I currently run one French Britt and we got into a lot of wild jumping birds this last season gets real frustrating when your dog gets birdy and on the the trail only to have birds bust 100 yards ahead of you. My question is do you guys/gals think running two dogs at once would in anyway confuse the birds enough to get a few more of them to hold tight?
Multiple dogs for wild pheasants
- Thread starter PTH
- Start date
BritChaser
Well-known member
I kinda doubt it. Lots of reports this year about far flushing, jumpy birds. An old timer from Hill City who pheasant hunted for decades said that the fewer the birds the jumpier they are. My additional observation is that when there are fewer birds they tend to bunch up. Consequently, you get groups flushing out of range with few holders.
KSBrittman
Active member
I run 2 to 3 brittanys when pheasant hunting , I have this happen many times both dog or all 3 trailing runners , a bird double backs one dog usually the faster of the two works ahead on hot scent , the slower dogs or dogs point birds that double back . Most of the birds that have double backed have been roosters . At least this season .
Prairie Drifter
Well-known member
The key to being satisfied hunting pheasants is to accept in advance that many roosters will evade you one way or another. That being said, as the season goes on, I usually set out more dogs. Many of those smart roosters have learned to dodge hunters by running. Those pheasants I can get into the bag easier by this method. Where ever they run, they run into a dog. If they fly, I can't do anything about that, but if they try to hot foot it, I can have more success with 3 or more dogs down. You want a sight, see 7 dogs on point at once!!!
Miforester
Well-known member
Shawk
Member
That's just part of the game. I love having two dogs. The field type, cover and time of year dictates whether I run one or both. The dogs with age figure out how to work the runners but they can't get 'em all of course. Biggest help you can do is to keep ultra quiet and help the dogs to be quieter by limiting the dogs noise with extra tags jingling and so on.
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Miforester
Well-known member
I think having more dogs running helps confuse the birds as escape routes might be covered by another dog hopefully resulting in the bird holding for point and shot. Much like walking then stop and wait then walk at an angle stop and wait.....tends to panic the birds and can have good results.
Logical
Member
PTH, the answer, as is always the case when discussing pheasant hunting, is "it depends".
As Shawk said, it depends on cover. The fields I hunt, which are primarily either grass less than 30" high, or milo stubble about 18" tall, don't produce well when dogs are running out ahead. Birds flush long wherever the dogs are working.
But, when I went out with a new hunting partner and his 12-month old dog who stayed close, the birds were not as wild as when I hunted with two buddies and their two dogs who went further ahead. So, the factor of the young dog staying close, and not crossing too far left-to-right, seemed to help immensely.
Also, when hunting with dogs or without, keep your mouth shut! This goes for everyone in the party, including dog owners. Don't be calling to your dog, or whistling to your dog, while in the field. Pheasant are not deaf! I have shown time and again that being quiet in the field is a huge help in getting close to birds, whether with dogs or without.
It irritates me to no end to see the bird-hunting shows on T.V. where the participants are cajoling each other, or calling out "Got a dog on-point here". We see birds flush long on those shows, and the hosts don't seem to correlate the long flushes with all the noise they are making.
If you are having problems with birds flushing long, take an honest look at how quiet you are in the field. If there is anything more than "Hen" or "Rooster" being said, you are making too much noise. If you use blockers, ask them how far away you are when they can hear you. Sound carries, and I can hear hunters talking over a quarter-mile away. Birds hear that too, and get out of Dodge.
Another factor in the cover I hunt is (and I know I will get flamed for this, but it is true) blaze orange on the front of your body. Birds don't see in black-and-white, so that blaze orange is easy for them to see if your cover is shorter than 3' tall.
If you feel unsafe hunting in less-than-waist-high cover without blaze orange, you need different hunting partners. The visibility of blaze was demonstrated last season and this season, many times over. I had new hunting partners come out, and some wore blaze orange. Birds always got up much further in front of them than in front of those of us with blaze on our backs, or none at all. Again, this is all cover that is under 3' tall, so we could see each other very easily.
When some that had blaze on for the first day changed to no blaze on the second day, they commented about how much closer the birds were flushing. It makes a huge difference!
