Today is a very sad day at L’Escarbot Kennels. One of the best dogs I have had the pleasure of owning, training, and hunting alongside, Etoc De’ L’Escarbot, has passed away peacefully at 13-years-old.

Etoc was an amazing dog who, at six months of age in North Dakota, made three very memorable blind retrieves on ducks. As the evening sky dimmed, Etoc made his way through fifteen yards of cattails and swam another twenty yards to more cattails where he found the first of three mallards. Etoc brought to hand the first duck. He quickly turned around and headed back into the cattails for another tough retrieve. Etoc had scented the second bird on his first retrieve. Remember he was six months old. He returned with the second bird to hand. We had to move down the shoreline to send him on the third bird. When we got to where I thought the bird was, I released him telling him, “dead bird.” He went right back in the cattails, nose snorting and mud flying, as the sun went over the North Dakota horizon. We could only hear Etoc swimming and then sounds of the chase. The duck was crippled and giving this young dog a workout. Five minutes later a muddy and totally wet, but very proud, Etoc emerged with a live hen mallard in his mouth.

This was the beginning of a true champion. Etoc was the type of dog that when asked to go to work in the field, would obey every command with joy. That fall we shot many pheasants, quail and partridge behind this young male. This was the beginning of a true friendship.

Etoc and I trained hard twice a day for months to prepare for a field trial in France. Two months ahead of our trip my boy Etoc, who was an amazing retriever, decided to go to the retrieve and bring the bird three quarters of the way back and just look at me. This was the first real hiccup that we had in his training. Etoc was testing me as a trainer and he knew it frustrated me. So off to my friend down the road for a little force fetch. Etoc never really fought the force fetch. Instead he learned quickly that it was easier to just do what was asked of him.

At two-and-a-half years old, Etoc, my brother, Bruce, and I flew to France to see how this young male would match up against some very stiff competition. We arrived at CDG airport in Paris in the late morning, picked up our rental van and drove six hours to a hotel for the night, which was still a couple hours from the town of Escourse in southwest France where the shoot to retrieve field trial was being held. Etoc had an airplane ride, a van ride, and an overnight hotel stay before another two-hour ride to the field trial the next morning.

Etoc was entered in the trial on a solo run. He went out in a pine forest with planted pheasants and proceeded to run at a very fast clip, straight into a stump. I saw him go ass over tea kettle and then quickly get up and run another twenty yards to a solid point. I was amazed that he even got back up at all after the collision with the stump. He held point through the flush by the gunners and the shot that downed the rooster. I proceeded to ask the judge if I could send him on the retrieve, the request was granted. Etoc then made a perfect retrieve to hand. The judge told me to let Etoc go again. About four minutes later Etoc had another rooster pinned with a beautiful point in lavender flowers. I will never forget that moment, how beautiful it all was. My dog Etoc in southwestern France, in a pine forest, in beautiful lavender, on point. He was flawless and proceeded to take a first place, amazing the crowd that had heard of his superb run.

It still amazes me how this wonderful dog handled all the travel and still preformed at such a high level. Etoc went on to do the same thing the next day, taking another first place. That afternoon Etoc took a third place, outdone by a couple local champions that were handled by one of the top trainers in France. Etoc had found two birds and again flawlessly did his thing. The two dogs ahead had found three and four finds to outdo the American traveler.

The next spring in at the National trial in Morris, Minnesota, Etoc had an epic run in a driving snowstorm, that amazed the gallery of people following his run. Etoc proceeded to find four chuckers and do everything right. Etoc held steady through flush and shot birds with perfect retrieves. He covered the whole field with ease. I looked at the judge and asked had they seen enough and the judge responded that Etoc had four minutes left in his run. This was the moment I realized the judge either wanted Etoc to finish out the time or they just wanted to see if Etoc would fail. In hindsight, I would have run the time out, since he already had an amazing four perfect points and retrieves.

In those last four minutes, in a driving snowstorm with heavy wet snow, with about six inches of snow on the ground, Etoc finds and points the fifth bird. The bird had been there awhile and was totally wet and couldn’t fly. The judge had the gunner reach in and throw the bird. As soon as they went to grab the bird, instead of flushing the bird, Etoc moved and the judge DQ’d him.

