Hi everyone:

This month brings back some great, and some sad memories for me.  

It was in August on 1996 that Bob Corley (Director, and A Cameraman), David Bogan (our first B Cameraman), my Father-in-Law, Don Swift, Hank and I headed to Alaska for our very first Hunting With Hank Adventures.  Our host at Soldotna was Bob Ledda at All Alaska Outdoors.  While staying with Bob at his beautiful lodge, we taped three shows that would air in January of 1997 on what was then known as The Outdoor Life Network.  

Volume I, Edition One was our first Ptarmigan hunt in the Kenai Mountains. It required a fly-in on a float plane to the Twin Lakes region, and as the plane landed on one of the two lakes bearing the name, a large Bull Moose smoothly stepped out of the edge of the lake and began moving away from the plane at a leisurely pace.  A wonderful day of Ptarmigan hunting included several beautiful points from my future star, Hank, plus remarkable scenery as a bonus...so we decided we’d come back for a second show in the same area.

Volume I, Edition Three, found us back in the Kenai Mountains for another show on the fabulous Ptarmigan hunting available through All Alaska Outdoors...lots of birds, great work from Hank again, and another remarkable, scenery filled day of walking the tundra.  Our third scheduled show was just a little bit different.  I had wanted to showcase the forest Grouse of Alaska also, so our final show was to be on the Spruce Grouse hunting in the ancient woods around Soldotna.  We had no trouble finding the Grouse, but they were mostly on the dirt roads, not in the woods where Hank could do his best work. Finally, after a struggle just to find a bird where Hank could find it and point it, we got lucky.  A lone male Spruce Grouse was in the timber several yards off the dirt access road.  With a lucky shot, it came down and Hank retrieved it to hand, and we had our third show.

For the first time since that trip, I’ll be returning to All Alaska Outdoors this month from the 18th through the 25th. This time, I’ll be bringing Hank’s famous son, Dash, as well as my 13 year old grandson London (it will be his first trip to Alaska). We’ll be meeting and hunting and fishing with fans of our shows, and I’m really looking forward to being in Alaska again, and seeing Bob Ledda once more.

This is also the saddest month of the year for me.  On August 2nd, of 2004, my famous bird dog Hank passed away in his sleep during the night.  Losing him was very difficult on my wife Karenanne and me, as well as for his thousands of fans around the country.  Once I made the announcement on this website, we were inundated with emails of condolences for months afterwards.  Hank was not just a famous bird dog, he was my personal hunting dog, and a great family member...he is still greatly missed.  His son Dash (star of our Dash in the Uplands) TV series looks and acts so much like him, I see Hank in him virtually every day.

I look forward to reporting to you next month in detail about the Alaska trip, so be sure to check it out on the Dez Young Endorsed Wing Shooting Lodge Trip Report section on this website.

I’ll talk to you again next month.

Dez

Hi everyone:

As I write this newsletter, the sun is actually shining today.  As I mentioned last month, it has been a very wet spring and early summer here in the western part of Oregon, so it’s great to see the blue sky again.  Dash’s early morning workouts in our local park don’t require me drying him off afterwards, now that we’ve had a break from the seemingly constant rains of April, May and early June.  

I had a wonderful time in Pennsylvania from June 8th through the 12th.  My friend Vince Capricci guided me on three wonderful days of fly fishing the small Lime Stone streams for Trout.  I was amazed at how small the streams were (many could be crossed in two steps), and how many Trout they held.  We caught and released several beautiful Brown Trout, and one Rainbow over the course of three days.  It was very challenging fishing due to the amount of brush and trees along the edges of the streams, but it was a great experience that I’ll always remember.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to Spring Lane Hunt Club, where I met the owner J.D. Kelly and several of his family and clients for a wonderful afternoon and evening.  J.D. gave me a tour of his hunting grounds and I was very impressed with his whole operation.  Bird hunting stories were prevalent as we all enjoyed a great Hamburger dinner on a beautiful, warm and sunny Saturday.

