Puppies for Sale Sire------Ranger Damn----Tsunami Born 9/20/05 available 11/9/05 5 females $1000 each 1 male $800 Call 618-234-8863 Ready to go 11/9/05 |
This page was last updated on: October 1, 2005
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First Annual Picnic-October 19, 2002 |
The first annual St. Usuge Picnic took Place October 19, 2002 at Randolph County Conservation Area near Chester, Illinois. Ten of the fourteen dogs in the USA were present. After a afternoon of introductions, stories, and sorting out of lineages a lunch was served. After lunch a few birds were planted and the birdiness of all the dogs in attendance was tested. I'm happy to report all dogs showed interest, a testament to their hunting heritage. We all shared a cake, dogs included, and went home happy. Hope to see everyone next year, Mike |
This site is dedicated to the few, the proud, and the very happy owners of the Saint Usuge Spaniel |
Breed History In September 1945, after having being recently released from a POW camp, Robert Billard, a priest, is given a parish in the small town of Savigny- en- Revermont , within the departement of the Saone-et-Loire in the Bresse region of France. The Bresse region, located in the northern part of Burgundy, is a sporting paradise for hunters, where quail, pheasant and grouse hunting abound. Father Billard, an avid hunter, promptly begins his search for the perfect hunting dog. But he does not want just any dog, he wants a local dog, an l'Epagneul de Saint-Usuge (St.Usuge Spaniel.) He researches the archives of the Societe Centrale Canine (French equivalent of the AKC.) Although the ancestry of the breed can be traced back to the 16th Century, the last recording of the St.Usuge is of nine representatives of the breed being exhibited at a dog show in 1936, in the town of Louhans located 17 kilometers east of Savigny-en-Revermont. Armed with the breed standards from the 1936 dog show, Father Billard proceeds to visit all the grouse hunters in his parish until he finds a female St.Usuge "Poupette." Finding a husband for a dog which appears to be the last link of a disappearing breed proves to be another challenge for the good priest. In 1947 he succeeds by finding "Dick", the son of "Braco" best of show at the 1936 dog show in Louhans. To successfully resurrect the breed and avoid consanguinity, Father Billard continues to search the countryside for other males to breed to his female. In 1962, he imports a small Munsterlander female to incorporate into his breeding program, as that breed's standards most closely resemble the St. Usuge's. For thirty five years the Rectory of Savigny-en-Revermont is home to the renaissance of the breed, with Father Billard meticulously recording every birth. It is in 1980 that Father Billard turns over his labor of love to M. Serge Bey, a local conservation agent . Today the "Club de l'Epagneul de Saint-Usuge" with President Bey at the helm has 319 human members and has registered some 650 dogs . The dogs can be found in 37 different departements throughout France with the majority (198 dogs) being found in Saone-et- Loire. There are also dogs in Germany, Switzerland, Canada, with approximately 13 in the United States. The St.Usuge is a superior hunting dog. It is a well balanced breed which is equally at home pointing and retrieving. The Bresse region being fairly marshy ,the St.Usuge excels as a water dog, especially hunting grouse. Armed with a keen nose he loves to flush , point, and will retrieve tirelessly. Extremely faithful to his master, he never strays more than 30 meters and is known as hunting "in his master's boots." It is also a wonderful family pet who loves children. Easy to train, the St. Usuge is endowed with a docile and affectionate nature and can easily live in an apartment. Written by Harold Bean |
Puppies for Sale Sire------Ranger Damn----Tsunami Born 9/20/05 available 11/9/05 5 females $1000 each 1 male $800 Call 618-234-8863 Ready to go 11/9/05 |
A Hunters Diary 9/5/05-Arrived at Randolph County Conservation Area, 4-miles north of Chester, Illinois, about 1PM. I had missed opening day of Dove season, but I was optimistic that a few birds remained in the park and was sure the crowds would have thinned out by Monday. I decided to leave Ranger at home as the temperatures were still way to warm for dogs. After signing in I made my way to the access point accross the road from the riding stables. The hunter I met walking into the area told me he had been there for about a 1/2-hour and had seen one bird. Finding a patch of shade oposite him I sat down and waited for the doves to fly. About 2:30PM I heard him shoot and saw a dove whirlie bird its way to the ground. In the next 1-1/2 hours I saw a couple doves fly by, but out of range for both of us. At 4:00PM I moved to a new spot on the same field and after a short period of time began to hear sporatic fire from the field on the other side of the tree line. In the last hour before the hunting closed I saw about a half dozen birds but was able to drop only one. I spent about 20-minutes looking for that bird with no success, I sure could of used Ranger. I signed out and was headed for home by 6PM. Not a great hunt, but that is why they call it hunting and not killling. by Mike Quirin |
Southern Illinois Hunting Forecast |
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