How long do you hunt your dogs?

Munster927 said:
A breasted bird does in fact count as possession in every state I have ever hunted. See my previous comment about a processed deer in your freezer. If I go and shoot a deer, process it, can I go shoot another deer if my tag allows me just 1 deer? No.
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No you can not tag 2 deer with one tag.
The argument with a processed or a breasted bird is that it’s no longer readily identifiable. Illegal in the field not in the home.
As an example how states differ here is North Dakota’s with a possession limit of 12 law concerning possession limit once it reaches residence.
Possession Limit” means the maximum number of a particular game spe- cies that a hunter, legally licensed by this state, may have in his/her actual possession during any phase of any single hunting trip, venture, or expedi- tion of more than one day. No more than one daily limit may be taken on any one day. The possession limit at one’s personal permanent residence, except for waterfowl and migratory game birds, is not limited.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
No you can not tag 2 deer with one tag.
The argument with a processed or a breasted bird is that it’s no longer readily identifiable. Illegal in the field not in the home.
As an example how states differ here is North Dakota’s with a possession limit of 12 law concerning possession limit once it reaches residence.
Possession Limit” means the maximum number of a particular game spe- cies that a hunter, legally licensed by this state, may have in his/her actual possession during any phase of any single hunting trip, venture, or expedi- tion of more than one day. No more than one daily limit may be taken on any one day. The possession limit at one’s personal permanent residence, except for waterfowl and migratory game birds, is not limited.
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You are correct that North Dakota may define it so specifically (which is good) but unless it is defined as such I view possession limit as possession limit. Kansas and Minnesota do not have any extra definitions and just leaves it as possession. In my view of the regs, if they meant it specifically (as North Dakota does) they're going to call it out as such. But until I see regs specifically stating "my home doesn't count", I view otherwise so we'll have to agree to disagree.
 
WI Game Regs:

Possession limit
The maximum number of a game species that
a person may possess at-large and includes all game stored or controlled by a person, regardless of the proximity to the location of storage.
 
As a NR, the quick answer is 5.
Qualifying that answer a bit --
Last year hunted 3 trips to SD. My dogs typically run every day for 1-2 hours starting in June.
Nov trip was 4 guys, 5 dogs, 4 were mine, one was 12. Weather was cool. 12 yo hunted every day, but several places I hunt are 30-45 minute walks, he never went over an hour and probably only twice a day. At now 13 he won't go this year. My other 3 hunted every day.
Dec and Jan hunts were cold and I took 2 dogs, 3 and 7, both hunted every day, sometimes both but often only one dog. Most of the days it was just me, so the limiting factor was my age.
Jan hunt was probably the hardest on me and the dogs. Snow drifts were thigh high. I quit before the dogs.
I agree with loots of the other good comments. Dogs need to be in shape, well fed and hydrated. Weather is a factor always for the dogs just as it is with humans.
Best advice I have - know your dog and watch for any changes in behavior and carry appropriate emergency first aid.
I'm considering staying longer than 5 days this year, if I do, I plan to take a couple days off for me and the dogs between hunts.
Good topic goldenboy.
 
Agree mostly with @dakotasj on above.
Off season conditioning and know your dog’s limits.
When we plan out longer trips, we break it up and do a travel/ scouting day or a fishing day so dogs can rest. Makes the trip more enjoyable.
 
remy3424 said:
I don't hunt for a week straight like many seem to here. I hunt twice a week, every week of the season, plus 4-6 extra days (days off work) during the season.
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Ya this is pretty much me too. All my trips are day trips meaning I leave my residence, drive to my hunting destinations, hunt them, and then drive back home in the same day. Sometimes the hour-long drive to my spots is actually longer than the amount of time I hunt, especially when the bag limit is only 2 in MN until December. A lot of you guys must be in much better shape than I am too if you're hunting for a week straight. I'm young, athletic, and exercise regularly and I can't even do it more than 2 days in a row.
 
gimruis said:
Ya this is pretty much me too. All my trips are day trips meaning I leave my residence, drive to my hunting destinations, hunt them, and then drive back home in the same day. Sometimes the hour-long drive to my spots is actually longer than the amount of time I hunt, especially when the bag limit is only 2 in MN until December. A lot of you guys must be in much better shape than I am too if you're hunting for a week straight. I'm young, athletic, and exercise regularly and I can't even do it more than 2 days in a row.
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I'm young, moderately athletic and barely exercise and sometimes I wonder how the hell I can hunt so hard when I go haha I'm usually spent at the end of the day. Week long trips I can get up and go every day too. Not sure how I do it sometimes. I work a desk job so I push myself to go hard because I wait all year for it so if I'm not in shape I make myself suffer as punishment haha

Early in the season I usually have to ease in with my older dog. She doesn't get the conditioning that she used to when she was young and doesn't get the conditioning my younger one gets now so first few weeks are usually slow for her until she gets into shape. She gets some easy grouse hunting in as well when I spend time at my place in northern MN. The real work begins at pheasant hunting tho.
 
So many variables and only you know the correct answer. For me, I can do 4 days in a row in SD with my black lab, pretty much non-stop from 10am - Sunset. That said, he does not like the sun or heat - 50 degrees and sun and he will wear down a lot sooner than 15 degrees and light snow. Some dogs might be able to do 2 hours, some 2 weeks.
 
The GSPs I've hunted with can hunt 3 hard and long mornings and evenings in rough, rocky, steep, hot 80 plus degree conditions days and then they are done for a couple days.
 
I have multiple dogs and hunt fairly extensively. I rotate the dogs constantly, not only to keep them fresh but to watch them do what they do best. Each dog has different strengths and weaknesses and I try to match that with where I'm hunting and how I'm hunting. Especially if hunting over multiple days, there's no sense in running them into the ground. That being said, if they are holding up, enjoying it and I'm enjoying it, then I'll keep them going. Like the others said, so many factors like weather, age, etc. etc. play a part.
 
I take 2 trips to SD every year and for as long as I can remember both my dogs have hunted all 5 days of each trip, early and late season. My oldest is 12 now and my youngest will be 6 at xmas and both hunt all day for 5 days straight and have no issues with it. I have found that giving a small dog asprin in the morning and evening helps a ton with the aches and pains of a 5 day trip. Depending on conditions sometimes I will have to let a dog rest if conditions are dry and their pads a cut up and raw but for 99% of the time they hunt every field all day. Now keep in mind both of my labs are extremely small, they are both in the 40lb range so they don't carry a ton of weight which is easier on them.
 
as long as my legs can take it haha
 
I don't have a schedule for my dogs. If I want, I can hunt from my doorstep. At the Roy ranch, I go one day on, one day off.
 
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