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Please take a few minutes to tell the ryman community a bit about yourself. Suggested information might include: what state you live in; family; what/where you hunt; your bird dog history (how long? always rymans?); how many dogs you have; and any other information that will help us to get to know one another better. Maybe include a couple of your favorite photos – could be family, dogs, favorite coverts, whatever says “you” and will help us to get to know one another better.
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Hello, this is Carl in Denver, Colorado. We just got Blizzard, our first Ryman Setter pup, from Firelight Bird Dogs this summer. I have hunted with two Brittanys (one retired and one still active but getting older) all over the West and the prairie states for pheasant, bobwhite quail, gambel’s quail, chuckar, and prairie grouse, although pheasant and bobwhites are what I hunt most frequently. So I am excited to get started with the new little guy and maybe even expand my hunting by hitting the grouse woods from time to time. I was originally drawn to the Rymans from a desire to scale back the dogs’ working range in my typical hunt a bit and find a versatile pointing breed with good retrieving instincts. The classic looks and easy temperament certainly didn’t hurt either! My breed research was confirmed when I met up with the terrific Ryman community at the hunt & meet in Kansas in January, where I got to know the breed in much more detail. I am trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can about Rymans and the best way to train and work with them as we begin this new adventure.
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Welcome Carl. Any pics of Blizzard to share?
If I may add, Carl’s attendance at the Gathering this past January was exactly the reason why we extended a welcome to non-breeders. It was clear that Carl came to meet dogs and breeders, not to shoot birds, and it was a pleasure to have him there. I think he got to follow a number of different dogs yet he never imposed and by the end of his visit he had decided that rymans were right for him. It was a rare opportunity to meet 40+ rymans, what better way to know if they’re right for you.
I hope you and your family are enjoying Blizzard. I encourage you to ask any questions here since in RS you are tapping into the deepest pool of ryman knowledge that exists.
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Thanks for the kind words. A picture of Blizzard hunting for a tennis ball two weeks ago (age 11.5 weeks!) is attached below. He is a beauty, and we have been very happy with him.
The January gathering was incredible and I did have the chance to see about 40 dogs (several while I was a spectator in the field) and get to know half a dozen breeders. In addition to falling in love with the breed, it was great as an “outsider” to feel so welcome right away by a knowledgeable and friendly group of breeders and enthusiasts with amazing dogs.
We were very fortunate to get in on Firelight’s list for this year. Blizzard has quickly found his place in our family and I am looking forward to partaking in the discussions with other people in the RS community on this forum.
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Hello all,
I am from Wisconsin, and I have been chasing grouse up north with dogs for about 20 years. I have had 2 Vizslas which I have loved dearly. (I hope you will excuse my non-setter avatar of my current girl!)
It is now time for my next dog, and I have become interested in the Ryman-type setters. I currently live in Madison, but I make it to the northwoods as many weekends as possible between mid-September to mid-November. I hunt to be in the woods walking and exploring with my four-legged hunting partner, to find a few birds, and to see how we handle them. I am completely happy with enough birds to keep things interesting, but I have no need for flush counters, and I couldn’t tell you how many birds I shot last year. But I could tell you a about a couple good points, and a great retrieve on a winged pheasant.
I am looking for a dog that will love birds, want to be part of the partnership, have a strong point instinct, and be sweet and open with people and dogs.
Thank you for this wonderful resource, I am looking forward to learning more about the breed!
John Wagner
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Welcome John. Good luck in your puppy search, it’s important to find the right match with both breed and breeder, please feel free to post any questions you may have. I find most ryman owners to be very open and helpful to those who share the love for these dogs. I have a friend in Madison who has 2 rymans and she often talks about the great dog friendly Park that you guys have there. Includes wildlife fields and a river for dog swimming I believe? Pretty cool for an urban area.
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Hello,
My name is John Alsop and I live in Oregon. My first good bird dog was a Ryman type Setter. I have been working with bird dogs for over 45 years. I want to get a Ryman type Setter within the next year. I hunt Grouse and any other game bird that i can. I enjoy hunting Wilson Snipe here on the Oregon coast as well. Closest thing i have to Woodcock. I have owned Llewellin Setters in the past and presently I own a German Wirehair. Please don”t frown. Thanks for accepting my membership in the forum.
John
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Welcome John.
We have a Ryman Type setter “Blue” and his very best friend is our girl Della, an 11 year old GWP. I doubt anyone would frown about our wiredogs here 🙂
Della is a great little hunting dog and the two do quite well together. I look forward to hearing more about your hunts and hopefully you have a nice setter to join your family soon.
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Hello, My name is Jim Hanley and I would like to thank you for allowing me to be a member of this site.
I am not a dog breeder, just a lover of the English Setter. We lost our girl “Molly” this past May and we are actively searching for a new pup.
I live in Ohio and there are few wild pheasant around me, but the state does a release in November and I have participated in this for years.
We purchased Molly from a Kennel in upstate PA called Decoverly Kennels. She was a beautiful dog and a real joy to live with. I was ready to purchase another immediately, but I can’t seem to get any information from them and I guess it’s time to look elsewhere.
So, if anyone here with quality breeding and healthy puppies has any puppies on the ground or coming soon, I sure would appreciate being on your waiting list. My preference is a female, Blue Belton, but I sure would be open to other options.
Thank you,
Jim Hanley
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Welcome Jim.
Sorry for your loss of Molly, they are never with us long enough. My first and oldest setter, Addie is from DeCoverly and my other two have DeCoverly background. I’ve discovered all the great things that other smaller (most in this group) breeders have been doing and am looking to bring in those lines. We are located in northern NJ and planning a litter for the spring of 2019. If the timing works, I’d be happy to share our plans with you.
