One dog 4 days in South Dakota

G

GWP14

New member
I'm headed to South Dakota in November for 4 days of hunting on public ground. Can one German wirehaired pointer that's in great shape handle that or am I asking to much from her?
 
GWP14 said:
I'm headed to South Dakota in November for 4 days of hunting on public ground. Can one German wirehaired pointer that's in great shape handle that or am I asking to much from her?
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In south dakota you can't hunt till 10 am. Your dog will be fine.
 
Our dogs seem to do good for four day, and then slow down the last day. So I think you will be fine plus a well behaved dog on the ride home. 😉
 
GWP14 said:
I'm headed to South Dakota in November for 4 days of hunting on public ground. Can one German wirehaired pointer that's in great shape handle that or am I asking to much from her?
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How old of dog I guess would be a question??? How many guys will she be hunting for??? If in good shape that's really nothing for 1 dog... I hunt my dog 5 ,days back to back if slowing down drive to a spot a Lil farther away or take a nap etc. 3 birds in SD is not tuff if u have a few hunters mite more of a chore on ur dog...
 
GWP14 said:
@small musterlander She'll be almost 3 when we make the trip and 3 hunters total.
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Plan on a 10:00-sun set hunt for ur dog with a 9 bird limit daily on public u but I'm sure u will be done early a day or 2... She will be fine age wise if in hunting shape...

B
What part of SD u heading to??? SE SC NE etc if in good number of birds u shoyld be fine...

P.S. wear u coming from???
 
If you hunt all day and depending on the temperature she may wear out towards the end of your trip. We are from PA. and a dog in great shape in pa is probably a dog in poor to fair shape in SD. Hunting ducks at dawn then hunting pheasant from 10 till dusk our dogs need a day off around day four.( having more dogs is great for that so you always have fresh dogs ). My only suggestion would to feed your dog a high protien high fat dog food for a few months prior to your trip. ie. 30% protien 20 % fat I learned that lesson the hard way. I never thought about dog food too much, but my dog wore out much faster than my friends that used (what i consider) a better dog food. Not that what i used was terrable just not as high enough protien% and fat%
 
If you end up hunting from 10:00 AM to sunset every day your dog will pretty worn out by the 4th day. GWP's are tough dogs so you should be okay if the temps are not too high.
 
David03

MAJTSHR06 said:
If you hunt all day and depending on the temperature she may wear out towards the end of your trip. We are from PA. and a dog in great shape in pa is probably a dog in poor to fair shape in SD. Hunting ducks at dawn then hunting pheasant from 10 till dusk our dogs need a day off around day four.( having more dogs is great for that so you always have fresh dogs ). My only suggestion would to feed your dog a high protien high fat dog food for a few months prior to your trip. ie. 30% protien 20 % fat I learned that lesson the hard way. I never thought about dog food too much, but my dog wore out much faster than my friends that used (what i consider) a better dog food. Not that what i used was terrable just not as high enough protien% and fat%
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What he said in SPADES---temp is a huge factor on the dogs--and food--I keep,mine on Pedegree during off season now that I no longer trial--but as of yesterday started the switch to pro-plan for heavier training and the season (no I don't want to start a argument about dog food--just what I use) And I will supplement that with extra calories and to induce them eat enough--also remember that some dogs that are very tired may not eat right away and they need some rest before the will eat--give them a chance--

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE BREAKS IF TEMP IS A ISSUE-OR DOG SHOWS ANY STRESS--LOTS MORE THAN YOU THINK NECESSARY--IF DOG DOES NOT DRINK FROM A BOTTLE GOOD TIME TO START-

If you get dog in real shape and on good food you should be fine--good luck and have fun:cheers:
 
MAJTSHR06 said:
If you hunt all day and depending on the temperature she may wear out towards the end of your trip. We are from PA. and a dog in great shape in pa is probably a dog in poor to fair shape in SD. Hunting ducks at dawn then hunting pheasant from 10 till dusk our dogs need a day off around day four.( having more dogs is great for that so you always have fresh dogs ). My only suggestion would to feed your dog a high protien high fat dog food for a few months prior to your trip. ie. 30% protien 20 % fat I learned that lesson the hard way. I never thought about dog food too much, but my dog wore out much faster than my friends that used (what i consider) a better dog food. Not that what i used was terrable just not as high enough protien% and fat%
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Exactly there is good shape & hunting shape or condition hunting pretty much non stop for 4-5 days ur dog will slow down but not asking to much of a dog... Hunt it hard b4 ur trip & get that GWP in hunting shape.. I hunt mostly cattails sloughs & thick stuff most guys avoid by the 5th day the dog is ready for a few days of R & R
 
weather temps are a huge factor when running your dog (s). About 10 years ago, hunting a huge WPA in late December, one of my labs overheated; fortunately, there was snow on the ground to rub on her stomach, and everything turned out fine. scared the hell out of me, and have been running dogs my entire life. Watch your dogs, make them take breaks, and be very mindful that they will not stop, unless you make them stop. Moisture in the cover you hunt, or lack thereof, also plays a role in how your dog (s) will perform over a 4-5 day stretch. Very dry conditions are harsh on a dog, head to toe, and especially pads. They are truly a man's best friend. Be mindful of conditions and expectations, and you will have a great trip!
 
All excellent advise especially caring for your best buddy in hot weather.

Why only hunt for 4 days? A non-resident license will be good for 10 days (consecutive or 5 & 5). The more time you allow, the less your dog and you will be beat and give you more chance to explore different areas. Regardless, it will be an exciting time, I'm sure.
 
bars

Not an advertisement, but last couple of years I've been giving the dog prime bars by purina and it seems to help. I give him 1/3 of the bar several times throughout the day and he seems to keep weight better throughout season and have more stamina. Mine is too charged up the 1st half day and needs a fair amount of work to settle down. I also put a refuel bar in his food at night.
 
As has been posted, 4 days is a max with the dog tired on last day, Pick your spots. Hunt early and late and give your dog a break in the middle of the day. I also make sure my dog gets plenty of protein those 4 days.
 
We hunt four dogs for five days in November. Been going to the same spot for 8 years. Without a long response I'll just say I hope everything goes perfectly. We've had our fair share of problems with dogs. Twice skunked. One took a direct shot to the face and was done for the trip. Torn pad, cattail jammed up another's paw that took some digging, saline solution, super glue and boots to get him back in action. The normal wear and tear cattails do to our labs faces. Near misses with a family raccoons and a coyote. Barbed wire cuts etc. Again hope everything goes as planned. Some risk if it's a real long trip to have one dog.
 
One dog, four days, three hunters, is asking a lot out of the dog. She'll be working harder than when its just you.

It's up to you to take care of her as they can and will hurt themselves.
 
Where will you be, and when are you going? we have 2 experienced dogs and 1 pup going up the second weekend in November in the mobridge area. we wouldn't be against meeting up
 
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