Etoc would have won the national title easily that year if it hadn’t been for a wet bird and a judge that couldn’t get enough of this unreal run. People in the gallery saw all of this and came up to me afterwards and said they had never seen a run like that ever.

That was my boy Etoc, who went on many trips to Montana, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Kansas, California and of course the great state of Minnesota.

We all hope for that one great dog in our lives and I have had the pleasure of having more that just one. Etoc is at the top of that list of outstanding L’Escarbot Kennel dogs.

I go to the kennel now to train, and my boy isn’t there anymore, its like I lost something.

Many stories have been told about great dogs. This is another one for the books.

John Mooney
Owner
L’Escarbot Kennels
Hampton, MN

Howdy John,

Pierrot is been a great dog from the get go, easy to train and love to please…. you can tell my wife about the pleasing, a real mommy’s boy!

At one year old in September he pointed Hungarian Partridge, cock pheasant and sharp-tail in Montana. In October grouse and woodcocks in Wisconsin. Coveys of quail in Oklahoma for December.

We started the “shoot to Retrieve “ NSTRA after to finish with a Kentucky state Amateur championship on April 3!

All amateur dogs that finished top 3 in a trial during the season made the cut.

20 dogs started that day and top 8 were going for afternoon elimination. It was beat your brace mate from now on and Pierrot was paired in the first race with a 5 year old Setter Two time National Champion in the United Field Trial association. The owner told me in the blind he started NSTRA last month to make him champion in both (UFTA and NSTRA). Pierrot found 5 birds and the setter…..0.

My story with Cyril De L’Escarbot started after the loss of my black & white Epagneul Breton Arty to cancer related complications at 7 ½ years. It didn’t take to long for me to realize that I was lost without a dog in my life. I’m an avid bird hunter with a large network of hunting partners all of which have pointing dogs.

I contacted John Mooney to discuss options on an Epagneul Breton puppy. John told me he had a started dog for sale and suggested that if I was interested I needed to make a decision soon. That prompted a trip from Southern CA to L’Escarbot Kennels where I was introduced to 14 month old Cyril De L’Escarbot.

We met Cyril and observed John working him in the field on a few planted Chukar. I made the decision to take the dog on the spot. Cyril would be making an air flight to his new home in California. I drove back from L’Escarbot Kennels to the hotel thinking about what I would be facing in bringing a 14 month old kennel raised dog into the house.

I will say there was and adjustment period for us and Cyril. House breaking was incredibly easy as Cyril was a very smart boy. More than a few household items were sacrificed during the transition but Cyril earned full access to the backyard and the house via a pet door.

When I first started training with Cyril on live birds we had a few issues. A quick call to John and we were quickly on tract (it was me). The kind of bird hunting I generally do in the Western U.S. can best be described as big country primarily hunting the various Quail (Valley, Mountain, and Gambles), Pheasant, Chukar and Huns.

The first season Cyril and I hunted together was a learning experience. The Chukar and Gambles Quail of the California / Arizona desert areas gave Cyril fits. The country is tough and those birds run and they run. This kind of hunting was a far cry from Minnesota or South Dakota. Cyril learned quickly and adapted.

By season two Cyril was handling birds amazingly well. He became a master at handling running birds. I can’t count the number of times that Cyril was working running birds that I had not seen. Some of these episodes are just seared in my brain. It didn’t matter how tough the country was, and we did hunt some tough country, Cyril just kept going – what heart.

Season three found Cyril and me hunting alone more than we had ever previously done. I found I enjoyed the solitude of no constant whistles, yelling and other distractions. Cyril quickly learned to hunt via hand signals. A tap on the controller to send Cyril’s collar a page/tone would have Cyril checking back for direction. A simple hand signal and off we went. This was fun, no this was amazing.

I’m getting to be an old guy and I thought my knowledge of game birds habits, requirements, and preferences was at a fairly high level. But the truth is that Cyril taught me a lot about some of the species we hunted. Somewhere along the line my hunting focus changed dramatically. I learned to let Cyril and his uncanny natural ability take over rather than me orchestrating everything. I learned one very valuable lesson which was proven time and time again “always trust the dog”.

