Good Dogs

THERE IS ARGUABLY NO STRONGER BOND THAN THAT BETWEEN A HUNTER AND HIS BEST FRIEND

The Casanova

LEE KJOS NAMES ALL HIS DUCK dogs after Louis L’Amour cowboys, and Cap is no exception. When Kjos went to pick out a Lab five years ago, he had his heart set on a reddish male. But the same yellow pup kept tumbling into his lap until Kjos gave in and took him home. Cap is loyal to everyone in the family, including Kjos’ son Luke (above), but his real best friend is any hunter with a shotgun. “He’s the coolest combination of a total powerhouse and a lover,” Kjos says. “Water, land—it doesn’t matter. But as soon as the hunt’s done, it’s like he’s in a coma. He’s the best dog we’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned a lot of them.” —Natalie Krebs

The Class Clown

FRANK VILORIO’S RHODESIAN Ridgeback, Anchor, might ride shotgun during hunting season, but come spring and summer, he’s a fishing fool. A bass guide on Ele phant Butte Lake in New Mexico, Vilorio got Anchor when the pup was only 8 weeks old, and after nine years, they are nearly inseparable. “I always ask clients for permission before I bring him on a trip,” Vilorio says. “But he’s a big ham and knows just how to pose for pictures on the dock with my clients’ fish, so the answer 99 percent of the time is yes.”—T. Edward Nickens

The Boss Hog