Always Follow the Dog, Something Good Will Rise
By Bob St.Pierre
Title photo by Travis Frank
I’ve been putting off writing this essay eulogizing the passing of my beloved German shorthaired pointer, Esky. You see, I’ve been trying to harness a brilliant angle equal to the love I feel for my once-in-a-lifetime bird dog. Alas, I’ve finally come to terms with reality: I won’t be able to craft a Hemingway-Esque masterpiece equal to the level she deserves.
I hunger to be a better writer, but in her passing I know she’ll accept my shortcomings with grace as she did in life. And after all the shock and grief from her unexpected death, I have found peace in knowing my wife, Meredith, and I jammed a lifetime of love and adventure into Esky’s 10 years and 361 days on this earth.
So, I am endeavoring on with telling her story as best as I am able because she is a dog who shaped me, and I need to write this essay if only to help process my own grief.
Esky’s Passing
Undoubtedly, dear reader, you are wondering what happened to the pup named in honor of my hometown of Escanaba, Michigan.
Esky on Rooster Road Trip 2023 in North Dakota. Photo by Jordan Darley/ABS.
On the afternoon of Monday, April 21st, Meredith found Esky dead in our bedroom. Just four days before her 11th birthday, Esky had shown no signs of illness and had been on two extended runs the previous day with no indication of a problem.
Distraught and with hopes of finding some explanation, we sent her body to the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center for a necropsy. The answer to our mystery came back this week: a heart attack. Rare, but not unheard of in the dog world. In addition to providing us with peace-of-mind in knowing it wasn’t our fault; it provided good news that our other dogs, Gitche and Winter, have not been exposed to any unknown toxins.
Esky’s Home Life
As you likely know through blogs, “On the Wing Podcast,” or KFAN, Meredith & I have never been able to have kids. We debated fertility treatments, adoption, and more dogs. It’s probably obvious by now upon which path we’ve walked. As a result, our lives have centered around adventures on fishing boats and cross-country skis with bird dogs as our companions.
Our pups have also been fortunate to have Meredith working from home the last several years. Although they have never been capable of filing TPS reports, they’ve always been sympathetic ears at the office watercooler. And the moment my truck rolled across the gravel of our driveway after a day at the salt mine that is Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s HQ offices; Esky started howling of my return. Regardless of snow, sleet, rain, or sunshine, Esky led our pack for a two-mile walk/run after work every single day. It was, and is, the single best part of my day.
Esky also mentored Gitche and Winter on our home protocols. She was a loving and playful “big sister” that welcomed each puppy into our family pack without incident.
No matter how great a pup is as a bird dog, it’s the missing energy they bring to a home that’s the hardest element to replace.
Esky’s Hunting Life
Most of you know Esky through Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, or KFAN stories captured in photos, videos, and audio. Esky was never shy about holding a bird in her mouth for me to snap a photo. Her photogenic sensibilities often gave the impression I was a much more skilled wingshooter than reality. The truth is she saved my bacon with a stellar retrieve on a winged bird regularly.
Esky holds a bobwhite during puppy training
And, truth be told, Esky was a bit of a cheater when it came to being a pointing dog. She was a creeper. In other words, she would often slowly “creep” out of a point toward a holding bird as I approached for the flush.
In fact, more refined bird dog trainers would frown upon her lack of manners and polish. The result of her creeping meant many an escaped ruffed grouse or bobwhite quail before I earned the proximity of a high-quality shot. Her creeping, however, was often equal to the debauchery of ring-necked roosters on the run. In fact, it was Esky’s skill in trailing running roosters from which my signature tagline originated, “always follow the dog, something good will rise.”
And follow her I did.
In fact, I followed Esky with a shotgun across 14 different states where we hunted 11 different upland birds together. She pointed birds for countless new hunters and for dozens of people I love.
As I reflect upon our journey together, I’m so grateful to have savored the 2024 season as deeply as I did.
Somehow, I sensed things would change after last year. Granted, I anticipated her slowing down next year, rather than passing away. In fact, I’d declared Gitche as the “A-Team” before the 2024 hunting season, but Esky would have none of it. Esky was not willing to be relegated to the junior varsity. The result was a season behind “The Tweedles” hunting the field together. What could be better than no dogs left in the truck?
My reward was Esky going out on top during her final year of hunting.
Perspective Provided by Esky
As someone who is always searching for “the meaning of life,” what does Esky’s death mean? Hell if I know.
My shock has passed. My grief is subsiding. But I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m firmly in a time of reflection. What I can tell you is the following:
- Don’t wait till August to start getting yourself into “hunting shape.” Your bird dog deserves a healthy partner who is ready to walk and see the beauty of the uplands.
- Don’t sweat the misses. If you’re healthy enough to keep putting one foot in front of the other, there will be plenty more opportunities.
- Don’t skimp on what you love. Buy that shotgun, get that new fancy hunting vest, or add a second bird dog to the pack. You won’t regret it.
- Just go. There are only so many opening days. There are only so many October 3rds (my favorite day on the calendar to hunt the Northwoods). There are only so many Christmas eve or New Year’s Day hunts. Book it. Go. Savor it.
On Behalf of Esky, THANK YOU!
As I reflect on Esky’s life, I have nothing but memories of joy and wishes of “Thanks” to the people who helped shape our journey together.
- Thanks to Howard Vincent and Marilyn Vetter for making PF & QF’s headquarters offices dog-friendly and welcoming for puppies learning the ropes.
- Thanks to Steve & Jodie Ries of Top Gun Kennels for breeding our Trammell, Izzy, Esky, Gitche, and Winter.
- Thanks to Chad Hines of Willow Creek Kennels for helping shape Esky as a bird dog when she was a puppy.
- Thanks to John Zeman for all the training assistance and advice, but especially for hosting Wednesday night training sessions for Esky and dozens of other pups.
- Thanks to my co-workers in the PF & QF marketing & communications department who have suffered through many Rooster Road Trips, Opening Day films, and other work events with me and my pack.
- Thanks to “The Captain” Billy Hildebrand for letting me wax poetic about Esky every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors.
Thanks for hanging with me for this lengthy, but cathartic essay. And until the time comes when I can follow Esky again, it’s time for Gitche and Winter to lead the way for me. And for everyone else with a bird dog pup . . .
Always follow the dog, something good will rise,
Bob
Bob St.Pierre is PF & QF’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Host of On the Wing Podcast.