Upon returning home, I rejoined my new folk group, The Dez Young Trio, for rehearsals until our first performance which was held on Friday evening the 25th.  What a thrill it was for me to return to performing music in front of a live audience again.  We had a packed, standing room only house, and were welcomed with very enthusiastic applause, including a standing ovation when we finished our set.  My friend and Director Bob Corley video taped the entire performance, and he and I will be editing the tape for the purpose of marketing the trio.  If enough of you are interested in seeing our performance, we may offer a DVD of the evening in the web store…just let us know if you are interested.

July will include a trip with Karenanne and our niece Karen to eastern Idaho for a few days of fly fishing from Trail Creek Lodge with my friend Flip Pallott of Walker’s Cay Chronicles fame.  He’s promised to give Karen a fly fishing lesson, so it should be a great few days.

That’s it for now…have a great month, and I’ll talk to you again in August.

Dez

Hi everyone,

As I write this newsletter it is STILL raining here in Portland Oregon. It seems like this has been one of the wettest springs in some time.  Not only that, but the temperatures have hovered around the 50 degree mark on most days, so it feels like summer will never get here.  In the meantime, I’m taking Dash on his runs any day that we get even the slightest break in the weather.  It has always been important to keep him active during his “off season”, but now that he’s 8 years old, it’s even more important to get in his “runs” as often as I can when I’m home.

He won’t be happy about this, but I’ll be in Pennsylvania from June 8 through the 12th on a fly fishing trip to the Limestone streams that I’ve been reading about since I took up fly fishing all those years ago.  My host is Vince Capricci, a fan of Hank and Dash’s who joined me at Weatherby’s Resort in Maine last October for Grouse and Woodcock.  He has a very handsome setter whom he has named “Dez”, so it will be good to see my namesake again.  I wonder if he enjoys fishing as much as Dash does?

For those of you in the Pennsylvania area, I’ll be at Spring Lane Hunt Club in Tyrone the afternoon and evening of the 12th. If you’d like to come by just give J.D. Kelly a call at 814-880-7091 and we can share bird hunting and fly fishing stories together…and I promise that all of mine will be truthful.

On another note:  over the years of our Hunting With Hank and Dash in the Uplands shows, many of you have been kind enough to complement me on my original music for those shows as well as for our Dez Young’s Wing Shooter’s Journal specials.  You may recall that I began my career as a folk singer when I was 19.  Over the intervening years I’ve kept my hand in my music, especially enjoying performing for family and friends. Now that I have retired from television, I am going back to my musical roots. I have formed a folk group called THE DEZ YOUNG TRIO.  Our first performance will be at the end of this month on the 25th, in Portland.  It will be a thrill to be in front of a live audience once again, singing the great folk songs of the 60’s and 70’s that got me hooked on singing.  I’ll keep you posted on how the group is doing, and will be sure to give you a report in my July newsletter.

In the meantime, I hope you have a great month of June.

I’ll talk with you again next month.

Dez

Hello everyone:

Just a reminder to begin with:  If you’re looking for your “bucket list” trip of a lifetime, be sure to read my April newsletter about the upcoming September trip to the Wine Country of Mendoza, Argentina, and then on to Cordoba for a fabulous Dove hunting experience. Karenanne and I will be hosting the trip, so be sure to contact me for all the details.

As summer slowly reaches us here in the Northwest, I’m getting mentally prepared to head to my favorite streams and lakes with my fly rod for some relaxing Trout fishing until the fall when Dash and I will be out chasing upland birds again.  Dash loves to go fishing with me, so I’ll be taking him along on as many trips as I can.  He usually sits or stands quietly by my side as I ply the waters here in our home state of Oregon.  If the action is slow, I can count on him wandering off in search of any game birds that might just be in the neighborhood. Like most dogs who are also members of a family, he just wants to be with me wherever I happen to be going.  Luckily for him, that usually means a bird hunting trip somewhere.  He is so much like his famous dad, Hank in that way. I’ve often said that Dash has two personalities:  a sweet natured, loving member of our family; and a bird hunting machine in the field.  I’m not sure if that’s a standard trait of the Setter family (I’ve only had two Setters in my life), or a factor of our relaxed nature at home, and my burning desire to be in the field.  In any case, he is a wonderful companion.  I hope someday you will be able to meet him at one of the many functions or wing shooting facilities where we will be in attendance.

