Championship Titling - The History of Team Fly-n-Gun

What is the history behind Team Fly-n-Gun? The story of the Team Fly-n-Gun goes back over thirty years. It starts with the childhood friendship of Bernie Birkenholz and Craig Steinbach.

Over the course of their friendship they developed a love of hunting and dogs. In the mid-80's, they began trial hunting with their coonhounds. In 1989, Bernie's parents, Chuck and Dorothy Birkenholz, opened the Big Rock Hunting Preserve on their home farm located a few miles North of Gilman, Wisconsin. When Big Rock began hosting hunting tournaments, Craig and Bernie decided to give this game a try with their Buddy, English springer spaniel, and Whiskey, German shorthaired pointer, dogs, respectively. Buddy and Whiskey (pictured to the upper left), who have since passed, will be remembered forever; not only for their loving and fun personalities, but for their tournament hunting accomplishments.

These events offered the stepping-stones for entering in the Wisconsin Championship Hunting Series in 1993. Together, Craig and Bernie were awarded the 1994 W.C.H.S. Puppy Pointer of the Year with Whiskey, 1995 Puppy Flusher of the Year with Buddy, and 1995 Open Pointer of the Year with Whiskey. The rest is history.

In 2000, Craig and Bernie decided to form Team Fly-n-Gun. Together the team has captured

15 Super Major Championships
and
46 Super Major Champion Top 5's

as of the Bird Dog Challenge season close 2005.

Today Bernie and Craig are still close friends who continue to support one another in the dog world. Bernie, along with his wife Lila and family, are now focusing on the breeding of German shorthaired pointers at their kennel Big Rock Von Kennels. Craig has decided to gear his focus toward the training of bird dogs and handler education.

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