Dizzying the Pheasant

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FairOaksRod

Member
What is the best way to get these guys to stay put for 15 minutes? Just bought a few, dogs don't seem to point much in the launcher. Want to dizzy the bird, plant, and work the dog. Please help.
 
Gently tuck the birds head underneath its wing, then (holding tightly to the bird to make sure the head stays under the wing) swing the bird fairly rapidly in big circles with your arm. Make multiple swings. Then put the bird down.

TIP: GENTLY set the bird down in THICK COVER. I like marsh grass or real thick weeds. I make a depression with my boot to set the bird in. Doing that seems to make them hold a little better even if they wake up.
 
519vx said:
Gently tuck the birds head underneath its wing, then (holding tightly to the bird to make sure the head stays under the wing) swing the bird fairly rapidly in big circles with your arm. Make multiple swings. Then put the bird down.

TIP: GENTLY set the bird down in THICK COVER. I like marsh grass or real thick weeds. I make a depression with my boot to set the bird in. Doing that seems to make them hold a little better even if they wake up.
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Stroke the belly of the bird does that as well. After you tuck the head under the wing. Pretty hard to get them to stay for 15 minutes though. That is a long time for a running bird.
 
Thanks for the tips. I forgot about youtube before I posted. About 10 minutes later, I thought there are probably videos there, and sure enough. Actually some intresting viedo that poped up with that search. Had a really fun training session tonite, having a blast with these dogs. We all learn something new every day. Thanks, Rod.
 
steingre said:
You might want to give these a try:

http://www.birdbreaster.com/product.sc?productId=2

I first used these at a shooting preserve...the birds were all still around, and the flushes were much more consistent and realistic than with dizzied birds.

They are reusable...30 will last you a long time!!
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Thx 4 the tip, I'll be using this one! :thumbsup:
Sounds much more reliable for training purposes & lots of $$$ saved on birds in the long run. I usually have pretty good luck with quail & chukar staying put in the training field, but pheasants have been a royal bitch if I plant more than one at a time or wait very long at all after planting (so much so, that I have pretty much stopped using them for training purposes until this nifty little idea came along & the light bulb went on).

I hate the spinning gig anyway...Gotta get it just right, or the birds will either sit drunk/woozy for too long & let the dog catch em' or if not spun enough run off soon as you put em' down (especially when the amount of good, thick holding cover is very limited on dry years like it is around here close to home).
 
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I use plastic surveying flagging. Tie there legs together with one overhand knot. It's stretchy and the knot binds on itself for a while. They can't run. I've tried just the dizzying technique and the darned things run like crazy. Dizzy as good as you can with their legs tied together. I see them bopping up trying to get up and run, but can't, then they hold until flushed. If you don't shoot, or miss, the knot will work itself loose and they'll be running around wild with no harm to the bird.
 
The simplest thing I've done is tuck their heads under a wing put the head/wing side on the ground and gently pull their legs. Don't let go until they basically start snoring. We used to have contest at a hunt club to see who could put to sleep the most birds and longest sleep. I had 5 go down once and the longest was probably close to 10 minutes. It works like a champ. Never like the dizzy method.. they get up like their drunk.
 
I've used the twirl and tuck method but it doesn't seem to last as long as the OP wants. I bought four birds from a club and what he did was to hold the bird by the body until it flapped itself out a little with slightly slower wing beats and then just threw it into some tall grass. The three roosters stayed there for over 15 minutes. The hen ran away so fast I thought I'd never find it after we went back and I got my dog. I found her some distance up hill from the release but the roosters hadn't moved an inch. Some sample size but that's been my experience.
 
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