The Sporting Life Notebook The field journal of Durrell Smith

Chapter 01

African American Upland Hunting History

The tradition underneath it all.

The upland tradition in the American South was carried, in great part, by Black dog men and horsemen — the handlers who started the puppies, kept the kennels, scouted the field trials, and held the knowledge that made champions. Their names are written smaller than they should be, when they are written at all.

I was brought into the bird dog world by men who carried that tradition forward — mentors like Neal Carter Jr. and Curtis Brooks Sr. This chapter is my working attempt to write the record down: the handlers, the kennels, the plantations and the trials, and the living line that runs from them to a first-generation hunter like me.

“The door was never locked. It just didn’t have my name on it yet.”

The photo library · by place

102 photographs · archive prints by request

These photographs belong to the archive and the families in them. They are not for saving, copying, or reposting — if you would like an image, write and ask.

Request an image

[Place — Thomasville or Albany, Ga.?] · field trial gallery · March 7, 2023

Handler on horseback in the longleaf pines — [Handler name] [Breed] · [place] · March 7, 2023

Handlers with a pointer at the trucks — [Handler name] Pointer · [place] · March 7, 2023

Two riders leading the gallery through the pines — [Handler name] [Breed] · [place] · March 7, 2023

The mounted gallery gathered at the edge of the woods — [Handler name] [Breed] · [place] · March 7, 2023

The gallery riding out along the water — [Handler name] [Breed] · [place] · March 7, 2023

GA-FLA Shooting Dog Handlers Club · [plantation, Thomasville, Ga.?] · March 3–4, 2019 · [photographer credit]

Trailers and horses staging in the pines before the trial — Staging at the trailers [place] · March 3, 2019

Handler in blaze orange carrying a pointer puppy through the longleaf — [Handler name] Pointer puppy · [place] · March 2019

Handler with a paint horse in bridle — [Handler name] Paint horse · [place] · March 2019

Saddling a horse in a GA-FLA Shooting Dog Handlers Club jacket — Saddling up Club colors · [place] · March 2019

Watering a pointer at the horses between braces — [Handler name] Pointer, between braces · [place] · March 2019

GA-FLA Shooting Dog Handlers Club jacket at the green trailer — The club jacket GA-FLA Shooting Dog Handlers Club · March 2019

A quail hunt · [place] · January 12, 2019

Yellow Lab standing in the palmettos, morning light — [Dog's name] Yellow Labrador · [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Bobwhite in hand, the Lab waiting behind — First bird of the morning Bobwhite quail · [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Bird in hand at the game bag, the Lab looking up — [Handler name] Into the game bag · [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Showing the Lab the bird — [Handler name] Yellow Labrador · [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Walking in behind the dog, side-by-side in hand — Walking in [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Crossing the swamp bottom behind the Lab — The swamp crossing [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Crossing a downed log over the creek with the Lab — Evening water [place] · Jan 12, 2019

Bringing the puppy home · [place] · February 20, 2019

Picking up the pointer puppy from the breeder — [Names] Pointer puppy, pickup day · [place] · Feb 20, 2019

Holding the pointer puppy indoors — [Name] Pointer puppy · [place] · Feb 20, 2019

Training days with the mentors · [place] · 2019

Mentor styling up a pointer in the broomsedge — [Mentor’s name] · Pointer · Nov 17, 2019

Mentor with a tricolor setter beside a young pine — [Mentor’s name] · English setter · Nov 17, 2019

Walking out behind the setter at first light — First light, walking out · Nov 17, 2019

Mentor collaring a pointer at the tailgate — [Mentor’s name] · Collaring up · [date]

Loading the pointer into the dog box — Loading up · [place] · 2019

The whoa barrel and chain rig in the training yard — The whoa barrel · the old way of steadying a dog · Nov 17, 2019

GA-FLA club jacket hanging in the kennel shed — The club jacket, at rest · Nov 17, 2019

Grouse country · Asheville, N.C. public land · Oct–Nov 2019 · [photographer credit]

Hunter with shotgun shouldered and pointer at heel in fall hardwoods — [Handler name] · Pointer · Asheville, N.C. · Nov 2019

Pointer carried in arm through the fall woods — Carried in · Pointer · Nov 12, 2019

The pointer embrace in black and white — Carried in, II · Nov 2019

Checking the phone at the Blue Ridge overlook, first light — Blue Ridge, first light · Asheville, N.C.

Loading dogs at the tailgate on a mountain forest road — The mountain road · Asheville, N.C.

Film scan of the pointer standing in autumn leaves — [Dog’s name] · Pointer · film scan

Winter birds · woodcock, quail & a pheasant · Nov–Dec 2019

American woodcock in hand — Woodcock · Dec 2019

Woodcock in hand, low winter sun — Woodcock, II · Dec 31, 2019

A pair of woodcock beside the Beretta on the tailgate — A pair for the Beretta · Dec 31, 2019

Pointer locked up in the briars — On point · Pointer · Dec 31, 2019

Pointer standing game through the branches — On point, II · Pointer · Dec 31, 2019

Rooster pheasant in hand with the Lab looking on — A rooster for the Lab · Dec 14, 2019

Yellow Lab delivering a quail to hand — The retrieve · Yellow Labrador

Bobwhite in a gloved hand, Lab and pointer waiting — Bobwhite, two dogs waiting · Nov 23, 2019

