Opener private CRP land

GaryM

New member
We've got about 200 acres of CRP in Stafford County and right now a hunting party of six or seven or so. I've got a dog on his first year.

With the rain this summer, the CRP is really tall and I suspect it'll be work to flush up birds. Would like a few more pair of boots and dogs to join us.

If you're interested, let me know.
 
We've got about 200 acres of CRP in Stafford County and right now a hunting party of six or seven or so. I've got a dog on his first year.

With the rain this summer, the CRP is really tall and I suspect it'll be work to flush up birds. Would like a few more pair of boots and dogs to join us.

If you're interested, let me know.

That many hunters with dog hunting a first year is a mistake. Hunting heavy cover with a bunch of hunters and a young dog is a big mistake. The first year just you and your dog would be the best. Maybe one other trusted friend that has manners and knows how to act around young dogs. You dog will be confused and lost and not have any idea whats going on. This first year you can't get back either bad habits learned are hard to break.
 
"Tall CRP" and a young dog on the chase...you could be looking for the dog the rest of the day.
 
I now have a Garmin Astro for the dogs. Don’t know how I ever did it before. If you’re in the deep stuff and your dog has any range, it can lead to a rough day.
 
Flushing dog, pointing dog?. Make sure he's gun conditioned and don't get him bit. I wouldn't hunt him with another dog and wouldn't hunt at him at all if it's his first experience. 7 guys can handle 200 acres opening day birds no problem.
 
Well I wasn't going to say it for the fear of being discouraging but hunting a dog with that many people and other dogs is a mistake. I always hunt a dog by itself the first year, no other dogs and not really any other hunters. If I do hunt the dog with another hunter and only one or two, I don't take a gun myself. You are the handler, not the hunter, when starting a young puppy or dog. The last thing you want to do is discourage the dog or teach it any bad habits. I have seen dogs that have become gun shy or bird shy from hunting with too many guns. And those 2 sicknesses are man made only. A dog owner who has a gun shy dog only has himself to blame. And 1 person can handle 200 acres on opening day or any day. The less the merrier.
 
Sounds like a good offer for someone with seasoned dogs looking to hunt some private ground. I wouldn't expect alot out of a first time dog but if it's been around birds and gunfire I wouldn't think there would be much danger of ruining the dog either.
Definitely recommend a tracking collar no matter the terrain but especially in crp.
Funny story now. Old English setter I inherited when my dad passed. Really liked to run and didn't always listen well but could hunt up some birds, you just had to hunt him most of the time. Anyway, before the Astros came out we were in some thick crp and after awhile of not seeing the dog I started calling and looking. Probably a half hour went by and I'd started backtracking and stumbled upon the dog. He'd been on point and I'd probably walked within 10yards of him when I went by the first time. Funny thing was he'd been there so long he apparently got tired so he set down but still pointing at the bird. I assumed it would be long gone by this point but much to my surprise when I walked in front of him a big fat rooster blew up at my feet. Was so surprised I totally whiffed on the bird. I won't ever forget the look of that dog just sitting there instead of standing and then the look of dismay when I missed.
Anyway highly recommend the Astros. My dogs don't leave the truck without them now.
 
We've got about 200 acres of CRP in Stafford County and right now a hunting party of six or seven or so. I've got a dog on his first year.

With the rain this summer, the CRP is really tall and I suspect it'll be work to flush up birds. Would like a few more pair of boots and dogs to join us.

If you're interested, let me know.

Sounds like I left out way too much info about what I've done already with my dog, including on these fields I grew up on. Sounds like others have had high expectations and little effort with their dogs.
 
Sounds like I left out way too much info about what I've done already with my dog, including on these fields I grew up on. Sounds like others have had high expectations and little effort with their dogs.

i think there is some pretty good advice here.......first year pup, one man, one dog, first season. when you run into issues (and you will) you will want to correct or direct dog by yourself with no distractions (like a bunch of hunters yelling and guns going off at once; strange dogs running around him will be huge distraction).
i have never seen a ready made, faultless dog right out of the box...give the pup a chance to process what he needs to be successful and avoid sensory overload. good luck.....turn him loose and be quiet, let him learn in a good environment....plenty of time to gang hunt and show him off later.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like I left out way too much info about what I've done already with my dog, including on these fields I grew up on. Sounds like others have had high expectations and little effort with their dogs.

