Hunting with a pointing dog when you're used to flushers

Bob Peters

Well-known member
I usually hunt with a field golden retriever and her and I get along and understand each other great. A buddy asked me to take his dog hunting a few times this year. Without getting in to everything, he's trying to provide for his family and doesn't have the time to hunt this year. I've known him and the dog for a long long time and so of course I said yes. I have hunted behind her before, she is an older brittany, and rather hard headed compared to the golden. She seems to run and hunt in a more random fashion. And she seems to hunt for herself. That being said she has a good nose and I've seen her pin and point wild roosters before. In fact I took her out a few evenings ago and she had one pointed within spittin' distance of me, I didn't shoot because the bird flew into the sun and was washed out and I think it was a rooster but couldn't be sure. I'm a little more nervous about correcting her because I don't want to pull her off a bird. To be honest she is a pretty old lady and I'm hoping to get her a few more birds in the event this is her last season.
 
Take her hunting and just follow her. She's got the nose and the skills it sounds like. Drop down a choke or two over the pointer.
 
Brittanys find birds. Most learn to cast, but route back to you to check in. Some range 20 - 40, some 20 - 60 yards, some often stay out much further than that. There are some on this site that run pointers and setters where the 80 yards might be the closest they get all day unless on point.

My dogs natural run their course on the general path that I am taking, but if they stray - I have learned to follow ... and if I don't I quickly get reminded that they are moving in a specific path for a reason (birds).

If you want to walk a specific path with dog marching in "front", then a lab, golden or springer is your best bet.
 
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