Best way for pointing dog to handle phez

[Ranger Rick]

Although we diverted from the original topic, I don't know if the thread really went bad? Just guys talkin dogs.

I see you have springers. A buddy has a nice springer and we hunted together once last year. Had a good day with 5-6 grouse shot. His pup works close, quarters for the gun and retrieves. All with that stub tail going. We made a big swing through cover that took over an hour. Back at the truck for a drink. While talking about our next move, the pup starts barking, howling at us and dancing around, as if to say "Cut the BS guys. There's more birds to find out there." That was a fun day.

 

[Shadow]

:cheers: to a good thread gone bad, you guys crack me up. I had fun reading it while it lasted.

really- "best way"

there's a fella who thinks a pointing dog who never gets out past 60 yards is better than one who is most always past 60 yards

it's quite simple actually- he hunt with a few pointing dogs here who aren't underfoot- his dog will back everytime- he doesn't get to shoot-

unless his dog is in front on point

he's got a real good dog- no reason he shouldn't want to go on a full morning or full day hunt

 

[quail hound]

Yep, springers don't like to hold still very long. Perfect fit for the type of hunting we do around here.

 

[carptom1]

It has been fun reading this post. It has been slow at work, so I have had fun watching it unfold. For me it comes down to the fact that we can only talk about what we have experienced. I, like others on here, have hunted birds of one kind for 35+ years. I have hunted with many types of dogs, and these are my observations. My dad raised and trained hunting dogs, specifically english pointers. He trained them for hunting purposes only. Good retrievers, great bird finders, awesome dogs. So I thought. All of his dogs stayed inside 75-80 yards. The only experience I had with big runners were with field trial dogs that could not hold wild birds. After reading this post, I would love to watch some of your dogs work. I had only hunted with a couple of Britts, and they were timid " boot polishers". After listening to some of you with britts, I would love to see a good one. I have a buddy that I have hunted with for 25 years. 15 years ago he bought a lab. I had only hunted with a couple and was not impressed with their nose. I now have my second one, and he is a awesome bird finder at 2yrs old. I guess what I am saying is " love the one your with". If you don't think your dog is the best, you probably need a different dog. Just because your past experience is different, it does not always predict future results.

 

[oldandnew]

Hey Quail Hound, best way to hunt pheasants with a pointing dog, is to actually own one! Sorry I couldn't resist, truthfully though I believe a solid working springer or lab is a better option for putting any of the running birds in the pot, on most days. This from a pointing dog guy. I agree with Carptom the lab has the best nose, I had a great one, so great I couldn't replace him and didn't even try. The rest are all pointers of one type or another. I like the easy shots!

 

[quail hound]

Hey Quail Hound, best way to hunt pheasants with a pointing dog, is to actually own one! Sorry I couldn't resist, truthfully though I believe a solid working springer or lab is a better option for putting any of the running birds in the pot, on most days. This from a pointing dog guy. I agree with Carptom the lab has the best nose, I had a great one, so great I couldn't replace him and didn't even try. The rest are all pointers of one type or another. I like the easy shots!

Lol, you don't know how long I've been holding back my "best way is to let a flusher do it" comment. I ran my springer in nagda hunt competitions last year and I loved seeing the pointy type dogs run, wouldn't even mind hunting behind one some day.:cheers:

 

[jetjockey]

Here's my take on range. It really depends on what you want. What I can tell you, is that 15-20 years ago when I was growing up with Brits, a big running dog would be a nightmare. Why? Because we hunted a lot of asparagus, and tall fields that would bury a dog. Half the time you only knew where your dog was because the bushes were moving. When the bushes stopped, better get ready. It was very, very easy to lose a dog in that stuff, and we did, several times. However, now I hunt a lot in the south for quail and its a lot more open. You can see the dog really work, and you want a dog to hit the edges and cover some ground. Last but not least came the invention of the Garmin Astro. I can honestly say 100% that Im not sure how we ever hunted without them. If I cant see my dog, no problem. If she locks up, no problem. My garmin tells me what shes doing, where shes doing it, and if shes on point or not. Since I started using a Garmin, I have lost all desire to hunt with a 50 yard dog. Not because I don't think you can't kill a lot of birds over a 50 yard dog, but because with the Garmin, I can have a dog cover a lot more land that I don't have to. It makes it so much easier to walk down the center of the field and know that your dog has covered all of the field. See a spot that the dog didn't cover, work the dog over to it.

Besides that, areas like this make you seem really, really small. A small running dog makes you feel like a person lost in the ocean that has no chance of survival. A big running dog makes you feel like the shaprtail and pheasants have zero chance of survival. This is the type of terrain where a big running dog will absolutely destroy a small running dog, because you and I just can't walk enough to cover even a tiny amount of this country..

