Pheasant wings for training

[Ericb]

I’ll be keeping the wings from the birds I get this year, for training. In the past, I’ve kept them in the freezer.
Want to see if other people here do the same thing or something different.

 

[dunadan]

We always keep a few... we either strap them to a dummy and hide it or hide the wings by themselves. I also like to tie them to a cord and drag them around. It has really helped my dogs learn to track and follow running birds...Doing this in the off season seems to keep the dogs excited about the game...

 

[gettinbirdie]

the only time ive collected wings is when I knew I was getting a pup in the near future or a friend was getting one. I really only use them when a pup is 2-3 months of age. Once obedience work is done and we start doing field work-they don't see a wing anymore.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

I'm sorry. You do you. But I don't see how running around the yard w/ a wing tied to your waist will help a dog learn to track wild birds. Also, my experience has been that bird dogs need absolutely zero off-season bribery, simulation, or anything else to keep them excited about hunting. My dogs' excitement level, before we even leave the house for the first hunt of the year, is just as high as it was the previous season. They don't just forget what the commotion is about. In fact, my last 2 dogs, come about October 1, would start following me around at my heels on Saturday & Sunday mornings. Somehow they knew. I don't know how. But they knew the season was near. Ace does it now that the season has started. I'm guessing after a couple more years, he too will start doing it BEFORE the season starts. I'm sure my dogs aren't unique in this way.

 

[Labs]

I like to get a new pup from a March-April litter so when I anticipate that event, I will save some rooster & duck wings.

IMO a pup/dog in training can't get enough real birds, so I keep a good supply of frozen birds on hand when I'm running a dog through the program. I also buy & raise pheasant, chuckar, domestic mallards, and live trap pigeons...

 

[dunadan]

Well , for what it’s worth, we use the crp field down the road, and I should have specified that we do that when the dogs are young, the first couple years. As for “needing” it, my dogs act like yours do when fall rolls around...they don’t need it, but they sure do enjoy it!

 

[V-John]

Yeah.... Agree with the others. Wing on a string for puppy photo ops... That's about it.
That being said, I've frozen them in ziplock baggies before.

 

[Goosemaster]

I'm sorry. You do you. But I don't see how running around the yard w/ a wing tied to your waist will help a dog learn to track wild birds. Also, my experience has been that bird dogs need absolutely zero off-season bribery, simulation, or anything else to keep them excited about hunting. My dogs' excitement level, before we even leave the house for the first hunt of the year, is just as high as it was the previous season. They don't just forget what the commotion is about. In fact, my last 2 dogs, come about October 1, would start following me around at my heels on Saturday & Sunday mornings. Somehow they knew. I don't know how. But they knew the season was near. Ace does it now that the season has started. I'm guessing after a couple more years, he too will start doing it BEFORE the season starts. I'm sure my dogs aren't unique in this way.

My dog is the same way.She starts to give me the,"let's go hunting" look in early October. I do save wings for various purposes. My neighbor is getting a black lab puppy in 2 weeks.Im more excited than they are!!

 

[zia]

I am a veterinarian, bird hunter. My bird dog clients get two wings from me ( I save from from my SDak hunts), the first is during the puppies inital visit...... tie it to a bumper, use it however you want to get the puppy excited about birds. The second wing they get is 12-14y ears later while we say goodbye to an old friend, as I am giving the shot and they leave this life we put the wing by their nose and see our old dog become young again if only for a moment as they pass. Not a dry eye in the house.

 

[Good Boy!]

Off topic... it's the orange color on vests, collars, etc.for my dog... nipping at the stuff as I'm trying to put it on...
Just watched a YouTube video as to why NOT to do the wing on a string... promotes sight hunting as opposed to scent.... after demoing the wing, he did the same with a clean towel and the puppy threw a great point on the towel

 

[Ericb]

I used the wings with both my Vizsla and my first Golden. Picked up the idea from books that Richard Wolters wrote. Seemed to work with my dogs so I’m not discounting the method. I asked because I wanted to see if others did likewise with wings.

 

[Good Boy!]

Ya, me also.... getting another pup mid January and wondering about this and other segments of training....
Jack the Dog, my current, was introduced to early basics, then didn't practice/train with any live birds until he saw his first pheasant in a path.... didn't really know what to do with it, but has since figured it out and now he's as good as I'll ever need...
With the new guy, I'd like to just"tighten it up" some, training wise
The pup, Dashing Tony Bondhu, comes from 2019 National Champion Prides Dashing Nash Bandit so he'll probably be teaching me....

 

[Good Boy!]

Oh, here's Jack and then the puppy.

 

[Ericb]

I’ll be getting my new puppy in January too. It was supposed to happen before Christmas but that litter had several stillborn pups, which left me out of luck. A litter born on Thanksgiving yielded enough of the little suckers for me to get one.

 

[Good Boy!]

Sweeeet....lil Lab, yes?
You're probably young enough to chase after him.... I need one like Jack that checks on me once in a while

 

[Ericb]

Actually she’s a Golden. I’m 55; she’ll give a reason to get out and keep moving.

 

[Good Boy!]

Still beautiful..... hasn't fuzzed out yet.
I got 10 on ya Erich, but the dog is what's keeping me legs achurni and the blood apumpin...