The near dog is backing the distant dog & the bird is probably about 20 yds away from him. You’ve got to know which way & how strong the wind is blowing to be more precise. (stronger wind = further find).
I’d expect a pheasant to be skulking away fast in that low cover so I’d curl around the left side in a big enough circle to try & cut him off.
I would go to the far one. I think that is the bird point and the close dog is an honor point. If that dog was my Brittany he would tell me exactly where the bird is as I approached. He do it with his eyes. With his head high like that the bird is out a ways from him. Ok how did I do?.........Bob
Move, smartly toward the pointed bird, at an angle which does not have me running up directly behind either dog, main objective is to get into shooting range before either the bird runs off or wild flushes. It might require a release and relocate judging from the appearance of the point, birds are some distance and may already be moving, dog is saying " get up here boss"! Looks like nice dog work, by dogs used to handling skittish birds. Nice blend of pressure, but not to much!
I would go to the far one. I think that is the bird point and the close dog is an honor point. If that dog was my Brittany he would tell me exactly where the bird is as I approached. He do it with his eyes. With his head high like that the bird is out a ways from him. Ok how did I do?.........Bob
ahhh bob- you know Brittany's- the eyes- well done
I run two Brittanys and one I do NSTRA field trials with. Because of what's required in the trials this is how I'd approach it, assuming the far dog has the bird and the near dog is backing. First I'd reassure the backing dog to remain steady with a little Whoa command. Then I'd circle around and come in facing the dog with the bird, probably giving that dog a Whoa to keep is steady and then I'd locate and flush the bird. In NSTRA if your dog goes on a back it has to remain steady until you can get to the dog and grab the collar so it doesn't move until the bird has been flushed, shot and retrieved by the other dog and handler. Also when your dog is the one on point the dog cannot move until the handler flushes the bird. It doesn't have to be steady to wing & shot but must remain steady until the flush. Since I've started the NSTRA trials it's changed how I approach a dog on point and/or backing.