By David DiBenedetto

One of the great—and not always so great—aspects of blogging is the immediate response a writer gets from his readers in the form of comments. And as I’m winding down my time as a Man’s Best Friend blogger I decided to recognize some of you who have made it memorable. So herewith, the first—and probably last—Man’s Best Friend Reader Awards.

Most Valuable Commenter: There have been a number of great, thoughtful commenters on MBF, but none could compete with the reliability and enthusiasm of Kelmitch. Day after day, Kelmitch was right with Pritch and I following the ups and downs of our training. And always with an encouraging word…unlike the next award winner…

Best Take Down: A few readers decided I wasn’t worth the pixels this blog is posted on, but none did so as colorfully as BeardogRed. After a post where I complained that that the sporting dogs in the Westminster show looked nothing like the Goldens and Labs you see in the field, BeardogRed got a little upset. Delivering the coup to grace with this statement: “Son, you are like a Baby Bird, All Mouth and Ass.” We apparently have our differences Beardog, but I applaud your creativity!

By Chad Love

This is what happens when one of Field & Stream's FlyTalk bloggers puts down the rod and picks up a shotgun. That's Tim Romano in the photo with a nice rooster in one hand and a super-cool old-school Browning Superposed in the other. It was Tim's first bird, taken with his first shot, and it was on his first bird hunt. How can you top that?

By Chad Love

Last year at about this time David wrote an excellent post about the dangers of late-season ice. I'd like to revisit the topic because it touches on an issue and a question of responsibility that - if you hunt ducks with a dog - you will at some point be confronted with: when is it too dangerous for your dog to hunt?

By Chad Love

by Chad Love

Name an event where you can see - at one time - upwards of 40 different sporting dog breeds. The winner gets nothing...

If you replied "Westminster" you will be beaten about the head with a cyber-bumper. I mean real sporting dogs; wet, muddy, hard-muscled hell-for-leather hunting machines, not those overstuffed sausages and blow-dried travesties you see prancing about the show ring.

But if you replied "The 2011 Pheasants Forever Pheasant Fest, held January 28-30 in beautiful Omaha, Nebraska, presented by Cabela's," you would be right.

If you love upland bird hunting and sporting dogs, Pheasant Fest is the place to be. It is the largest upland hunting/conservation and sporting dog trade show in the nation, sort of a SHOT Show for gundogs, except these Booth Babes have four legs and would probably lick you for free. Try finding that in Vegas...

The bird dog parade alone  is worth the trip, but there are hundreds of dog and hunting-related exhibitors, youth events, conservation seminars and of course, dog training seminars.