I had lunch with my friend and Director Bob Corley the day and Bob told me he is working on a great new DVD we will be offering through our website store very soon…so stay tuned for an official announcement soon. In the meantime, if you miss seeing Hank and Dash doing their job, be sure to check out our DVD collection of HUNTING WITH HANK and DASH IN THE UPLANDS adventures in our website store.  

One final thought for you:  if you are lucky enough to have a bird dog in your family, this is the time of year when many people get busy with summer-time activities and forget to exercise your dog.  If you want your bird dog to perform at a high level when bird season begins, keep up with the training and exercising for your dog.  It will pay huge dividends when you and your four legged companion hit the fields for the first time in a few months.

I’ll talk to you again next month.

Dez Young

EXCITING TRIP OFFER FOR OUR FANS

With SYC Sporting Adventures, my wife Karenanne and I will be hosting a fantastic inaugural WINE AND DOVE TOUR to Argentina this late September. The trip will include a multi-day tour of the world famous wine country of the province of Mendoza in the western part of Argentina.  We’ll stay at luxury lodging, tour the regions most famous vineyards, and sample the regions finest dining.  From there, we will travel to Cordoba Province for three days of amazing Dove shooting at El Cortijo Lodge near the city of Cordoba.  The government estimates that there are over 50 million Doves in Cordoba Province, so the shooting is non-stop.  The lodge is beautiful and relaxing so if your spouse doesn’t want to join you in the field, he/she can have a relaxing day just lounging. 

I have all the details of this great trip, so talk with your spouse, then send me an email and I will get you all the details (including a remarkably low price) immediately, as I expect this trip will fill up quickly.  Come join Karenanne and me on this great adventure. 

To answer many of the questions I’ve been getting recently…yes, you can still see all of your favorite HUNTING WITH HANK and DASH IN THE UPLANDS episodes by ordering them right here on our website.  Just go to our website store and place your order to see some of the best upland bird hunting shows ever produced.  All of the shows were directed by multi-award winning Director, Bob Corley, but the real stars, of course, were Hank and his son, Dash. 

Summer is just around the corner, and it won’t be long before fall arrives, so remember to keep yourself and your bird dog in shape so you’ll be ready when the bird season begins. 

I’ll talk to you again next month.

Dez Young

Hi Everyone:

Wow, what a February for Dash and me. It began with a trip at the end of January and the first days of February into the South…North Carolina to be exact. The warm, sunny clime of Charlotte beckoned us for the second year in a row. Our appearance at the Fly Fishing and Wing Shooting Show began nicely on the last Friday in January. Then the weather turned from blue sky to grey sky with swirling winds and snow. By Saturday morning, the last day of the event, there was snow everywhere, the news stations were warning everyone to stay home, and the show was practically empty. I felt very bad for the show sponsors and the individual businesses that had spent their hard earned money to be there and set up a booth to sell their wares. Dash and I spent most of the day wandering around the show, visiting with his fans who were manning the booths.

By Sunday the storm had passed and my son Glenn drove up from Columbia, South Carolina, to pick me up so that we could accept an invitation from Darin Melton, owner of Poplar Springs Farm to stay at his very nice new lodge and then enjoy a quail hunt with Dash the next day. When Glenn and I woke up on Monday morning, the sun was out, the sky was blue once again, and the quail were waiting for us. Dash had a great time searching the fields and woods for those beautiful little game birds. Glenn shot well, and we took several birds back to his home with us when we departed. Darin is a very nice southern gentleman, so give him a call when you want some wonderful southern bird hunting.

When Dash and I returned home, we made a fun appearance at a local high school that has a great outdoor program. My 13 year old niece Karen came along to help out, so it was a family affair. Before the month ended, my wife Karenanne, and I and Dash were invited to be the guests of the Bellevue, Washington Chapter of The Ruffed Grouse Society. We donated a portrait each of Hank and Dash (signed by me, but more importantly, “pawed” by my boys). It was a fun evening, and I want to thank the society for the invitation.