– Chuck
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Thank you Chuck,
I have been in contact with a few other smaller breeders and they have all been very helpful and gave me a few great connections. Right now I am waiting to see how a couple litters pan out and hopefully I may be able to purchase a healthy puppy from one of them. I will definitely keep you in mind if things don’t work out for us. Thank you for your time.
Jim Hanley
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My first Ryman-type setter is a male orange belton from Dick Weaver’s Dark Hollow breeding program. Boone and I have been together for eleven years, and he has as much heart for the hunt as he did at age one. Tess, a female from October Setters, joined us three years ago. Our hunting grounds these days are in Eastern North Carolina, after bobwhite and woodcock. Once a season at least we make a foray into the Blue Ridge Mountains for ruffed grouse. We’ve hunted grouse in West Virginia, in the same area made widely known by George Bird Evans, and spent a few days on what seemed like a forced march in New Hampshire grouse woods.
My first bird dog was a lemon-spotted female pointer many years ago. I knew she was a very good quail finder but I didn’t know what I had until a few months ago when I was looking through some old papers and noticed the word Elhew in her registration.
Over the years I’ve had pointers, a yellow lab, a wayward field English setter, and a neurotic Brittany, plus an assortment of other wonderful canine companions.
When I started looking for another English setter a dozen or so years ago, I stumbled on the name “George Ryman,” probably on the Internet. I immediately bought into the idea that one does not need to and certainly does not have to settle for a dog that looks good but can’t hunt, or vice versa, or one that is not sociable around the house and yard.
I’ve kept up with the Ryman literature over the years and learned a good deal about the subject from Lisa Weisse, through emails and the book she co-authored with Walt Lesser, The Real Ryman Setter: A History. I had already learned a lot by that point, but was fascinated to read about the particulars of Walt Lesser’s association with George Bird Evans and the early days in West Virginia when Ryman’s breeding program seemed to be up for grabs for a few years, until a handful of dedicated hunter-breeders established the breed standards and practices that have brought the breed to where it is today. After scouting this website, the Ryman-type setter program seems to me to be doing very well. I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for these breeders and their high standards.
Now that I know better, I would never again consider purchasing a dog without full knowledge of the medical history of its sire and dam. Anything less leaves the door open for heartache on the part of the owner, and pain, misery, and an early death for the dog. (Okay, if a straggly mutt came scratching at the door, I would not take it to the pound. But I still wouldn’t go looking for trouble.)
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Hi Arrow,
If Rum Creek can’t help you, we are planning a breeding in the next few months with October River. We are located in NJ. email is chuckrobinson@optonline.net
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My name is Matt and I’m a life long Kansas quail hunter and grew up with setters. About 25 years ago we got into the Beltons and have never looked back. This is my buddy Oliver. He is 7 years old, great hunter, and one of the largest setters I’ve seen coming in at a dainty 95#. He is the best family dog I’ve every owned and great with kids. I’m starting to look for another dog with his temperament but not his size, hoping to find something that will grow to around 60#. He is medium to long range and is a family dog before a hunting dog.
I’m looking forward to any input on breeders and hope to get on a puppy list soon.
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Hello Matt, welcome to this group. There are several excellent choices of breeders here at rymansetters.com of course. We have a litter coming at the end of this month from a dam and sire consistent with the weight you noted. We are accepting deposits now. Call or email me and I can send information about the litter to you.
JC Smith jc@sugarcreeksetters.com
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Hi Tim Parker here, we have had classic type setters for about 30 years. We got our first setter from JC Smith, a beautiful orange belton. Her blood lines are still in some of our setters. We reside in Northeast Iowa, hunt a lot of pheasant here, grouse and woodcock in central Wisconsin. We have two orange belton males available right now, about 6 months old.
Call if you’d like some information.
563 419 4531
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Thank you for the add. My first setter was from Jan turner at setter hills when I was 24. My current setter, Kali, is a firelight dog. I started out with a lab when I was 10, then had a britt in high school and through college. Once I bought my first setter, I never looked back. We hunt Nw Wisconsin for grouse and woodcock, and Kansas for quail, with the occasional trip for prairie grouse. I live in the twin cities with my wife and two young kids.
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Hello everyone! My name is Barrett, and I live in Connecticut. This past fall I joined a sportsman’s club to get into bird hunting and hunting with dogs. My experience up until then had only been with deer; after a couple of pheasant hunts, though, I’m much more keen on spending time in the field with friends and dogs than I am sitting in a tree stand for hours on end! I’ll be looking for a puppy or two in spring of 2024 or even later this year, possibly.
My family has a Ryman Setter named Gypsy who we rescued from Above & Beyond English Setter Rescue. She had a litter of pups back in 2017 or 2018. In addition to finding some pups of my own, I was hoping to find out if anyone on this forum happened to be Gypsy’s breeder. Her most distinctive physical characteristic is dark brown ticking around her nose. (I’ll post some pics in a separate reply)
I’ve always wanted to hunt with Gypsy, but unfortunately she had a severe hip injury before she was rescued by Above & Beyond and can’t go out in the field for more than an hour or so. Now she just enjoys being a lap dog, sleeping on the couch with the old man, and being the center of attention when we walk downtown!
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Thanks for your response! I’m very excited to be a part of the community!
She’s about 7 or 8; we’re not 100% sure though. She changed hands a few times before finding her forever home with us, so all we really know is that she’s from somewhere in the Midwest. The foster home we got her from seemed to think Kansas, but also wasn’t 100% sure on her history either.
What is the usual deadline for reserving a puppy for spring 2024?
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It is never too early to to get your name on a breeder’s list for future litters. We are planning a litter in 2024 and have already placed buyers on the list. If you are not on a list you will never get a pup and usually the earlier you are on the list, the better your chances are to get choices to pick from that litter.
Mark Altemann
Rum Creek Setters
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