Retrieving carcass

G

gforcetrivers

New member
Hunted a preserve sunday with my 2 yo Pudelpointer and a partner. I was working the dog on steady to flush and shot Aaron was the gunner. He vaporized one of the roosters leaving a mess of flesh and bone. When I sent Packer over to retrieve it he refused. He has been force fetched but he would not pick up that bird. There were very few feathers left on that bird. Two birds later there was another but not shot as bad and he did bring that one back but just held it by the head!

Has anyone else had a dog that wouldn't touch a bird that was a bloody mess?
 
That is not uncommon at all. I see it in field trials when the gunner blows up a bird. Dogs that are always great retrievers have a problem with some of those birds. I blew up a quail at one trial and my dog did just like yours, came back carrying it by the head, rest of the bird was strung out and dragging on the ground. Tell your gunner not to shoot so fast and let the birds get out a little further.
 
Yeah it's pretty common. Sometimes they'll eat it if everything is exposed. I could put dead birds in the dog box with my dog and she wouldn't touch em. But I shot a bird this year at about 25 yards so not overly close, but I must have hit it square because it blew the quail to pieces. Dog didn't eat the whole bird but she did eat the guts and stuff that was hanging. She's never eaten a bird and she didn't eat one after that even if they were shot up. But there is something about the bird being blown up that confuses dogs that are used to bringing back plump birds or fetch dummies.
 
Thanks

Wanted to make sure I shouldn't be worried. He has been so reliable on cripples and tracking it surprised me when he refused. I didnt tag him with the collar or reprimand him either. Didnt want to make a big deal out of it. It was inedible anyway.

The gunner is a newer hunter and last week he was letting em get way out and winged a couple this week he over compensated! Plus he was shooting my Franchi and I guess it agreed with him.

Thanks guys!
 
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