As I sit here in my office preparing this newsletter, I'm surrounded by many of my favorite photos of Hank and Dash, as well as the numerous awards my friend and Director Bob Corley and I won over the 11 years of taping our shows together with my "boys". Each award...each photo...each piece of memorabilia reminds me of just how fortunate I was to have had those dogs in my life. It still amazes me to this day, the number of people we touched across the country with our upland adventures. I am constantly reminded of the impact those shows had, by the continuing comments I receive about our programs through emails, regular mail and Facebook messages.

Let me end this monthly message by wishing all of you a very Happy New Year. I'll talk to you next month...my best, always, dez

My friends:

First, let me wish all of you a wonderful Christmas holiday. December is also my birthday month, so the days are filled with great memories of birthdays and holidays past. This year is no exception. A highlight for me was getting to work with my friend (and Director) Bob Corley again in the production of my latest project, the DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash". It marks the final piece in my trilogy honoring my two famous Llewellin Setters.

My first project was my best selling book "Hunting With Hank, side by side in the uplands" (by the way, you can still get a copy here on this website, but there are only a handful available that Bob has been keeping for our fans). My second project was my audio book, "Dash in the uplands, legacy of a legend". There are a few available through the magazine The Upland Almanac. And now, my DVD which you can order here or directly with me at: Dez Young, PO Box 132, 6663 SW Beaverton/Hillsdale Hwy, Portland, OR 97239. The price is $21.95 plus $3.99 s/h. It will make a Christmas great gift for your favorite hunting partner...or even yourself!

I have been amazed at how many fans of "my boys" still want to see them racing across this great land, searching for the variety of birds that we hunted on their television shows. The DVD is filled with my favorite scenes for each series, as well as my favorite scenes from our popular "Never, ever spoil your birddog" segments. To make sure you get your copy for the bird season and for the upcoming Christmas holiday, send in your request right away, and I'll get it to you. Each DVD is personally signed by me with a picture of Hank Dash and myself on the DVD. From my family to yours

Happy Holidays! Dez

Hi everyone:

As we begin this month of Thanksgiving, my mind drifts back to all of the wonderful fall and winter trips that I took with my friend and Director Bob Corley as he and I followed Hank and Dash across this great land videotaping our "Hunting With Hank" and "Dash in the Uplands" television shows. Bob and I traveled from one end of this country to the other, recording our adventures for 11 years and 135 episodes.

With one or the other of my "boys", we hunted birds as far North as Alaska and as far South as Mexico...as far West as Hawaii and as far East as Florida. Our concept was simple...videotape a handsome birddog as he pursued his job of searching, finding, pointing, and retrieving a wide variety of upland birds. It seemed like a reasonable concept when I first came up with the idea, but neither Bob nor I ever expected it would lead to such great fame in the outdoor world for those two wonderful four legged companions. With those two dogs, we hunted the mountains, the valleys, the deserts, the farm lands, the prairies of the mid-west, and the lush fields of Lanai.

As a result of those adventures, first Hank and then Dash became the only two television birddogs honored by having their portraits displayed in the National Birddog Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee. A tribute that they each richly deserve.

All of that history is exactly why, this late summer, I finally completed my trilogy tribute to them by producing (with the invaluable help of Bob) my DVD "My boys, the best of Hank and Dash". Along with my book "Hunting With Hank, side by side in the uplands", still available through Amazon...and "Dash in the uplands, legacy of a legend" available from Amazon and through The Upland Almanac magazine.

To purchase this new DVD, My boys, the best of Hank and Dash, (nearly 85 minutes of my favorite "clips" from their shows), in time to view it during hunting season, or as a Christmas gift to your favorite hunting partner, here's all you need to do. Send $21.95 plus $3.99 s/h to: Dez Young, 5346 SW 33rd Dr., Portland, OR 97239. Or you can also order it through The Upland Almanac magazine. Each DVD has a cover photo of myself with Hank on one side of me and Dash on the other...and it will be signed by me.

This time of year brings back so many memories of Bob and me following those handsome Llewellin Setters as we taped them racing across the land seeking that aroma that was so mesmerizing to them...I am grateful for the years I had them, and miss them every day.

Happy Thanksgiving...

my best, Dez