 

[Shadow]

It has been fun reading this post. It has been slow at work, so I have had fun watching it unfold. For me it comes down to the fact that we can only talk about what we have experienced. I, like others on here, have hunted birds of one kind for 35+ years. I have hunted with many types of dogs, and these are my observations. My dad raised and trained hunting dogs, specifically english pointers. He trained them for hunting purposes only. Good retrievers, great bird finders, awesome dogs. So I thought. All of his dogs stayed inside 75-80 yards. The only experience I had with big runners were with field trial dogs that could not hold wild birds. After reading this post, I would love to watch some of your dogs work. I had only hunted with a couple of Britts, and they were timid " boot polishers". After listening to some of you with britts, I would love to see a good one. I have a buddy that I have hunted with for 25 years. 15 years ago he bought a lab. I had only hunted with a couple and was not impressed with their nose. I now have my second one, and he is a awesome bird finder at 2yrs old. I guess what I am saying is " love the one your with". If you don't think your dog is the best, you probably need a different dog. Just because your past experience is different, it does not always predict future results.

sometime this season you get arround Liberal- you can come walk a field with with me- it's definately different-

back 30 years ago I was using Lovett's Beeper collars- Gamin is pretty nice

 

[beaglebob1]

:coolpics: good looking country:thumbsup:

 

[jetjockey]

It has been fun reading this post. It has been slow at work, so I have had fun watching it unfold. For me it comes down to the fact that we can only talk about what we have experienced. I, like others on here, have hunted birds of one kind for 35+ years. I have hunted with many types of dogs, and these are my observations. My dad raised and trained hunting dogs, specifically english pointers. He trained them for hunting purposes only. Good retrievers, great bird finders, awesome dogs. So I thought. All of his dogs stayed inside 75-80 yards. The only experience I had with big runners were with field trial dogs that could not hold wild birds. After reading this post, I would love to watch some of your dogs work. I had only hunted with a couple of Britts, and they were timid " boot polishers". After listening to some of you with britts, I would love to see a good one. I have a buddy that I have hunted with for 25 years. 15 years ago he bought a lab. I had only hunted with a couple and was not impressed with their nose. I now have my second one, and he is a awesome bird finder at 2yrs old. I guess what I am saying is " love the one your with". If you don't think your dog is the best, you probably need a different dog. Just because your past experience is different, it does not always predict future results.

Heres a picture that I kinda like. I took this last winter while hunting quail at a nice plantation down here in the south. I was on the phone with my dad not paying attention when I heard the tell tale "beep" from my Astro telling me my dog was standing on point. I hung up and started to walk up the road (I couldn't see her). Then I realized I needed to take a picture. She originally went on point at about 220 yards. Just before the picture she had hit 300 and she was working her way back (another nice thing about the garmin, you can always tell how well your dog is working the terrain). This wasn't a huge cast, but it wasn't bad either. Im hoping to get a picture of my Garmin with her standing at 500+ in two weeks when we hunt the first week of the sharptail opener in South Dakota. While 200 yards isn't big, it definately aint boot licker range..

 

[carptom1]

sometime this season you get arround Liberal- you can come walk a field with with me- it's definately different-

back 30 years ago I was using Lovett's Beeper collars- Gamin is pretty nice

that would be fun to watch. it would certainly be a differently type of hunting for me. Don't be suprised if i take you up on it.

 

[carptom1]

Heres a picture that I kinda like. I took this last winter while hunting quail at a nice plantation down here in the south. I was on the phone with my dad not paying attention when I heard the tell tale "beep" from my Astro telling me my dog was standing on point. I hung up and started to walk up the road (I couldn't see her). Then I realized I needed to take a picture. She originally went on point at about 220 yards. Just before the picture she had hit 300 and she was working her way back (another nice thing about the garmin, you can always tell how well your dog is working the terrain). This wasn't a huge cast, but it wasn't bad either. Im hoping to get a picture of my Garmin with her standing at 500+ in two weeks when we hunt the first week of the sharptail opener in South Dakota. While 200 yards isn't big, it definately aint boot licker range..

i would agree. That would be something to watch.

 

[SetterNut]

jetjockey - Where did you get that cover for your Garmin?


The pics of that open country sure looks like a place were the dogs would get out there. My setter is not a big running dog, but the farther he can see the farther he gets out.

This is the type cover I hunt in most of the time, 4-6 ft high tall bluestem.
Without a Garmin it is hard to even find a white dog.

In this picture my son walked up just past the dog who you can't really see just to his right.

The cover you are in can have a significant impact on the dogs range, if they stay in contact with you. But if you trust your dog to stand its birds, range is a matter of personal preference.

 

[Ranger Rick]

Jetjockey: Wow! Is about all I can say. That's some country. You're living on a whole other planet compared to the grouse woods of WI. I lived in N. Florida years ago and hunted quail on foot with my 50 yard WI grouse dog. We found some birds, but it was tough going. At the same time, a forest ranger I worked with would be telling me of the limits he and his buddy shot every weekend. They had pointers, would put down 2 dogs and then follow them in the pickup. They covered a lot of ground and shot a lot of birds. When I told them how we hunted on foot he looked at me like I was crazy.

