As I sit here and think about the upcoming season, I am thinking about my dogs. Last year was definately a down year, and this year will be the same. The thing that bothers me most about last season was my dogs. I hunted South Dakota, Missouri, and Kansas, and in each state I had the same issue. My dogs didnt seem be be able to smell for shit. They mishandled more birds than I can count. These are seasoned dogs 6 and 9 who I would swear by. In previuous years I never worried about them, and often bragged about them. Did anyone else experience this last year? We would work our ass off to only have a dog bust a bird. I have some therories as to why this happened, what do you guys think? Hopefully this won't be the case this year.
Looking Ahead and Reflecting
- Thread starter smizell
- Start date
mustistuff
Banned
of course i wasn't there and smelling is something we will never truly comprehend. there is a lot that goes into it. believing what you say about your dogs being good plus being experienced, the one thing is would question is how do you know whether or not the dog was busting the birds. mostly i would say that you don't have a clue what was going on and as a matter of fact you generally have no means to know. you don't know what the dog knows, in other words, and you can't ask it. some things that may be going one and getting the dog off the hook is that more than likely you were the problem, the ground and air, was drier than you and or the dogs were used to, the cover was really poor so that the birds felt insecure and refused to put up with the dog, ie: hold, rapidly changing wind directions, hunting in large changes to temp. that made the birds jumpy, you approaching the dogs like a herd of elephants, the bird is rarely afraid of the dog being there, they understand that, what bothers them is that second sound coming and it is that sound that flushes most birds, not the dog. anyway i am trying to give the dog a break, a dog shouldn't be treated like your wife that you keep around so that you can blame your mistakes on. give them a break. in my 40 plus years of running dogs i don't see where the dogs truly makes a mistake except over four or five years, they must of course, you just don't have the means to know what really was taking place so you blame the dog cause your wife got left behind. anyway, something else to think about. one other thing that i know for really really sure, my hunting partners in the course of a day make a bunch of them and they always seem to get off the hook
cheers
OK I know it may have sounded like I was pissed at my dogs, but I wasnt. I was just really seeing if others had the same issues. I agree that the thin cover and dryness was to blame. I really feel like this year will be better in that respect. Hell I like my dogs more than I like most humans, maybe my only mistake was letting them all be house dogs. I do know one thing for sure, if they could hold a pencil, they would write better than mustistuff. 
wolfcreeknc
Member
OK I know it may have sounded like I was pissed at my dogs, but I wasnt. I was just really seeing if others had the same issues. I agree that the thin cover and dryness was to blame. I really feel like this year will be better in that respect. Hell I like my dogs more than I like most humans, maybe my only mistake was letting them all be house dogs. I do know one thing for sure, if they could hold a pencil, they would write better than mustistuff.
LMAO on that one!
I experienced the same thing with my EP. Scenting conditions were not good last year. Most places I hunted I was kicking dust off of the grass, even a good ways off the road.
I've heard more than one complain about poor scenting conditions last year.
If we can get some more rain this fall it will be much better for our dogs.
I've heard more than one complain about poor scenting conditions last year.
If we can get some more rain this fall it will be much better for our dogs.
BritChaser
Well-known member
The drier it is the less scent there is. Had the same issue last season. Of course, birds were scarce too.
Crossing shot
New member
Last year my hay fever was not bothering me until hunting season. Had to get an inhaler. Do not know if it was dust or pollen. Once we had some freezes was okay. Whatever it was I am sure the dogs were affected. Seems like we had a lot of bumps.
This year will pay more attention to the dew. More points after a heavy dew? Do not remember getting soaked last year.
This year will pay more attention to the dew. More points after a heavy dew? Do not remember getting soaked last year.
only a pointer
Banned
Shawn the best dog I ever had bumped birds all the time and guys would ask whats going on how come your dog is flushing birds and I would just say you have to find birds to bump them. theres so many variables that go into it dog comes in on the wrong side of the wind,short cover, just plain spooky. The bottom line is I knew that dog could stick birds and he knew how to handle them if a friend or whoever got to hunt behind that dog it was a freaking privilege they were just to dumb to know what they were hunting behind.Funny thing is they were the first to come running up when he had birds on point and when they couldn't find it he would come out with it in his mouth and bring it to me god I miss that dog