Is there a general rule of thumb for dog miles on a hunt?

NDPheasant

NDPheasant

Well-known member
I know this is a loaded question with many variables. Do any of you have a general conversion for the miles a dog travels hunting pheasants for each human mile walked?
 
My short hair averages over 3 miles to my 1 when hunting. Lots of variables but that’s about normal. Some days he may do 6 plus to my one other days 2. A friend had a drahthar and she didn’t put on near the miles as she hunted close and my gsp has a lot more range over the same cover/ day.
 
Using my GPS collar it averages about 3 miles for them for every 1 mile of my own. For my dogs at least. If you have an average ranging dog, I think 3 to 1 is a good guess
 
We hunt 4 full days straight.Take care of your dogs. Brushing, comfortable sleeping for them. It’s about rest and in my case rotating the dogs. Some of our ”pushes” I leave them in the car. If we have downed a bird that we can’t find then I bring them out. Take your key from the dogs. Water, good food and a piece of steak during the hunt. They are beat up at the end of the trip but love it.
 
3-1 sounds about right for most pointing breeds, depends on a bunch of variables.
i will soon be back to 2 dogs, so swapping them out from field to field will keep them fresher.
i never feed my dogs anything during the hunt, too much chance for stomach upset and choking.
water, water, water,
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
A young, well-bred, experienced, FBESS will hunt 4-7 times as far as a middle aged, not-quite-as-well-bred, but pretty experienced pheasant hunter who walks slowly (usually) & stops to allow his dog to hunt.
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In the lead for the post for the day! I do agree that slower human pace almost always increases dog miles.
 
Agreed with the 3-1. I hunt hard but the dogs hunt harder. Letting the dogs do the work would be optimal if you have multiple dogs to rotate, but I just have 2 and I need the exercise anyways.
 
It depends. The best days with 2 hunters finding lots of birds the dogs put in the least mileage. 3 or more hunters, chasing quail, big country and decent bird populations you’re looking at 15+ A day. I run mine 4 days in a row.
 
NDPheasant said:
I know this is a loaded question with many variables. Do any of you have a general conversion for the miles a dog travels hunting pheasants for each human mile walked?
Click to expand...
Agreed with the average estimate base on a GPS which I borrowed for a weekend hunt. The variables are many, open fields, cattails, thick covers, weather etc. I know this, if I was to keep up with my dogs, I would be dead by now. On early season hunts when its a bit hotter weather, I am mindful not to over push. I can not keep up even with my shorter walks behind them. You gotta to love their athletic stamina. :)
 
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