Yep you did. What kind of dog it is, what training program you are following, how you did gun intro, how much exposure to birds the dog has had, has it been through a thorough collar conditioning program, how well was it socialized, has it been force fetched, is the dog steady or trained to hup, etc. I think most of us on here have high expectations and even higher effort. Many of us have put competition titles on our dogs and have decades of experience. Regardless, the advice is the same, hunt that dog by itself for most of its first year, especially the first hunt of the year with many gunners in the field. Especially those you have invited on here of who you know nothing about. Why in the world would anyone want to hunt in a large group with people they don't even know?
 
Funny i didn't read this as an " asking for advice Thread". Now were down to criticizing his choice of hunting partners along with how he handles his dog's training. Way to make a guy feel welcome
 
Funny i didn't read this as an " asking for advice Thread". Now were down to criticizing his choice of hunting partners along with how he handles his dog's training. Way to make a guy feel welcome

No we offered nice friendly advice that could help him and his dog have success. No one criticized his hunting partners. Then he posted this " Sounds like others have had high expectations and little effort with their dogs."
 
Last edited:
No we offered nice friendly advice that could help him and his dog have success. No one criticized his hunting partners. Then he posted this " Sounds like others have had high expectations and little effort with their dogs."

pretty simple, straight forward replies....many of us saw "red flags" in his post......i don't think anyone's intent was to"gang up" on him, happens with internet replies....the main thought was there is more downside doing things this way than there is benefits (for the dog)...reactions likely to be negative to a first year dog, no matter previous training. hope it all works out for him.
 
For lack of a better term the OP seemed a little green ,, and maybe hunts one or two weekends a year. I hunted with someone last year ,gun shy dog, who would get out and hide on the far side of the truck, you could see him peekin around the front bumper. By the middle of the day he wouldn't even get in the field. I didn't want to see this happen to the op or his dog. A little more information probably would have heped.
 
I had a friend to had the most gun shy dog you have ever seen. It was so gun shy it would run back to the pickup as soon as it smelled birds, knowing shots may be coming. It wasn't gun shy the first few times he took it hunting, hunting by himself. He thought he was going to have a good dog. He took it hunting with 3 other guys the dog had never seen for a few days. It ruined that dog. It made his daughter a good pet and that
s all. I don't care how much training it's had, if it's a first year dog hunting it with stranger people and strange dogs, and a big group at that is a bad, bad, idea. That's just advice, no ill intent towards anyone. Now back to corn harvest.
 
Lots of good advice on the dog. First year I’d leave him home opening weekend. Hard to do but I’d do it. If you just can’t do it hunt him by yourself or one other person
 
I had a friend to had the most gun shy dog you have ever seen. It was so gun shy it would run back to the pickup as soon as it smelled birds, knowing shots may be coming. It wasn't gun shy the first few times he took it hunting, hunting by himself. He thought he was going to have a good dog. He took it hunting with 3 other guys the dog had never seen for a few days. It ruined that dog. It made his daughter a good pet and that
s all. I don't care how much training it's had, if it's a first year dog hunting it with stranger people and strange dogs, and a big group at that is a bad, bad, idea. That's just advice, no ill intent towards anyone. Now back to corn harvest.

I've seen this with too many dogs. Good to the gun and then get the dog around a large party and it ends up gunshy.
 
I think Y'all are over reacting.

GaryM, If you're worried about what everyone is telling you about the first time with the new dog? Take your dog to a preserve and turn it loose and shoot a few birds over it. Then that opening day thing is nothing like the horror stories we all just read. I can't imagine not shooting over my dog a few times before a real wild bird hunt.
I prepared mine for all of the above leading up to her first wild bird/group hunt. She didn't even know the other dogs were out there when we went. She was there to hunt. Period. If she handles the way shes supposed to, the other dogs and distractions shouldn't matter.
 
Funny i didn't read this as an " asking for advice Thread". Now were down to criticizing his choice of hunting partners along with how he handles his dog's training. Way to make a guy feel welcome


Yep...welcome to the internet. I'd go help him out, but not really into the military formation through head high crp.
 
Back
Top