Things won’t slow down too much here in March. Within the first week, I’ll be starting the second year of my unique marketing program: The Dez Young Endorsed Wing Shooting Lodge Program. In its first year I selected 6 non-competing facilities, from across the country and internationally. Once again I’ll be looking to endorse wing shooting operations here and abroad, all the while ensuring that any selection will include exclusivity of their area. This will be a month long effort, so I’ll be working on that most of the time. I will take a break (again with Dash), in mid March, to help out the Honored American Veterans Afield program on a hunt at Cooke Canyon Hunting Club near Ellensburg, Washington. If you’d like further information on how you can help out this fine organization and the vets they work with, contact Heath Gunns at 1-253-720 6820.

Finally, I wish you all a great spring, and I’ll talk to you again in April.

Dez

Hi everyone:

This month (which actually began at the end of last month) will be a busy one for Dash and me with three appearances; two of the three are clear across the country from one another. At the very end of January, Dash and I flew to Charlotte, North Carolina for our second appearance at the Fly Fishing and Wing Shooting Show. The dates for that event were January 29th and 30th.

I always enjoy those appearances at sportsman's shows, as the attendees are men, women and children who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle, and usually have seen Dash and his dad Hank on our television shows over the last several years. But it's especially nice to do the show in Charlotte, because my son Glenn, my daughter in law Audrey and my granddaughter Caitie live just a few miles away in Columbia, South Carolina. While there, I will be able to spend time with them, meet Glenn's business associates, get in a hunting trip and possibly even a fishing trip while back there. Glenn grew up here in the northwest but has really acclimated to the southern climate and the great fishing opportunities available to him.

The second appearance will actually be back here at home. Dash and I will be visiting a local high school (Tualatin High) that has an outdoor program for interested students. That will be on the 17th of February in the evening so that parents can attend also. I'll be talking to the kids about my love of the outdoors, how I got into television work (I'm not sure I'll tell them about my first television show which I co-hosted with Ronald McDonald!!!), and also talk about safety and ethics. It will be a great opportunity for me to meet some young people who are going to carry on the tradition of hunting and fishing that has been so much a part of our American fabric.

The next appearance will be back here in the northwest, in Bellevue, Washington on the 20th. Dash will be the featured "guest" at the annual Ruffed Grouse Society Banquet. I have donated prints of the portraits of Dash and his dad Hank to the auction and will also be showing clips from Dash's 5th season of shows on the OLN/VERSUS cable network. Karenanne will be joining us for that event, so it will be a nice "get away" weekend for us.

As usual, the weather here in Portland has been rainy, but I've still be able to get Dash out for his work outs in our local park. Not only is it important to keep him fit, but the poor guy is so bored this time of year, so it's good to give him the exercise to look forward to on those days when there is actually a break in the weather. Right now, Charlotte, North Carolina is looking pretty good.

Talk with you again next month,

Dez

Hi Everyone,

Now that the holidays are over, I hope all of you enjoyed your family and friends and are looking forward to a great new year.

I want to remind all of you on the east coast that Dash and I will be at the 2010 Fly Fishing and Wing Shooting Show in Charlotte, North Carolina this coming January 29th and 30th.  This will be our only visit to the east this winter, so I hope that you will be able to take some time to come by and see Dash over those two days.  We will be available in a booth both days, as well as presenting clips from Dash’s 5th season of shows in the Point Room, and offering my seminar titled “Training From An Amateur’s Perspective” in The Dog Bowl arena.

My friend and Director Bob Corley is working at producing new DVDS of both the HUNTING WITH HANK and DASH IN THE UPLANDS shows.  If you still don’t have your favorite shows, here’s all you have to do.   Here on our website, just go to the seasons of each of “the boys” and review the Episode Guides for the six seasons of Hank’s shows and the 5 seasons of Dash’s shows.  Read the description of the shows to remind yourself of the one’s you really enjoyed. Then, it’s just a simple step to go to our website store to place your order.

