The Best Things in Life always come in Two’s: Valhalla Kennels & The Bluffs, a
Dynamic Duo of World Class Bird Dog Training & Hunting Facilities
By: Tyler Bowman
It’s just a cold hard fact; the best things in this world always come in two’s. After all, who doesn’t like a good Twix candy bar? But back to bird dogs, birds certainly make bird dogs and there is perhaps no better place to accomplish this than at Valhalla Kennels and The Bluffs. Both facilities are conveniently located in the nearby towns of Bennett and Byers, Colorado offering hunters some of the state’s best pheasant and quail hunting while at the same time providing expert dog training services and world-class German Shorthair Pointers.
Valhalla Kennels has become the leading bird dog training facility in Colorado with a highly integrated professional training program from the hands of master trainers. From puppy classes to advanced gun dog training and field trial competition; the training program at Valhalla is designed to turn your bird dog into a polished performer. While at Valhalla, clients can also be assured that their favorite hunting companions are in the best hands while they are boarded at the training club. Russell’s wife, Stephanie MacLennan runs Valhalla with the utmost care and passion for keeping the club’s hunters and their dogs happy and healthy.
What is most remarkable about the training programs at Valhalla and the world-class hunting at The Bluffs is how both facilities completely complement each other, offering members a wide array of services and expertise pertaining not only to gun dog training but also trophy mule deer and antelope hunting. Some of the best bucks in eastern Colorado can be found on the plains and prairies surrounding the club. Both facilities help benefit members by allowing them access to Colorado’s best gun dog trainers, upland hunting, big game hunting, and training programs. Hunters not only get to enjoy having their dogs trained and conditioned into hunting shape at Valhalla but are also able to enjoy countless days afield at the neighboring Bluffs in pursuit of a truly wild and always adventurous hunting experience, all within a convenient drive from Denver and Denver International Airport.
It all starts at Valhalla Kennels, where hunters and their dogs are able to take advantage of Colorado’s best training facility with ample room to run along the lush riparian zone known as Kiowa Creek. The club is comprised of prime pheasant and bobwhite habitat as well as the ability to hunt rows of standing crops to work flushing dogs on running pheasants…
Lots of birds can be found on the property and the club always has on hand quail, pheasant, and chukars for working all ages of gun dogs. Not to mention a top-notch staff to help you with all of your training needs. The training program at Valhalla is truly dynamic and designed to take your next hunting companion from a puppy to a truly finished gun dog.
Members at Valhalla enjoy puppy classes on Saturdays, which are a great way for participants to enjoy hands-on training sessions and advice from a legendary gun dog trainer. From there, members can choose to enroll in Valhalla’s training program or work their dogs by themselves on live birds.
Valhalla’s trainer also helps speed up the training process by actually teaching owners how to handle their dogs in the field. They can be seen routinely guiding hunts at The Bluffs to show his clients how best to handle their dogs in actual hunting conditions. By taking owners and their dogs on guided hunts, Valhalla is able to teach his clients how to properly handle their dogs on birds using the training fundamentals he has put in place. Visits to the bird room after a morning’s hunt always reveal Valhalla’s success and knowledge of bird dogs, as the room is always filled with lots of birds and even more smiles.
Both The Bluffs and Valhalla really do give members the best of both worlds in a hunting and training facility. The Bluffs allows members thousands of acres to run hard-running pointing dogs or work their favorite flushing dog through the nooks and crannies of woodlands, creek bottoms, and CRP fields than encompass the vast Bijou Creek that supports the bulk of the hunting at the club. In addition, members also enjoy hunting sagebrush flats and grasslands for the added challenge of pinning a running rooster through thick cover. During a typical day at The Bluffs, hunters can expect to run into multiple coveys of bobwhite quail and chukar and there are always plenty of wily pheasants running about…
In the end, the ultimate proving ground is the dogs. And the German Shorthair Pointers at Valhalla are bar none the best in the business. So it should also come as no surprise that both The Bluffs and Valhalla have originated one of today’s best lines of German Shorthair Pointers. The breeding program at Valhalla is founded from a collection of some of the most prominent shorthairs in the history of the breed including such infamous individuals as Dixieland’s Rusty, Rawhide’s Clown, 2X NSTRA Champion General Norman, 14X NSTRA Champion Premier’s Fancy Trail Blazer, and Double K Mistress.
Valhalla Shorthairs are the perfect companion for the upland hunter looking for an awesome pointing dog in the field and at home. Many of the members at Valhalla and The Bluffs hunt Valhalla German Shorthairs exclusively, a true testament to their exceptional noses, bird finding ability, style and grit. Many of the puppies are developed and trained at Valhalla and then move on to get more bird exposure and experience hunting the vast Bijou creek bottom on the rolling prairies of The Bluffs, transforming the young pups into bird finding machines.
But beyond the shorthairs, the training staff at Valhalla is well versed in training and developing all breeds of gun dogs. It is common to walk the kennels at Valhalla and see representatives from most if not all of the major breeds of pointing and flushing dogs. Vizlas, wirehairs, springer spaniels, cockers, brittany spaniels, English setters and even pigs and pet skunks can be found hanging out at the club…
Valhalla and The Bluffs are a prime example to all hunters and sportsmen of the benefits of having a bird dog training facility and hunting club to help develop world-class bird dogs. Whether you like pheasant hunting behind your favorite yellow lab or watching your pointer cruise the hillsides in search of single quail, Valhalla and The Bluffs can take care of all of your upland hunting and gun dog training needs. The next time you are looking to take your puppy from a greenhorn to a polished and professional bird dog, be sure to call Valhalla and The Bluffs, they’ll be happy to help provide for you the best bird dog training and upland hunting close to home.