We had a good season finisher today. We tried two different spots and got three birds. The dog is still a puppy so he doesn’t do his job when other dogs are around, but by himself he stays on the job.
https://images2.imgbox.com/be/19/Djv5diZJ_o.jpeg
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We had a good season finisher today. We tried two different spots and got three birds. The dog is still a puppy so he doesn’t do his job when other dogs are around, but by himself he stays on the job.
https://images2.imgbox.com/be/19/Djv5diZJ_o.jpeg
I wish I could post a video here. He doesn’t give a shit about dead birds. I shot one mid flight quite a ways out and it dropped through some branches to the ground. The dog walked over it several times without noticing it, but there was another bird above him in the trees. Even when I showed him the bird he still didn’t care. He likes them as long as they’re still fluttering, but as soon as they stop moving he’s done.
Nice! What kind of weapon do you use ?
That’s my sons browning bps youth in 410.Quote:
Originally Posted by RackStar
You could force fetch your dog. It's a process to make a bird dog 100% reliable when it comes to retrieving. Retrieving no longer becomes a choice/option for the dog to do or not. He must comply. Even people with natural retrievers like labs and chessies will put their dogs through the process, especially if they do hunt test/field trials and want their dogs to be totally reliable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bustercluck
There's quite a few youtubes and info about the force fetching process on the internet but I don't think anything is as good as the "Smartfetch" by Evan Graham or "The Perfect Retrieve" by Jon Hann DVD sets.
As far as finding birds is concerned, you could do tracking drills and searches with dead birds (upland or waterfowl) in an area where wild birds are scare or not there at all just to keep the distractions at a minimum. Keep your dog in the vehicle while laying out a track. Pluck a few feathers into a pile so your dog knows the scent and what to look for. Tie a short rope around the bird's neck and drag it out into a field for your dog to find. Keep the distance short at first (40 yards or so) and then go longer the better the dog gets at tracking it,,,,even as far as a 2-3 hundred yards away.
For searches just walk around a field toss the bird out onto and then circle back to the dog and get him/her to find it just so the dog doesn't track your scent to it. If your dog is a pointer,,,,,just remember a pointing breed dog should never point a dead carcass (bird or animal), only live ones. Your hope is the dog locates it and brings it back to you. If your dog is not retrieving yet at least he was able to find it so it doesn't become a lost bird.
Btw, what region are you hunting your birds at? I didn't know the grouse season lasted that long. You're lucky that you still get to hunt upland birds into the New Year.
The last day in ANY MU in BC is Dec 31 (Vancouver Island). I’m going to assume he posted a while after closing day.
I moved to AlbertaQuote:
Originally Posted by Redthies
That'll do! Where did you end up?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bustercluck
I’m in fort mcmurrayQuote:
Originally Posted by Redthies
What are bird populations like up there? Mostly grouse, or are there “exotic” birds around? Doesn’t seem like the kind of terrain Chukar or Pheasants would flock to.