g n i t n u H
SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 | Page 7
Central MN
GUIDE
Buerkle’s hunting dog hobby turns to obsession
Four decades of training under his belt, no end in sight BY JAKOB KOUNKEL STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – Spencer Buerkle has been training dogs since the mid1970s, mostly for eld trials and, frankly, because he cannot help it. For Buerkle, dog training is a hobby that has turned into an obsession, exceeding four decades of his life. Buerkle has trained dogs, taken home first-place
ribbons in American Kennel Club sanctioned events and served as a judge for eld trials – the most intense form of retrieval competition for dogs across the country, spanning hundreds of yards between a dog and its owner. Buerkle has traveled across the country chasing his passion. “It’s supposed to be a hobby, but it’s actually more of an obsession,” Buerkle said of
dog training. “I really enjoy the outdoors and hunting, and that’s what really got me into this.” Buerkle values the relationships he has cultivated with the dogs he has trained over nearly 50 years, especially a dog’s utility when it comes to hunting. Not only do the dogs enjoy doing what they have a natural ability and tendency for, but they are also a bene cial resource that cannot be omitted from a hunt, Buerkle said. “I’ve been hunting with dogs my whole life,” Buerkle said, who hunts with Labrador retrievers. “If you have a welltrained dog, it increases the enjoyment of that hunting so much you can’t even imagine.
PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
A black Labrador retriever, named Shelby, brings a target to her owner, Micah Jassmann of Becker, Aug. 30 at the Central M i n n e s o t a Retriever Club grounds in Sauk Rapids. Jassmann uses Shelby for hunting, but she is welltrained and he plans to enter her into field trials next year.
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE
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PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Spencer Buerkle stands among the 120 acres of land owned by the Central Minnesota Retriever Club in Sauk Rapids Aug. 30. Buerkle calls it one of Benton County’s best-kept secrets.
I can’t imagine setting foot in a eld without a dog.” Pheasant hunting is Buerkle’s passion, partly because he enjoys the sport but also because he gets to spend time with his dogs in a way that not many pet-owners get to experience. Buerkle’s two retrievers, Hoover and Cappy, are in Morris being trained by Cimarock Kennels owner Dan Sales. While Buerkle has high hopes for the two retrievers in competition, he is mostly excited for their return to get them back out and training for hunting season. “Retrievers are the elite of the elite when it comes to hunting,” Buerkle said. “I wouldn’t even go out there unless I take my dog.” Buerkle has high standards for his retrievers; he typically only trains the dogs that show promise for eld trial competitions. Between Buerkle and Sales, they decide which dogs display characteristics and personalities needed for the intense training and competition, and the rest they sell as well-trained hunting
dogs. In training for eld trials, which doubles as training for hunting as well, Buerkle nds himself at his home away from home: the 120 acres of land in Sauk Rapids owned by the Central Minnesota Retriever Club. Located just 1 mile from his house in Sauk Rapids, Buerkle calls it one of Benton County’s best-kept secrets. A group of retriever club members head to the eld every Tuesday and Thursday morning to get their dogs ready for hunting season, or to keep them in shape and sharp for hunting. Becker resident Micah Jassmann brings his dog, a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever named Shelby, to prepare for hunting season and to develop the dog’s hunting skills. He said he plans on bringing Shelby through eld trials next year, but in the meantime, he will utilize his well-trained dog for hunting.
Buerkle page 9
Have a great hunting season!