How do you call your dog in the field?

Birdman2

Birdman2

Well-known member
I typically always hunt public grounds. Where Birds are aware of hunters.Therefore I try and as be quiet as possible. I use my warning buzz on my Dogtra collars to have them come back to me. I used to use the locate button. No noise at all now. What is your method ?
 
Same. Vibrate the Dogtra collar or a short, one note lip whistle; then a hand signal if necessary but usually she turns and all is well. Blowing loud whistles or yelling drives me nuts. An old timer who had forty or so seasons under his boots told me - and it seems to be true - that the lower the bird population the jumpier they are. Seeing far flushers on opening day confirms.
 
I know all things change as does the reaction of the birds to anything in their habitat. I really think, that with the cover I hunt here, there are zero birds that you will be within gun range of, without them knowing it. Between the sounds of the dry cover, the dog, birds running in front of us, flushing birds and the sound of an occasional shot blast, they know you are there, I don't care how quite you are. Maybe in lush green grass with no dog and you wearing socks only, maybe you could get close to one. I don't think some folks are aware of just how perceptive pheasants are or think they use their camo as a defense means to avoid detection. If they didn't, the dogs wouldn't be very useful. With that said, I use a light mouth whistle for the dog generally.
 
I run dogtra train and beep on my springers. While the run beep, point beep feature is turned off I do like the locate beep for when my dogs are in heavy cover and I want to precisely locate them. i also have placed rubber covers over the horn to minimize the loudness of the beeper. Rubber cover is similar to that of a trailer bearing buddy cover. Still can hear the dogs beeper in cover at about 30/35 yards. Yes, this isn’t quiet but I also don’t have to whistle, or yell for my girls. my dogs have been taught to turn on beep, to look up for hand signals on beep, return on multiple beeps, and hold from flush.
while I’m sure some would say no noise, and this is definitely not traditional but has helped me to maintain some control and I haven’t seen significant issue with loss of birds as a result of using this.
 
Generally I use the tone feature on the collar. Occasionally I'll whistle with just my mouth. I don't even carry an actual whistle anymore.
 
As others have stated, I also use the vibration button. But my dog is rarely more than 20 yards away anyways, other than maybe if she is on a runner. I also use a whistle because I don't yell (or talk). Other than the blast of a shotgun, there is no noise. If there is crusted snow, then there will be noise. I can't control that though.

Noise is one of the reasons I primarily hunt solo. My dog knows what we're after. On rare occasion I will take a trusted friend or family member with, but I don't hunt in groups anymore.

If you are making noise beyond the first week or two of the season, you are doing it wrong. Sneak in there like a ninja and control what you can.
 
I agree birds eventually know you are in the field. If you are lucky enough to have a good 15-20 mph wind, you can sneak up on them most of the time.. Better shots etc. I learned years ago in Kansas to be extremely quiet on heavy pressured birds. It is the only way to get a shot.
 
Quiet was drilled into me. However I noticed this year when I was running a 13 yr old that can barely hear the shotgun, so no noise from me, or a young pup that I was constantly verbally helping out so she would get the idea, that I shot roughly equal numbers over both. The old dog knows the ropes so she checks in enough that a hand signal gets her to where I want her. The young one needs verbal help to check out the best spots as she learns. Both got good results. We all have gone through a thick patch and raised a ruckus, shot and praised dogs and still found more birds in that spot. So maybe being ninja and quiet is not as critical as we need to be.
 
Usually a quick couple toots on the whistle or maybe a light nick on the collar. Working on using vibration from collar to move him.
 
Tone (I use older Tri-tronics collars so they don't have vibrate). Even if the birds can hear me and/or the dogs, I just don't like hollaring, whistling, etc. In fact, the few times I hunt with someone, if they start that, I quit! Just about the first thing I teach young dogs when collar training is that a very short "tone" means return.
 
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