Jacksonville firefighter Sean Taylor, hunting dog Chief, win national titles
By Eric Thomas
Nothing beats having a great dog. One local avid hunter and champion of all things regarding man’s best friend has some great news to share.
Sean Taylor of White Hall has a four-legged friend whose name is Chief. Chief goes with him everywhere and he has many fans, proven by the number of belly rubs and dog treats he receives. “When we go places like Midland Farm and Home or Home Depot, many of the employees know him by name,” said Taylor. “They even keep treats for him when he is with me.”
When Taylor goes to work as a firefighter paramedic with the City of Jacksonville, a position he has held since 2020, Chief works on something himself. Chief has developed a wonderful friendship with Monica Wood, the office manager for the Jacksonville Fire Department.
“Every time Chief comes through the door, he brightens my day,” Wood exclaimed. “We love to have him visit the municipal building.”
Taylor picked up Chief on December 3, 2022, from Richard Finch at Duck Slough Kennels. Finch owns Chief’s dad, “Thao’s Titus SH.” The SH in his name means he has earned the title of Senior Hunter. “I have known Richard [Finch] for years and always admired that decorated Titus,” remarked Taylor.
He has gone hunting with his friend, Josh Sorrill, also a firefighter with Taylor. “He has a black Lab named Pierce,” continued Taylor. “I was so impressed with how well Pierce hunted I had to have a Labrador.” Once he realized that Finch’s Titus had sired a litter, Taylor jumped at the opportunity to get a pup. Chief turned two on September 22, 2024, and he is a Fox Red British Labrador Retriever.
Recently, Chief competed in field trial competitions with other dogs through National Upland Classic Series (NUCS). He and Taylor hunt a field with birds and are timed to see how fast they can find, flush and shoot three birds. “We are judged by how well Chief hunts, retrieves, and how well I shoot and handle him,” Taylor added. They competed in several competitions and were scored in each of them. By the end of competitions, Chief had accumulated 20 championship points in a season and at least two first place finishes.
The team of Taylor and Chief spent countless hours traveling to Hillsboro for training with his good friend, Josh Tucker, who owns Trophy Time Outdoors. It is a hunting preserve where he offers dog training and guide services, as well as upland bird hunts that include pheasant, quail, chukar and even Hungarian partridge. Tucker is a decorated field trial champion and top-quality dog trainer. He has won many championships including national titles. “Josh [Tucker] has taken Chief and ran trials with him in my place when I couldn’t make it,” Taylor said. “We couldn’t achieve the title without him.” Josh Tucker’s son even asked if he could compete with Chief at the national championship last year and they won the Youth National Championship.
After the season, Chief earned the title of Amateur NUCS Champion. It was awarded to him on December 29, 2024. The tests are designed to simulate a natural upland bird hunt in a competition fashion. As for the hunter, they are expected to conduct themselves in a safe, courteous, yet competitive manner, which exemplifies the values of the classic American Wingshooter.
Most recently, Taylor and Chief contended in their first open division competition on Saturday, March 8. They won first place, besting over 19 national qualifiers. They will compete soon in nationals.
Taylor was born and raised in Kansas. His family moved to Illinois when he was in high school. He graduated from North Greene High School where he met Alicia Hetzer, and they were married in 2016. They are blessed with two children, Mary-Grace born in 2018 and Matthew born in 2020. Sean Taylor is an instructor with the Illinois Fire Service Institute where he helps with the Rope Rescue program and the Fire Academy. “I’m incredibly grateful to be able to do the best job in the world, at the best department, with the best firefighters in the world,” Taylor concluded. “We serve a wonderful community and do so with pride.”