Wear blaze if you are in waist-high cover, or higher, as the birds won't be able to see you from the ground. But, anything less, and you may as well have your full-choke in, as you will have long shots.
If you are hunting with one dog, or 3, silence and low-visibility are more important than the number of dogs. How you run your dogs is up to you, as some produce better by staying close, and some range out far, and push the birds back to the hunter(s). But, stealth is important no matter how your dogs work.
Good luck, and have fun hunting!
As Shawk said, it depends on cover. The fields I hunt, which are primarily either grass less than 30" high, or milo stubble about 18" tall, don't produce well when dogs are running out ahead. Birds flush long wherever the dogs are working.
But, when I went out with a new hunting partner and his 12-month old dog who stayed close, the birds were not as wild as when I hunted with two buddies and their two dogs who went further ahead. So, the factor of the young dog staying close, and not crossing too far left-to-right, seemed to help immensely.
Also, when hunting with dogs or without, keep your mouth shut! This goes for everyone in the party, including dog owners. Don't be calling to your dog, or whistling to your dog, while in the field. Pheasant are not deaf! I have shown time and again that being quiet in the field is a huge help in getting close to birds, whether with dogs or without.
It irritates me to no end to see the bird-hunting shows on T.V. where the participants are cajoling each other, or calling out "Got a dog on-point here". We see birds flush long on those shows, and the hosts don't seem to correlate the long flushes with all the noise they are making.
If you are having problems with birds flushing long, take an honest look at how quiet you are in the field. If there is anything more than "Hen" or "Rooster" being said, you are making too much noise. If you use blockers, ask them how far away you are when they can hear you. Sound carries, and I can hear hunters talking over a quarter-mile away. Birds hear that too, and get out of Dodge.
Another factor in the cover I hunt is (and I know I will get flamed for this, but it is true) blaze orange on the front of your body. Birds don't see in black-and-white, so that blaze orange is easy for them to see if your cover is shorter than 3' tall.
If you feel unsafe hunting in less-than-waist-high cover without blaze orange, you need different hunting partners. The visibility of blaze was demonstrated last season and this season, many times over. I had new hunting partners come out, and some wore blaze orange. Birds always got up much further in front of them than in front of those of us with blaze on our backs, or none at all. Again, this is all cover that is under 3' tall, so we could see each other very easily.
When some that had blaze on for the first day changed to no blaze on the second day, they commented about how much closer the birds were flushing. It makes a huge difference!
Wear blaze if you are in waist-high cover, or higher, as the birds won't be able to see you from the ground. But, anything less, and you may as well have your full-choke in, as you will have long shots.
If you are hunting with one dog, or 3, silence and low-visibility are more important than the number of dogs. How you run your dogs is up to you, as some produce better by staying close, and some range out far, and push the birds back to the hunter(s). But, stealth is important no matter how your dogs work.
Good luck, and have fun hunting!
Shawk
Member
That's ultra interesting Logical about the blaze orange. I've never heard that or gave it to much thought. If I hunted private more like I used to, I'd experiment with it. But since I hunt a decent amount of public ground, I'll stay completely decked out head to toe in my fashionable orange.
VERY interesting though... you definitely caught my attention with that.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
I agree it all depends... 1 day they hold tight 1 day they flush wild I tend to feel the wind & temps etc. Have lots to do with how well birds hold or not plus terrain if u are in stuff under 30in birds are gonna run circles around guys & flush wild especially with no dogs...
I have to go back to the quality of these dogs logical hunts with I remember the description of these "hunting dog's". Running wild chaseing birds & busting them wild not being able to retrieve birds wounded & not shot dead guys yelling to dogs etc. These dogs do not sound very good I can see why its more productive for you to not use dogs...
I won't argue what works for you but I go back to it depends... I've killed 3-4 birds on hard hunted public land in 2-3 states yelling for my dog on point most the day lol no e collar them days... I've also walked fields not hunted hard & had birds flushing wild as I never said a word to dog...
If u have a dog who can pin birds u can wear a blaze orange suit & kill plenty of birds posters are the guys I'd advise cool it on the orange birds will flare...
I creep up on turkeys lots pheasant are just lil turkeys eye & ear wise it can be done...
Hunting pheasant With out a capable retriever dog is borderline sin...