I learned it worked best if I just kind of steered the ship towards a general direction and focused on keeping Cyril out of harm’s way. As I grew to really love this dog I became more cognizant of the fact that every time we put our dogs on the ground to hunt we put them at risk. We had our share of rattle snakes, coyote, barbed wire, and other encounters but nothing too severe. Those of us that hunt with our dogs have seen a few too many cases where dogs were injured or worse.

Cyril and I became a packaged deal. Everywhere it was possible to take him with me he went. I think he knew his way around Home Depot better than I did, and he sure got a lot more attention. We participated in several local field trials and gun dog challenge events over the years where at times I let down the team. I think Cyril’s’ favorite activity was the annual youth pheasant hunts hosted by the California Department of Fish and Game. We would volunteer as a guide and dog combo. Cyril loved the kids and pointing and retrieving 20 plus planted roosters in a day. That was pure joy for him.

Age started to catch up to Cyril. His eyesight, hearing, and a front shoulder joint issue really became impactful after 12 years. He still hunted at 12 (slowly) and the last hunt is a bitter sweet memory for me. The wallpaper on my phone is a photo of him retrieving the last bird I shot over him. Cyril lived out the rest of his life being spoiled rotten. The Covid situation had me working from home the last 7 months of Cyril’s life. He and I were attached at the hip 24 /7 and I am so thankful for that time.

We may have the privilege of owning several good dogs over the course of a lifetime but I believe we are allotted only one “Special Dog”. I came to realize over our years together that Cyril de L’Escarbot was my special dog (a very special Epagneul Breton) and I made sure he knew it. It’s funny how much our dogs become a part of our life and routines. It’s a very sad when they are no longer there. They leave such a void in the household. I still catch myself sometimes reaching into the backseat of my truck to give Cyril a quick rub only to realize he’s not there. I’m reminded of the title of the book by David A Webb “Empty Collars”. An empty collar is such a sad reminder but also a trigger to a vast storehouse of happy memories and experiences we shared together.

Cyril boy, we spent a lot of time together, drove a lot of road trip miles and walked some awesome country together. Thank you for the memories my old friend, you are missed so much.

Cyril de L’Escarbot
Dam: Voyouse du Buisson de Choisel (France)
Sire: Adhoc des Vivrays (France)
Owner: Dave Cady (CA)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

John,
Hope all is well.

This may be a first for a L’Escarbot dog I don’t know. We were on the edge of an Alder swap and spruce thick when young Chappy locks up on point by a blow down. I approach and no bird so I’m thinking a porcupine was tucked under there. My friend had never seen a porcupine so I started rooting around in this blow down when much to my surprise a large black bear jumped out just inches from me and Chappy. Fortunately he turned and ran away.

We are currently in South Dakota having a blast. Another testament couple of the guys I’m with keep commenting about both my dogs work ethic and how the just never stop and attack the heavy cover and how impressive it is to watch them work. Chappy is coming along nicely.

Thanks again take care….
Matt Liford,OH

John,

His pointing is beyond excellent. Couple weeks back he was out of sight, but the GPS showed him pointed a grouse in a rock band at 2300 feet. We were descending off the top of a mountain and he winded the bird in ground I would rather avoid. I had to go around. He was still on point 15 minutes later when I climbed back up a more reasonable route from below. Sure footed as a mountain goat. He has even pointed a deer. And, he has learned how to ID sooty grouse 150 feet up monster trees on steep terrain by the sound of their hoot and scent on the ground. I now get close and just watch where he goes. Sure enough, he finds the tree and the bird is 150 feet in the air!

His retrieve has improved this season after improving last season. For the first time he dropped two huge birds nearly at my feet and stepped back. Formerly he has been reluctant to yield the bird. And, he happily runs 200 feet (vertical) or more down slope to retrieve a three pound grouse and haul it all the way back up. (Those things can really roll!). Saves a lot of work on my part.

He goes like a tornado from 8am till 6pm up and down thousands of feet over rainforest jungle, arctic tundra, and mountain terrain. He has faced down 3 bears without flinching. He is one heck of a bird dog and pal.

