How far do you let your dogs go?

Not that this is common either, but I have seen a couple big running dogs that would track for a while, then if you would be fairly close to an edge, they would pull out and run hard down the edge. Sometimes for a long way. Then cut in and hunt back to you. Sometimes it worked like a charm. other times not.:mad: I never did figure out what they were thinking though. The owners said they knew the bird were running and purposely getting around them, but that seemed like a stretch to me. I think they thought that if they ran down the edge they could catch up quicker so sometimes get around them.
 
birddude said:
Not that this is common either, but I have seen a couple big running dogs that would track for a while, then if you would be fairly close to an edge, they would pull out and run hard down the edge. Sometimes for a long way. Then cut in and hunt back to you. Sometimes it worked like a charm. other times not.:mad: I never did figure out what they were thinking though. The owners said they knew the bird were running and purposely getting around them, but that seemed like a stretch to me. I think they thought that if they ran down the edge they could catch up quicker so sometimes get around them.
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Do you think it could be a hot trail that got out of hand and played out and coincidentally there were birds trapped between on the return? I have a hard time giving a dog credit for that move unless it’s the end of the field or break in the cover where they circle back and pinch…
 
Quailnerd said:
Do you think it could be a hot trail that got out of hand and played out and coincidentally there were birds trapped between on the return? I have a hard time giving a dog credit for that move unless it’s the end of the field or break in the cover where they circle back and pinch…
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Yeah, that's probably closer than actually reasoning to get around them. Although I never underestimate them.
 
birddude said:
Not that this is common either, but I have seen a couple big running dogs that would track for a while, then if you would be fairly close to an edge, they would pull out and run hard down the edge. Sometimes for a long way. Then cut in and hunt back to you. Sometimes it worked like a charm. other times not.:mad: I never did figure out what they were thinking though. The owners said they knew the bird were running and purposely getting around them, but that seemed like a stretch to me. I think they thought that if they ran down the edge they could catch up quicker so sometimes get around them.
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I think it’s that exactly. The dog moves to the outside because it’s easier to run ahead. Like you said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Couple weeks ago we were hunting a long and thick cattail patch. There were hundreds of birds messing around in there. We hunted it 4or 5 times in a 6 day period. The last day as soon as we got out of the truck she went into a crouch and slowly moved up the edge before heading in and going on point. She knew that those birds were right there because they had been there several times in the last few days. I don’t think we will ever understand their nose and what they process. She knew that the birds had been there but didn’t go on point until the scent changed. Amazingly baffling how they differentiate the scent
 
carptom1 said:
I think it’s that exactly. The dog moves to the outside because it’s easier to run ahead. Like you said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Couple weeks ago we were hunting a long and thick cattail patch. There were hundreds of birds messing around in there. We hunted it 4or 5 times in a 6 day period. The last day as soon as we got out of the truck she went into a crouch and slowly moved up the edge before heading in and going on point. She knew that those birds were right there because they had been there several times in the last few days. I don’t think we will ever understand their nose and what they process. She knew that the birds had been there but didn’t go on point until the scent changed. Amazingly baffling how they differentiate the scent
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That makes sense in that scenario, i was picturing a Kansas quarter of solid grass.
 
carptom1 said:
I think it’s that exactly. The dog moves to the outside because it’s easier to run ahead. Like you said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Couple weeks ago we were hunting a long and thick cattail patch. There were hundreds of birds messing around in there. We hunted it 4or 5 times in a 6 day period. The last day as soon as we got out of the truck she went into a crouch and slowly moved up the edge before heading in and going on point. She knew that those birds were right there because they had been there several times in the last few days. I don’t think we will ever understand their nose and what they process. She knew that the birds had been there but didn’t go on point until the scent changed. Amazingly baffling how they differentiate the scent
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Probably but, I have witnessed dogs' reason. A brilliant beagle my dad had in the seventies. And one of the dogs that would often break out and circle pheasants. We once hunted him in a place we had hunted many times. Probably a mile of unproductive ground with ditch lines and wood edges before we got to our weed patch honey hole. We hadn't gone a couple hundred yards when my buddy lost track of him. He wasn't what I would call a big runner. When we looked at the tracker collar, we realized he was heading cross country to the weed patch. By the time we got there they had scattered, and he was pointing a single. Reasoning or repetition??
 
Quailnerd said:
That makes sense in that scenario, i was picturing a Kansas quarter of solid grass.
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Like you said earlier, this question has many correct answers. In a field in Kansas I let her get out and hunt. A quarter in Kansas might only hold a bird or two. The first time we hunted those cattails we had a guy with us that was letting his dog get 150 yards ahead. Sure he would go on point, but I don’t care how good your dog is they aren’t locking down 20 birds scattered in ten square yards of cattails. Time after time dog would point, one bird would flush then another then another. Then the dog became frustrated and moved around flushing even more birds. In that scenario I kept mine within 50 yards or so. After a few vibrations she eventually picked up on what I wanted and we got birds.
 
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