On our hunt, one winged pheasant landed in a cut cornfield and took off. Brad lined up the wind in his Braques' faces, and they took off. Ten minutes later, Boisen's 6-foot 5-inch frame and two happy dogs legged it back across the corn stubble from over a half-mile away. Savvy chased, caught and brought that very much alive rooster to hand.

Cleo points a rooster hiding in the cornstalks.

The Braques' water work was also impressive. I have always refrained from shooting pheasants over water. After I held back once, Boisen advised, "Just shoot the birds. These dogs will not hesitate to go in."

When my boy Ethan dropped a rooster in the middle of a stock pond, the Braques dived in with glee. "They absolutely love the water," Boisen laughed as I marveled at something my own dear little dog wouldn't do.

Which brings up a good point. If you're primarily an upland hunter but like to mix in some ducks, the Braque makes a perfect choice. "They're great in a blind, nice and calm," Boisen describes. "My buddy in Wisconsin has one of my Braques. It made 16 successful retrieves on 17 downed ducks last fall." That's a fine performance.

The only drawback to the Braque as duck dog might be a limit on late-season toughness.

Braques are perfect for early season teal and wood ducks, even mid-season mallards. But the dog's coat wouldn't manage an icy-cold late diver hunt. Mid- to late-November is pheasant time anyway!

Versatility
Braques are good in more places than the pheasant fields. Michel Gelinas uses his Braques primarily for woodcock. "My friend in upstate New York had his Braques pointing and holding ruffed grouse at five months," says Boisen. "Braques are great on sharptails, too," he adds, "learning to point early before getting too close and busting the covey.

You can also check out Braques, along with updates on litters and pups, at the Chenil de Grand Ciel (Big Sky Kennel) web site, www.braquefrancais.org.

Braques exhibit the pointing instinct at an early age.

"I have Braques in Oregon and Idaho," he continues, "used on chukars, sage grouse and blue grouse." It is quite clear that the Braque adapts easily to a variety of home habitats and birds, "and they travel well and learn new game quickly," Boisen concludes.

Training
A dog's traits are part of its recipe for success. Good training is the other critical aspect of the recipe.

The Braque needs a soft touch. "They come mostly trained," says Boisen with pride.

"Natural hunting, pointing and retrieving instincts are there. All you have to do is encourage them. But guide everything gently, softly and positively. These dogs do not respond well to harsh approaches."

This means no hollering or loud noises. Use cautious, progressive, low-impact techniques for introducing gun sounds. Focus on positive reinforcement. Put a Braque in an environment where it can get experience and develop its natural hunting, pointing and retrieving instincts, and you will have a fine hunting companion.

Conclusion
It was entertaining to hear Boisen's occasional French-language commands for his dogs -- apporter (fetch), s'asseoir (sit) and venir (come) as we hunted. I imagined some canine ancestor of Savvy, Cleo, Perle or Vin on the flanks of the Pyrenees -- maybe pointing a flock of partridge -- and smiled.

The dogs didn't care where they were. And they looked as beautiful and at-home on the South Dakota prairie as I'm sure they did in the grain fields and pastures of their origin.

For More Information
If you're interested in the Braque Francais or a superb pheasant hunt, check out Brad Boisen's Grand Ciel Lodge web site at www.grandciellodge.com; call Brad at 605-770-2024 or 605-942-7337; or write P.O. Box 444, Plankinton, SD 57368.