Frank Bergstrom
Juneau, AK

Magnum De L’Escarbot
Dam: Cerise De L’Escarbot
Sire: Jasper De L’Escarbot
Owner: Frank Bergstrom AK
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Hi John,

Sadly Jody and I had to say goodbye to Selby last Monday.  She was three weeks shy of her 18^th birthday.  She was a tough old lady who won hearts wherever she went.  During the procedure there were many tears including all of the vet techs from Animal Care who stepped in to say goodbye.

She was truly a wonderful companion at home, and fierce in the field.  She taught me much about hunting and appreciation of the outdoors, made a believer of hunters who only had flushing breeds, and never whined or yelped in pain.  Even as I was pulling over 70 porcupine quills from her mouth!  Her and my other dog had a porky treed but were barking at the base of the tree.  I approached and noticed a baby porcupine, and then Selby rushed in for the retrieve.  After 10-15 feet she dropped and we went home to start the procedure.  Some were buried deep in her lips.  She would walk away from me and when called returned to have another half dozen pulled.

Once in the field we stopped at a rock pile to determine our next move when I noticed she had her front paw poised in classic pointing dog fashion.  Except there was blood pouring from her paw.  So to the truck and Jody bandaged her and she was done for the weekend.  Poor Jody had to spend time with a very upset hunting dog who was not ready to quit!  Unquestionable prey drive.

I almost instinctively look to step over her favorite resting spots in the house.  She will always be missed, always with treasured memories, and stories to be told over and over.

Thanks for a wonderful companion who was truly a family member,

Sincerely,
Craig and Jody     September 23, 2019

Sire: Nilo de la valletta  (Italy)
Dam: Jipsie De L’Escarbot
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: Craig and Jody Larson MN

John,

I’m in northern CA hunting mountain quail this week.  I have been on a bit of a quest to complete the quail slam of all 6 North American species and the mountain quail was last on the list. Hunting these birds is tough!

Steep, rocky country, thick cover, and birds that are spread thin and don’t often hold well. As luck would have it, my younger dog got injured on our first morning here so I had to rely heavily on my ten year old campaigner, Dory.

After 3 days of hunting, with Dory on the ground for most of it, I was not the only one impressed. Both my hunting partner and our guide were blown away by Dory’s tenacity and ability to find and hold these difficult birds.

At the end of the day yesterday, he made a wide cast and had an incredible find on a covey of mountain quail at the base of a very steep hill. He held until we arrived on sight – several minutes- and then trailed the running covey to the top of the ridge, where he proceeded to point and hold a number of the spread out singles. Shooting was tough in the dense cover but a few birds were brought to hand. When I told my buddy that I was impressed that he climbed the hill, his response was, “after hunting with  past two days, if he’s on point, I’m going to him wherever he is!”  The guide was equally impressed. I think the only one not surprised was me. After all, I’ve been hunting over Dory for 9 seasons now, and I’ve now shot 16 species over his points.

Cheers,
Keith

Drummer de L’Escarbot (“Dory”) 
Dam: Tabia du Buisson de Choisel (import France)
Sire: Soska du Pont de Cauhet (Import France)
Owner: Keith Marcott (WY)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

These photos and text are a great example of a L’Escarbot dog showing their versatility.

John
I hope all is well with you and your family. I have been meaning to let you know how Jolie is doing for some time, she is Jaspers liter mate. She is awesome, swimming deep water at 12 weeks and a natural retriever. Great instincts. Fully broke to wing and shot her second season. She naturally backs her brace mate. She is still quite the cuddle pup and loves to talk to us in “britaneze”.

John Cook

Jolie De’ L’Escarbot
Dam: Fabienne de L’Escarbot
Sire: Ipso Facto du Comte de Batz Castlelmore (Import France)
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: John Cook  WI

John – Brie finished the season well – we shot 25 quail, 9 chukars, and 5 pheasants over her yesterday .  She was hunting with 3 English Setters and still retrieved all but 4 quail!  When the setters were ready to lie down and quit , Brie kept going back out to the fields , turning around and barking at me as if to say “hey – there’s still birds out there!”

She only has one speed in the field – 100% all out.  She remains a retrieving machine .  Note that in the photo where she is pointing with the setters she has a bird In her mouth!

