Our Family
Eagle Ranch Kennels (ERK) is owned and operated by Brad and Jil Trower from their home and property (“Eagle Ranch”) just outside Statesboro, Ga.
Brad works in healthcare administration in Savannah, Ga. and Jil is the Office Manager for Georgia Farm Bureau of Bulloch County. In addition to their work in their careers AND with Eagle Ranch Kennels, both keep busy with various interests to include Christian music (Jil is a vocalist and bass guitarist in the church band), cooking and grilling, football and baseball at all levels (high school, college, and professional), hunting, fishing, and trail riding their Tennessee Walking Horses.
The Trower’s have two adult children. Addison, their daughter, is a graduate of the University of Alabama and is now working as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer with football at Clemson University. Zane, their son, is a Sports Management major at Georgia Southern University and is the head student equipment manager for their football program.
Our Story
Eagle Ranch Kennels (ERK) was established based on the life experiences of owning, training, and hunting with our personal gun dogs. As they say, “there is nothing like watching a good dog hunt!” However, it is much more than that. So much more. It’s about the relationships formed with family, friends, other gun dog enthusiasts and the dogs themselves that makes it special. The gun dogs in our family have given us a lot of great memories and a lot of life lessons. They have brought us joy and companionship while teaching us patience and respect. Bird hunting aside, they are just great friends that are always there no matter what your going through (good or bad), ready to make you happy. We are not perfect (nobody is) but I can honestly say we are better people because of the gun dogs that have been a part of our lives.
Established in 2022, it was our hope that Eagle Ranch Kennels could bring the same joy that we have experienced with our own dogs through the puppies we produce, and the common bonds shared among others that are equally passionate about bird hunting, German Shorthaired Pointers (GSP), and dog companionship in general.
This story is not complete without a brief introduction to three very special gun dogs that we have had the honor and privilege to call our own. All three are gone now but are great examples of the hunters (and companions) Eagle Ranch Kennels is striving to produce.
Gunner’s Mate
Gunner was my first bird dog. She was given to me by my life-long best friend, Chris Brooks, as a puppy. Ironically, she wasn’t a GSP. Gunner was a tri-colored English Setter out of “The Catalyst” – a Field Champion Smith Setter from Waynesboro, Ga. My wife would tell you Gunner was my first wife and I suppose she was. She was a great all-around natural hunting dog and companion. She could be hardheaded at times but that (in part) is what made her such a great bird finder. She would hunt from sun-up to sun-down and needed very little training. A great nose, a natural retriever, and most importantly a great friend. I never field trialed Gunner so I don’t know if she would have ever won any hunting titles or not but one thing I know for sure is that she won “oversized lap dog of the year” all 15 years she was alive. She is pictured here with our daughter, Addison, who is now 24.
Traver
Another great tri-colored English Setter that was a part of our family of bird dogs. Traver was probably the friendliest dog we have ever had. Nothing made him mad, and he was so gentle with our kids. However, when he would hit a bird field it was all business. As you can see from the picture he pointed with a lot of style!! It was as if he knew he looked good and wanted to let the world know it. Traver also had a strong pedigree. He was out of the Tricky Dick line in Tennessee. This picture was taken around 2012. He was 9 years old at the time and locked on some Bobwhite quail.
Saginaw Bay Brady
If you looked up the definition of a canine athlete in the dictionary you would find a picture of Brady. He was my first GSP. He has been gone about 9 years now, but he really convinced me that there isn’t a stronger bird hunter or more versatile dog than a GSP. Brady didn’t work a bird field, he attacked it. He was an absolute hunting machine, and it was all natural instinct. I hardly had to train him. He was blazing fast, a tremendous water retriever, and a jumper. Pure muscle and a relentless drive to hunt. Like Gunner, he could go all day. He loved to hunt pheasants, quail, and chukar in the fall and would jump the length of our swimming pool and water retrieve tennis balls in the spring and summer. He loved people and was a great family dog. Brady is the standard by which Eagle Ranch Kennels will live by. He is the perfect combination of versatile hunting dog and family companion we are looking to produce with our breeding program.
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