There are still a limited number of Dash and Hank portrait prints available as well as my first (and best selling) book; Hunting With Hank…side by side in the uplands. Each print and each book is personally signed by me.  In addition, each print is “pawed” by either Hank or Dash.

Dash and I are enjoying a fun bird hunting season that included a recent trip where I took my niece Karen, and my grandson, London on a late season Pheasant hunt.  Since she lives close, Karen has been out with Dash before, but London (who lives in the Seattle area) had not had a chance to walk behind Dash before.  After Dash had scented, pointed, and retrieved our first bird of the hunt, London came up to me and said: “Papa, that was so exciting I could feel my heart beating in my chest!”.  It was a thrill for him and a great moment for me. My hope is that each of them will grow up to be fishers and hunters one day.  By exposing them to the outdoors at this early stage of their lives (each is 13 years old), they will at least have the experiences that will help them form their own opinions as they mature.  This is one of the great opportunities I have as an Uncle to Karen and a Grandfather to London.  I cherish each of these moments.

Talk to you again next month.

Dez

Hi Everyone:

As another year comes to a close, Karenanne, Dash and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, prosperous new year. This month Dash and I share a very special bond…we were both born on the same date in December.  On the 10th, Dash will turn 8, and I will turn…hhmmm, I seem to have forgotten!  Anyway, he and I will celebrate his birthday by getting in a hunt together on the following weekend.

2010 will include some exciting trips for Dash and me, as well as the possibility of some exciting news regarding my book about Dash, and a new affiliation with an outdoor company…when the news on those issues is firmed up, I will, of course let you know immediately.  In the meantime, remember that Dash and I will be at the Fly Fishing and Wing Shooting Show in Charlotte, North Carolina which takes place on January 29th and 30th (a Friday and Saturday).

I am pleased to announce that before the end of this year, another wing shooting facility will be joining The Dez Young Endorsed Wing Shooting Lodge Program.  River Bend Lodge near Fingerville, South Carolina is a tremendous facility that is transitioning from a public to a membership based organization, and Dash and I will play an integral part in that transition.  In my next monthly newsletter, I will be able to provide details of the transition and the open house event that will celebrate the change over.

Don’t forget that it’s not too late to order your “Hank” or “Dash” DVD’s as Christmas gifts for your bird hunter in your family.  Just visit our website store and place your order.

Again, to all of you who have supported our efforts over the last several years…Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Dez Young

Hi everyone:

Dash and I have just returned from a week of Grouse and Woodcock hunting at Weatherby’s Resort in northern Maine, and you can read the trip report on our Endorsed Wing Shooting Lodge page.

I want to again thank all of you who are still asking whether Dash and I will return to television with more Dash in the Uplands bird hunting programs. The comments that Bob Corley (Director, website manager) and I are receiving make us feel great, but our decision to let others provide you with your television upland bird hunting fix is still the same…unless we can find sponsors to provide the funding necessary to produce and air the shows, we will enjoy hunting behind Dash without cameras.

However, Dash and I will still be making personal appearances at selected sportsmen’s events, and we are pursuing other possible venues that I will share with you once more details are available.  Those of you in the mid-east area can see Dash at the Fly Fishing/Wing Shooting Show in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 29th and 30th, 2010.  We will have a booth where you can stop by and pet my “star”, visit about dogs and bird hunting, and pick up my book about his dad, Hank.

Looking farther into the future, the dates have been set for our visit to All Alaska Outdoors in Soldotna, Alaska. Dash and I will be there to join you for some fishing and Ptarmigan hunting with owner Bob Ledda.  His lodge was the very first place that Bob, Hank and I visited for our first shows of the HUNTING WITH HANK television series that first aired beginning in January of 1997.  Of course the scenery there is spectacular, the fishing is superb, and the bird hunting is wonderful.  It will be a great time, so contact Bob Ledda (1 800 646 4868) at All Alaska Outdoors and reserve your spot from August 20th through the 24th, 2010.

