Having fun in Kansa

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GrassStain

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So we are three days into our trip. Staying in Lucas KS. I have a new Springer Spaniel and we've been able to get her on a few pheasants. Mostly hen flushes but we did shoot one rooster. We've covered a bunch of land north of Lucas heading to area north of Russell today. Having a rear time and love watching my Springer start to catch on. Any advice on getting her on some roosters pm me! Happy Hunting!
 
She's still young, 14 months. She's doing real well covering slot of ground and flushing some hen pheasants but we are hunting hard. Hunted hard today Milo cover next to milo, couple drainage ditches next to milo. We had 2 hen flushes and 2 Covey's. I'm just wondering if anyone thinks we should head further west, north, south? We are willing to drive and hunt hard, just feels like we could be hunting smarter or in a better location. 2 more days of beautiful Kansas. Even with little birds we are still enjoying our trip.:)
 
Its hard to answer your question since we don't know how much training the dog has had. Just taking a dog hunting is not my philosophy of making a quality gun dog. If a dog has not been through a training program ( at least 4 months long) and been taught to quarter through drills and how to seek out game through planted pigeons, you can just let the dog tag along and hope it stumbles on to birds.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Its hard to answer your question since we don't know how much training the dog has had. Just taking a dog hunting is not my philosophy of making a quality gun dog. If a dog has not been through a training program ( at least 4 months long) and been taught to quarter through drills and how to seek out game through planted pigeons, you can just let the dog tag along and hope it stumbles on to birds.
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Every bird dog I have had in 30 years has been trained by just taking them hunting. They will make good bird dogs if you get them in birds. I don't care how many drills and tame pigeons you want to put them on, it takes lots of time in the field on wild birds to make a dog. They will learn what it takes to find the birds.
 
fsentkilr said:
Every bird dog I have had in 30 years has been trained by just taking them hunting. They will make good bird dogs if you get them in birds. I don't care how many drills and tame pigeons you want to put them on, it takes lots of time in the field on wild birds to make a dog. They will learn what it takes to find the birds.
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x2. Young dogs learn to hunt and find birds in the school of hard knocks.
I'm not familiar with flushing dogs, but they seem more "hunt out of the box" then pointing type dogs.
 
x3. Yard training is great, but it doesn't take pigeons to make a good dog. And 4 months of a training program? Some dogs take one month, some take 10 months. Every dog is different but you do have to take them hunting to let them figure it out. Especially on cover types. Leading them to the cover you want hunted and where the birds normally are. Otherwise when you let them out of the box they stay right in front of you in the short grass and look for pigeons.
 
V-John said:
Id bet that most "hunting dogs" don't ever see a "four month program"
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Hell no they don't I wish they all have I seen some buckle head dogs on opening day..

Pigeons have there place I used them for tracking training & there great for getting the dog used to pointing I walk up flush bird it dies then they retrieve it plus homers fly back home if u miss or dog bump bird..

I'm dog sitting a springer now has been trained she's a machine... No better or worse then my dog hunting wise staunch retriever...

No better teacher then wild bird hunting lots...
 
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Agree with above - a good hunting dog has exposure to wild birds.

Part of that is on the owner - you just need to get them into good looking bird cover.


Some of the things I have done is drive around before or even during season - if I see birds on the side of the road in a place I can be or simply where it's not a big deal to let them out to point the birds I'd get out with no gun and let the dog out. Little things like that all help. Eventually they will figure it out.


Launchers, planted birds and pen raised birds are all fine and will help but it wont teach a dog how to handle and where to find wild birds if that is your main goal.
 
GrassStain said:
She's still young, 14 months. She's doing real well covering slot of ground and flushing some hen pheasants but we are hunting hard. Hunted hard today Milo cover next to milo, couple drainage ditches next to milo. We had 2 hen flushes and 2 Covey's. I'm just wondering if anyone thinks we should head further west, north, south? We are willing to drive and hunt hard, just feels like we could be hunting smarter or in a better location. 2 more days of beautiful Kansas. Even with little birds we are still enjoying our trip.:)
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Don't go north it seem most guys bitch n. About the hunting in NW ish KS. Except 1 guy lately & he hunt private also... Seem like SW KS has birds & pheasant population rebounded from drought a little better or more stable the PF mid season report say??? I'd try SW.

all the people are saying really really spotty & birds no wear like they used to be numbers wise so its not your fault man or your young dogs...
 
V-John said:
Id bet that most "hunting dogs" don't ever see a "four month program"
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According to westksbowhunter it has to at least be that long...I agree with you though. I expose em to wild birds as soon as I can. It's more fun to have a dog that hunts naturally rather than having a robot in the field.
 
And I put "hunting dogs" in quotations to distinguish them from someone who wants to trial their dogs.

But yeah, it just takes time and letting the birds teach the dog.

I've got a young pointer now, he's 8 months. He's finding birds and figuring it out.

Last time, I hunted with Mark and Steve, he found a bird in some milo stalks out in the middle. Was out feeding and had the birds scattered. So where do you think he spent the rest of the day hunting? Yep. Out in the milo stalks. But I like that he was using his head and past exposure. Kinda cool to watch.
 
fsentkilr said:
Every bird dog I have had in 30 years has been trained by just taking them hunting. They will make good bird dogs if you get them in birds. I don't care how many drills and tame pigeons you want to put them on, it takes lots of time in the field on wild birds to make a dog. They will learn what it takes to find the birds.
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That's how I train mine too, they find more birds than my friends dogs that have been " professionally trained" too. Pigeons are great to start dogs on but the more wild bird contacts they get the better and smarter they'll hunt.
 
I think dogs have taught me more than I have taught them through the years. For me it depends on the dog. I've had pups that hunt right away. I've had some that didn't start doing it good till they were 2. But I've had late bloomers that were arguably my best dogs.
 
We never did much formal training. Just always ran them with more seasoned dogs. Now few people around here have a bird dog.
 
PheasantWhisperer said:
According to westksbowhunter it has to at least be that long...I agree with you though. I expose em to wild birds as soon as I can. It's more fun to have a dog that hunts naturally rather than having a robot in the field.
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I will be hunting out here all weekend like every weekend if you want to see a couple of robots in action.
 
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