 

[oldandnew]

Nobody foot hunts the Palmetto swamps of Florida on foot, or uses a beloved dog. The gators and snakes get 'em. Don't know why but the bird dogs love to point rattlers in the palmetto hamocks, problem is the quail hide there too! Best hunting I had years ago and on foot was in orange groves. Relatively safe and open. Season used to run till March 31st. The weather to die for! But I haven't been in years. By the way most of the truck hunted dogs I have known don't hunt that big, but they are on the run at about 10mph continously to keep up and you need at least 8 in relays inpairs to make it worthwhile.

 

[Shadow]

Jetjockey: Wow! Is about all I can say. That's some country. You're living on a whole other planet compared to the grouse woods of WI. I lived in N. Florida years ago and hunted quail on foot with my 50 yard WI grouse dog. We found some birds, but it was tough going. At the same time, a forest ranger I worked with would be telling me of the limits he and his buddy shot every weekend. They had pointers, would put down 2 dogs and then follow them in the pickup. They covered a lot of ground and shot a lot of birds. When I told them how we hunted on foot he looked at me like I was crazy.

I lived in Bradenton, Florida- had two Britt's- I wouldn't and have never regretted to this day- that I didn't let them loose to go run

I had a 9' foot gator come up to the front door-
he'd have eaten my Britt's

 

[Shadow]

that would be fun to watch. it would certainly be a differently type of hunting for me. Don't be suprised if i take you up on it.

fine with me- perhaps you know of some big country where we can let loose mine and go after Prairie Chickens September 15th- mine have never seen a PC

 

[Ranger Rick]

Oldandnew: Where I lived in Citrus County [Inverness, Crystal River, Lecanto] we had thousands of acres of old pasturelands. I also spent a year in Tallahassee and hunted them in the pinewoods outside of town there, too. The forest ranger and his buddy did just as you said. Went out with 6-8 dogs in the box. Put down two and ran them until hot/tired. Then put down another pair. I saw a lot of quail around the frozen-out citrus groves. We picked blueberries at a farm with the quail running down the rows from us. In the spring I would run into quail with their broods, the chicks about the size of a chicken's egg. You'd see them scurrying in the weeds, while mom tried to distract me away from them, before flying off a bit and then singing to get everyone back together. A few weeks later I would flush chicks able to obtain about knee high in flight, before gliding a few feet. I loved seeing the quail. As a forester, I spent my share of time in the palmetto and swamps, surrounded by moccasins on the Withlacoochee State Forest and Chasahowitzka Wildlife Area, and the swamps around Powell's Town in eastern part of the county. But I never hunted in that cover. Knew a consulting forester who had been gored by a boar hog he stumbled upon in the thick palmetto. Nasty damn places, those swamps.

 

[Shadow]

Oldandnew: Where I lived in Citrus County [Inverness, Crystal River, Lecanto] we had thousands of acres of old pasturelands. I also spent a year in Tallahassee and hunted them in the pinewoods outside of town there, too. The forest ranger and his buddy did just as you said. Went out with 6-8 dogs in the box. Put down two and ran them until hot/tired. Then put down another pair. I saw a lot of quail around the frozen-out citrus groves. We picked blueberries at a farm with the quail running down the rows from us. In the spring I would run into quail with their broods, the chicks about the size of a chicken's egg. You'd see them scurrying in the weeds, while mom tried to distract me away from them, before flying off a bit and then singing to get everyone back together. A few weeks later I would flush chicks able to obtain about knee high in flight, before gliding a few feet. I loved seeing the quail. As a forester, I spent my share of time in the palmetto and swamps, surrounded by moccasins on the Withlacoochee State Forest and Chasahowitzka Wildlife Area, and the swamps around Powell's Town in eastern part of the county. But I never hunted in that cover. Knew a consulting forester who had been gored by a boar hog he stumbled upon in the thick palmetto. Nasty damn places, those swamps.

 

[1pheas4]

Oldandnew: Where I lived in Citrus County [Inverness, Crystal River, Lecanto] we had thousands of acres of old pasturelands. I also spent a year in Tallahassee and hunted them in the pinewoods outside of town there, too. The forest ranger and his buddy did just as you said. Went out with 6-8 dogs in the box. Put down two and ran them until hot/tired. Then put down another pair. I saw a lot of quail around the frozen-out citrus groves. We picked blueberries at a farm with the quail running down the rows from us. In the spring I would run into quail with their broods, the chicks about the size of a chicken's egg. You'd see them scurrying in the weeds, while mom tried to distract me away from them, before flying off a bit and then singing to get everyone back together. A few weeks later I would flush chicks able to obtain about knee high in flight, before gliding a few feet. I loved seeing the quail. As a forester, I spent my share of time in the palmetto and swamps, surrounded by moccasins on the Withlacoochee State Forest and Chasahowitzka Wildlife Area, and the swamps around Powell's Town in eastern part of the county. But I never hunted in that cover. Knew a consulting forester who had been gored by a boar hog he stumbled upon in the thick palmetto. Nasty damn places, those swamps.

I think A mod needs to move this to Oldandnews "can't beat mother nature" thread.