Hunting Dogs Arrive in ND | Video

Retha Colclasure | 10/19/2012

This is the first weekend of the pheasant hunt that is open to those from out-of-state. That means hunters from all over the country are pouring into North Dakota and they`re bringing their dogs with them, in different ways.

This is Briley`s first time flying. She`s a 22-month-old springer spaniel, and owner Steve Stinson is excited to see how she does in the field.

"You get a lot more birds that way. You don`t lose as many birds because the dog can find them. When you`re out in that grass and it`s so thick if you don`t really watch you`ll lose the birds. You don`t want to lose the birds," he said.

Briley didn`t seem any worse for the wear, but was excited to stretch her legs a little.

It seems like almost every flight coming into Bismarck now has at least one dog on board.

"We kind of hit a crescendo of hunters and dogs and activity right around the beginning of the pheasant season. But this starts in September and it goes through November," said Greg Haug with the Bismarck Airport.

But not all hunters bring their dogs with them on the plane.

Bobby Carlson has been coming to the state to hunt with friends and family for years. And his pointer retriever Ruby hits the fields by his side.

"It`s the real joy of the sport to have a trained dog," he said.

But instead of putting her on a plane, she comes in a trailer thanks to a dog transporter who specializes in driving hunting dogs to their final destination.

"If you miss your flight then you`ve gotta make sure your dog didn`t get on the flight, or vice versa. I`ve had a situation where I was on the plane but my dog didn`t make it," Carlson said.

He says this way, he can also send his dog up early so she can get conditioned and ready for the hunt.

Stinson and Carlson were headed to the Mott area, where they hope to have good weather and plenty of birds waiting for them.

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