Does the flushing dog see the bird and if yes, how often?

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
I was hunting Saturday in iowa and you could tell the public birds were getting spooky and the easy times were over. I circled a very small slough that I've gotten a bird out of before, and nothing, until the very end. There Skye hits a scent. It's been windy, dry, and getting warm, so poor scenting in my opinion. Anyways, she is full on 100% hot 🔥 on this scent. After a few initial weaves she is running straight as an arrow in what I guess to be an old tire rut because the grass is really thin there. Anyways I ran as fast as I could after her, but she put on the afterburner and there was no catching her. She flushed old roody a hair out of range. I was wondering if maybe she could actually see the bird on this one? The grass was light.
 
I would say no. The dog is focused more on scent than a visual marker. When you shoot then I think they look for the bird to drop in the air, kind of like duck hunting. But while in search mode and especially on a fresh scent, their heads are down on the ground, not in the air.
 
Mine saw a hen Saturday. He took off to the left looking straight ahead, then turned his head to the right sharply and trotted that way about 5 steps (diagnal to how the bird would be running) and the hen flew up and out 90deg from his path but right from where he was looking at. We were working back to the truck, with the wind behind us so I know he didnt smell it by how he acted. He does the same when he flushes a rabbit, but usually just stops and watches it run.
 
I think this extreme dryness has the dogs a bit screwed up. I talked to a guy in the parking lot sat that was running two GSP and he said they were having a hard time picking up the scent initially. He said he had a bunch of flushes right under the dogs before the dogs even hit the scent, but if the birds ran at all the dogs would lock in and follow and get a point.

No moisture in the grass to hold scent, and normal public land birds wanting to move has the labs all messed up. A visual mark instead of scent is very believable and just another reason we need to trust the dogs. I wonder now how many running birds i called my dog off of, thinking they were rabbits because he didnt have his nose down.

Its like walking through a field of bubble wrap around here, crunchy and dry!
 
KEOutdoors said:
Its like walking through a field of bubble wrap around here, crunchy and dry!
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That's interesting. I don't know exactly where you're located but this fall has been a very wet one by me. The drought isn't even remotely close to being as bad as it was last year or the year before.

I've received almost 16 inches of rain since the last week of September here in central MN.
 
gimruis said:
That's interesting. I don't know exactly where you're located but this fall has been a very wet one by me. The drought isn't even remotely close to being as bad as it was last year or the year before.

I've received almost 16 inches of rain since the last week of September here in central MN.
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I saw you guys were getting some fronts up there! Although you guys were in fairly good condition pretty much all year, i like to go up by st cloud fishing.

I am in Iowa and we were in moderate drought most of the summer. Although we got some good rain in August/sept, its been dry since. No rain/snow in the next 14 day forecast as well unfortunately. Im sure our fields will get pounded over Thanksgiving like usual, I am just hoping for some nice wet snow after Thanksgiving and then the hunting will definitely pick up!

Most of the CRP i like to hunt is usually around chest high, but this year it's just under knee high. They hear/see you coming from 100 yards away unfortunately, and no real thick stuff to hide in so they just run and fly. Once some of it lays down with some snow it will get better!
 
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I am not sure what she may or may not have seen. I know I had to cast Whisky on two blind retrieves for downed pheasants last week. He was in another spot and we shot two birds that landed in a winter wheat field. I recalled him from the milo, got him set, and casted him on a perfect line to both that were about 50-60 yards away. He didn't see them until he was right on them. They both looked like clumps of dirt or something.
 
When running scent, our dogs heads are fairly low and I would say they aren’t looking more than 20 yards ahead. But when quartering they do look far ahead. I’m guessing your girl saw the actual movement of the bird or heard type of noise made by the bird to make her look.
 
OP in your scenario I'd bet she was seeing the bird, remember dogs eyes are very different than are own. Their ability to see in the dark and pick out movement is crazy superior to ours. The whole rods and cones deal.....I don't understand it.

I cant say how often they see the birds as its so cover dependent. In standing corn they catch a whiff, switch to their eyes and run like Jessie Owens, in cattails I think the nose is #1 followed by hearing etc. But in my opinion a good dog uses all his senses.
 
My 2 cents would be in this situation Skye was working scent then catch a glimpse of movement on the trail and honed in the runner.
 
Thanks for the replies, they really help. We were working a bird on Sunday, she was zig zagging really fast, I knew the scent was strong. I was running to keep up with her. The grass was fairly light. Suddenly she went straight line full on sprint, straight as an arrow, for about 40 yards. I tried my damndest to keep up, but had no chance. I saw her flush the rooster in the distance. I'm thinking she had a visual on him. She'll pause if I hit the tone button, but sometimes I'm reluctant to take my hand off the forearm when a flush is imminent. Always something to work on.
 
Bob Peters said:
Thanks for the replies, they really help. We were working a bird on Sunday, she was zig zagging really fast, I knew the scent was strong. I was running to keep up with her. The grass was fairly light. Suddenly she went straight line full on sprint, straight as an arrow, for about 40 yards. I tried my damndest to keep up, but had no chance. I saw her flush the rooster in the distance. I'm thinking she had a visual on him. She'll pause if I hit the tone button, but sometimes I'm reluctant to take my hand off the forearm when a flush is imminent. Always something to work on.
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I'm afraid to look at GPS due to a flush.
 
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