I think she might drive me nuts in the off season – I hope I can keep up with her.

Dave

Greetings

It is humbling to learn that your dog is smarter than you are, especially two days in a row. This time Patch pointed a pheasant and when flushed, it caught a strong SD prairie wind. I shot and it sailed down with the wind 60 yds away. I carefully marked it down calling the dog to me as I was certain with the distance and tall grasses he hadn’t seen where it went down. Finally he came and sniffed around finding nothing. After a futile search we headed back. Patch wandered off to a new area & again miraculously came back with the rooster. Like yesterday, he had found it right away then dropped it to respond to my persistent calling. He must think I am an idiot as a hunting partner – and he may be right!

Ed Crozier

Avenall De L’Escarbot (Patch) twelve years old.
Sire: Storm De L’Escarbot
Dam: Rose De L’Escarbot
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney
Owner: Ed Crozier MN

John – Having just returned from the north woods of Wisconsin with my 9 month old French Brittany puppy, I wanted to share my 7 day grouse / woodcock hunting experience with you.  I must admit I was a bit tentative about taking Brie (Nicolette de L’Escarbot) out for a week of hunting Wisconsin ruffed grouse and woodcock – birds that often frustrate the most experienced dogs.  Thanks to your advice, encouragement, and most of all breeding dogs with incredible hunting qualities, Brie performed admirably.  The first day in the woods, she retrieved a wounded woodcock to hand.  There was no hesitation finding and retrieving this bird she had never before encountered.  The next day, she made a blind retrieve on her first grouse that went down in a thick patch of alders.  The highpoint of the hunt was another blind retrieve, but this time is was on a woodcock I dropped in a tamarack bog.  Showing her the general direction where the bird went down, I went into the muck and was soon in over my knees in mud and water.  Brie did not slow down, racing into the thick stuff. After a few minutes, and to the amazement of my fellow hunters, she proudly emerged from the tamaracks with bird in mouth,  She was a very proud pup, and I was a very proud owner.  All agreed it was the highpoint of the hunt.

Overall, Brie hunted close and listened well.  The birds were wary, but she did manage to point and hold a few woodcock.  She retrieved with gusto, and she loved bringing birds back to me.

Thanks for breeding such a great puppy – she is a sweetie at home and a dynamo in the field.  It does not get much better than that.
I have attached photos of Brie’s first woodcock, first grouse, and of her after a morning where we took 5 grouse and 2 woodcock in just a few hours.

Sire: Etoc De L’Escarbot
Dam: Jinni  Du Comte De Batz Castelmore
Producer: John and Bruce Mooney

Respectfully,
Dave Antanitus, VA
Rear Admiral, US Navy (retired)

In January, 2017, my wife, Virginia, and I adopted Dixie, a one-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer.  Dixie (the name we gave him) had been given up by his previous owners because “…they wanted a hunting dog and this one was gun-shy”.  Since Virginia and I had had a previous experience with getting a dog to overcome gun-shyness, we decided to take a gamble on Dixie, and we adopted him.

I contacted John Mooney of L’Escarbot Kennels in March, 2017, after a brief and unsatisfactory experience with another trainer.  John interviewed me over the phone and we made plans to have him meet Dixie.  On the first encounter, John commented that Dixie had a “good temperament”, and that he would be willing to work with him on a one-month commitment, starting May 1.  I agreed, and took Dixie home for some basic heeling and “whoa” training.

I should point out that John emphasized that introduction to the gun comes late in the training, unlike what the previous trainer had done, especially with a dog that has demonstrated some previous shyness.

John was insistent that I call once a week and get an update on Dixie’s progress.  This was not a problem, since I was very anxious for the report, but it impressed me that it was also important to John as well.  To him, Dixie was not just another dog.  He was an individual, and John wanted me to know that.

With each weekly progress report, the news was more exciting.  Before long, I was hearing that “Dixie has a phenomenal nose”, or “Dixie respects me, and we are buddies”, or “Dixie is doing well with shooting”, or “Dixie is getting stronger on the point”.  I could not wait for May 30, and my opportunity to see the two of them in action.