Talk to you again in December…Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Dez Young

Hi everyone:

With October here, bird seasons are moving into full swing across the country, so first let me wish all of you safe and enjoyable bird hunting trips this season. If you think about it, you can drop me a line to let me know how you did, what birds you hunted, where you hunted and most importantly, how your four legged hunting partners did.

September was an eventful month for me. My friend and Director, Bob Corley and I went to Eastern Oregon to hunt Doves and take Dash for an early season Pheasant hunt at the Ellis Hunting Ranch, near Pilot Rock. After just coming back from an incredible Dove shoot in Argentina, Eastern Oregon was considerably calmer, but Bob and I managed to bring a few Doves home. Bob also had a chance to walk behind Dash on a brief early morning Pheasant hunt before it got too warm. Dash performed wonderfully for Bob, and we collected several beautiful roosters before the sun heated up the Eastern Oregon farm country. The most enjoyable part of the trip, however, was having my niece Karen Miller along for the trip. She will turn thirteen at the end of this month, and is anxious to pass her hunter education course so that she can begin her own hunting career. Karen is beautiful and smart, but what I love the most about her is her great enthusiasm for life and all that it brings. It will be a joy to have her as a hunting partner in the coming years.

In mid-September, Dash and I headed to North Dakota to open the Sharptail Grouse season, so see my trip report on Badlands Hunting Company to read all about that great trip.

In late October, Dash and I will be heading to New England and the state of Maine to visit Weatherby’s Resort for a couple days of Grouse and Woodcock hunting. I can hardly wait. The last time Dash and I were in that area, we were taping two shows in Vermont (one on Grouse and one on Woodcock). I expect we’ll have just as much fun in Maine as we had on that trip. I’ll report to you next month on how we did.

Let’s all be safe out there this fall…good hunting.

Dez Young

Hi everyone:

As I write this September newsletter, the mornings here in Portland, Oregon are beginning to have just the slightest touch of fall to them.  This morning was cool and crisp as I took Dash for his morning run in our local park, and now there is a slight, steady rain coming down (a portend of things to come, I'm afraid).  I'm running Dash every day now that Karenanne and I are back from Argentina.  

Speaking of that, I've written a special newsletter all about our Argentina trip, and you can read all about it on my Lodge Endorsement page on this website. This photo was taken of Karenanne and me on one of the two days of our pigeon hunts, after spending three days shooting Eared Doves.  Be sure to check it out...it was an amazing trip!

Here in Oregon, the first of September means the opening of Dove season.  My friend and Director Bob Corley and I will be in Eastern Oregon when the season opens to see if we can manage to bring home enough of those delicious game birds to have a couple of meals this month.  We'll be at one of our favorite places in the state, a place where we taped shows with both Hank and Dash for their respective television programs...the Ellis Hunting Ranch. Since I grew up in Eastern Oregon, it's always a pleasure for me to return to my "roots" and see the country I knew so well as a boy.

In mid-September, Dash and I will be taking Karenanne's parents (Don and Anne Swift) to North Dakota (Badlands Hunting, owned by Nevin Dahl) to open the Sharptail Grouse season.  For me there is nothing quite like walking the prairies behind Dash, searching for that great American game bird.  Of all the game birds I've had the privilege to hunt, it's the prairie birds that hold the most interest. Hungarian Partridge, Prairie Chickens and Sharptail Grouse live in the wide open spaces.  It's where a hunter and a dog can roam mile after mile of beautiful, open country punctuated with brushy draws that almost always have birds ready to burst out into the blue sky, just ahead of a stylish point.  From Portland, it's just an easy day and a half drive.  I can hardly wait.

Bob and I continue to hear from many of you asking us when we're going to produce more bird hunting programs. Your interest is greatly appreciated by both of us, but for now at least, we are content with the 11 years and 135 shows we produced with Hank, Dash and the "specials" we did from Uruguay, Scotland and Hawaii.  However, may I remind you that you may order your favorite episodes of our shows right from this website.  Bob has also begun putting our 18 TELLY AWARD winning shows on special DVD's (the first of which has 4 shows), so be sure to get your order in for you and your friends.

Here's hoping you have a great fall.  I'll talk to you again in October.

Dez