The GA-FLA field trial · GA-FLA Shooting Dog Handlers Club · [place & year]

Two handlers styling their braced pointers before the breakaway — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Club jacket, cap, and spurs laid out on the tailgate — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Trailers and riders staging in the pines — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Riders in club jackets gathered in the longleaf — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

A pointer standing far out in the broomsedge — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The youngest rider following the gallery out — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Flushing for the dog, pistol raised — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Marshals and handlers talking between braces — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Two handlers riding the course — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Riding in with the gallery — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

A pointer streaking across the course — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The judge watching a dog work — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Watering the dogs mid-course — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Handler and pointer heading up the two-track — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The judge on the buckskin — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Riding out under the pines — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

In the club colors, mounted and waiting — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The trophy table — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Cedar-box presentations at the awards tent — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The winner’s circle — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Champion dog and handlers with the silver — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

A pointer working the line with the handler afoot — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The lunch-break gallery — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Breakaway down the green strip — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Styling the pointer up for the judges — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Posed portrait in club colors with the pointer styled up in the greenup — [Handler & dog] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Handler walking his pointer out under the Spanish moss, gallery behind — Walking out under the moss · [trial & year]

Two handlers with their dogs talking between braces, masks on — Between braces · [trial] · 2020

Shooting over the flush from the pine edge, setter marking the fall — The flush · [place & year]

The home woods · [place] · dogs, still lifes & clippings

Pointer on point along the burned hillside — [Dog’s name] · on point · [place]

Pointer standing game in the spring greenup — [Dog’s name] · on point · [place]

Pointer holding point down the leafy slope — [Dog’s name] · on point · [place]

Pointer through the branches in the home woods — [Dog’s name] · on point · [place]

A worn leather collar hanging from the chain by the kennel — The collar · still life · [note]

Magazine page — mentor styling a pointer on the tailgate — [Mentor’s name], in print · [publication] · [issue]

The gallery staging at the trailers across the food plot — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Riding the two-track through the tall pines — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The trophy table, silver and gold — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Club members with the champion pointer and the silver — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Mounted in the club jacket at the staging field — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

A setter greeting a handler at the staging field — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The full line of horses and rigs at the trailers — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

Club riders gathered in the pines between braces — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

The gallery climbing the hill under a blue sky — [caption] · GA-FLA S.D.H.C. · [year]

In print · Project Upland Magazine · Spring 2020 · [rights: Project Upland]

Project Upland Magazine Spring 2020 cover — The cover · Project Upland, Spring 2020

The tailgate portrait · [place] · October 28, 2019 · [photographer credit]

Portrait with the pointer on the tailgate — [Names] · Pointer · Oct 28, 2019

The full tailgate portrait — [Names] · Pointer · Oct 28, 2019

From the archive · [place & source to confirm]

A young outrider and a hunter on a quail wagon — [Outrider's name] Quail wagon · [place] · [c. date] · [photo source]

Handlers bringing the mule string and wagon in from a plantation quail hunt — [Handler's name] Mule string, plantation hunt · [place] · [c. date] · [photo source]

1970s black-and-white winner’s circle with two silver cups and a white pointer — The winner’s circle, [year] · [names] · [trial name]

Ken-L Ration BISKIT magazine ad featuring Rebel Wrangler with handler Bill Hunt and scout David Johnson — “Rebel Wrangler Wins on Biskit” · Ken-L Ration ad · scout David Johnson · [year]

Scalloped-edge family print — a hunter standing in the broomsedge with his dog — [Name] · family print · [place & decade]

The same scalloped-edge print, photographed on the table — [Name], the print itself · family print · [place & decade]

Framed portrait — a smiling man in overalls beside a truck — [Name] · framed family portrait · [decade]

Book plate — “Point!” John Philpot, George Evans’ helper, signals point standing on his horse — John Philpot signals point · for Kilsyth Brownie’s Son · book plate · [source & year]

Book plate — a helper planting a bird in the grass, the small limb a marker for the handler — “A Helper Planting a Bird” · book plate · [source & year]

Sports Illustrated spread, March 14, 1960 — Game Tests for Gun Dogs, the mounted gallery at Sedgefields — “Game Tests for Gun Dogs” · Sports Illustrated · March 14, 1960 · Sedgefields Plantation, Union Springs, Ala.

Sports Illustrated continuation page with Home Again Mike and Storm Harrigan — “Gun Dogs,” continued · Sports Illustrated · March 14, 1960 · handler Leroy Upshaw of Hurtsboro

LIFE magazine cover, February 25, 1946 — Field Trial, a pointer in the sedge — LIFE, “Field Trial” · cover · February 25, 1946

LIFE page — a scout kneeling to read his dog’s footprints in the mud, horse standing by — “Scouts assist handlers…” · LIFE, Feb. 25, 1946 · the scout who knew his own dog’s track

Early 1900s sepia print — a Black hunter in overalls and brimmed hat holding a shotgun, his setter in the foreground — [Name] · hunter with shotgun and setter · early 1900s print · [place]

Thomasville, Ga.

Photographs from Thomasville, Ga. are being gathered.

Tuskegee, Ala.

Photographs from Tuskegee, Ala. are being gathered.

Albany, Ga.

Photographs from Albany, Ga. are being gathered.

This chapter is being researched and written. If you hold a piece of this history — a photograph, a name, a kennel record — I want to hear from you.

every name written down is a door held open — D.S.