It was better than expected.  I admit I had some trepidation that Dixie would not remember me right away, but that fear dissipated immediately when we were reunited.  He was very excited to see me.  However, it was clear that, with John, Dixie was all business.

We went to an open field and just went through some of the paces with no birds.  John showed me how he had whistle-trained Dixie to “whoa”, “here”, and to change direction while quartering.  It was very apparent that this dog has the potential to be a very good hunter, because, with John’s training, he was behaving just as he should, staying in range, and responding to commands.

Next John set out two birds, with Dixie back in the crate.  This was the moment I was waiting for, because of the gun-shyness history.  True to what John had told me about his nose, Dixie scented the first bird from about 150 yards out.  He pointed it very well (maybe a bit close for John’s liking), and when John flushed and shot the bird, he immediately retrieved it (video will soon be added).  The second bird did not want to get up on its own, but Dixie still had it pointed, and he retrieved when John released it and fired on it.  This retrieve was even better than the first.

Finally, we took Dixie to the river, where there was a deep pool.  John wanted to show me that Dixie, having been bred for waterfowl as well as upland game, would retrieve in the water.  The water was chilly, but he did go in, and retrieved the quail for John.

I could not be more pleased with the training that Dixie received from John Mooney.  To me, it is like a dream come true to see what has been accomplished in a month.  I intend to bring Dixie back for refresher sessions at least twice a month throughout the summer or 2017.  In the fall, I plan to go to a game preserve with Dixie, and later I hope to hunt wild pheasants in South Dakota.  I will keep John appraised of Dixie’s progress.

Bob Schmidt

Zumbrota, MN

Good afternoon, John,

I think you bred the most wonderful EB on the planet!  Lyric finished her AKC Junior Hunter this afternoon at the Kettle Moraine English Setter Club/ Greater Milwaukee Brittany Club hunt test at the Ottawa Fieldgrounds in Eagle, WI.  She needed 3 passes to finish and she did it in style.  Her scores were 9,9,6,7, 8.8.6.7 and 8.8.8.8.  She got lots of attention…she was one of two EBs at the test and she was just outstanding…comments were…”Boy, does she have a motor!”  “Intense drive,” “Gret pointing ability.”  Now we concentrate on agility and start work on Senior Hunter.

I don’t know how you picked the right pup for me but you sure did.  We just love her.  She continues to be an absolute lady in the house and is so intelligent and willing to learn.

I’ll keep you posted on her beginning agility career…I have her planned to start competing in August.  She is learning so fast and just loves the game so I see a great future for her in that sport…as well as field.

Once again, thank you for allowing me to share my life with such a wonderful pup!

Marcia Whitmore

Lyric de L’Escarbot TAN JH

Good morning, John,

Here are some pics of Lyric at 11 months…time has flown by!  She is still just a delight…so smart, pretty, athletic…probably the best pup I’ve ever owned.  She is well on her way to doing AKC junior hunter…I plan to enter her in September at the DesPlaines Conservation Area for the G. Shorthair Pointer Club of IL.  That is where I finished Meg’s jr. hunter so I know the area fairly well.

Lyric is also a star in agility.  She is too young to compete…I plan to try her first trial next spring.  We are in a class of foundation work…she does all the obstacles and she is understanding “sends” to obstacles and tunnels…we are working on sends to jumps.  I have just started her on weavepoles here at home…I usually wait until a pup is 1 year old to make sure growth plates are sound as doing weaves puts pressure on a pup’s spine as well as leg joints.

Once again, thank you for allowing me to own such a wonderful girl….I love her to bits.  She is perfect in the house with the other two girls…they have taught her proper house behavior and she travels well.  She goes to every agility trial with Meg and me and is always popular with the other handlers…she is well socialized.

Marcia Whitmore (IL)

John

I took this picture on my walk with the dogs this morning. I think the item of interest was a jackrabbit.  Words can’t describe what great dogs they are.

Regards
Dale Strickland WY

Dru De L’Escarbot,  Sire: Soska Du Pont De Cauhet (Import France)  Dam: Tabia Du Buisson De Choisel (Import France).

Franki De L’Escacarbot,  Sire Disk De St. Lubin (Import France)  Dam: Voyouse Du Buisson De Choisel (Import France).