Pointer vrs Flusher Article in Shooting Sportsman

mlf3882

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So who has read Tom Davis's article about pointer vrs flushers for pheasants in latest Shooting Sportsman (May/June)?
I like at the end he sums it up by saying " Let the hate mail begin." Thought it would be interesting to see how many different opinions are had by folks on this forum. :)
 
Not sure what Davis's opinion was but I really don't care, everyone has there own. Arguing dogs isn't any different that shotguns. You buy and use what works best for you. I've owned both flushers and pointers and if properly trained and bred, both can be effect on pheasants.
 
Not sure what Davis's opinion was but I really don't care, everyone has there own. Arguing dogs isn't any different that shotguns. You buy and use what works best for you. I've owned both flushers and pointers and if properly trained and bred, both can be effect on pheasants.

I agree with Zeb. I've hunted behind a lot of different dogs. Pointing dogs are my favorite. But even the pointing dogs hunt totally different from each other. Range, style, control, how they handle hunting in groups or individual hunting. None have been exactly the same and I miss them all when they are gone. I really like having the combo of a versatile dog and a rangy pointing dog. Just the way I hunt. And when I hunt with people that have flushers, I enjoy hunting with them as well. And yes we give each other crap the whole way about whose dog is better. I love it! Then we go have beers.
 
Overall it was an OK article, but he just could not resist taking a stab or two at general differentiation - which is often more dog dependent (individual) than breed.
 
For me I like to hunt big open places by myself or one or two people, where the birds are spread out.
Two Setters, one with wheels and one that is closer working is my choice.

But if I was in heavy cover or walking in a big group, a flusher ...... no maybe not :)
 
Inflamatory post for some

Different strokes for different folks, we all herd that before.

My question for those who rely on the telemetry of the GPS. Is it not artificial hunting to depend on the GPS to direct you to your lost dog on point ?
Example reactive shooting once you hoof it a 1/4 mile to the point than flush as oppose to hunting ( I get the wide open cover )?
Last question what happens when the battery dies on the Garmin ?

No offence to anyone but it sure is to me much more interesting when your dog is in gun range..
 
I always have the closest dog and the farthest dog. Best of both worlds. Took them out to my sister's farm yesterday. Far dog would run out 300 yards and return within 5 minutes. This cycle repeated itself over and over many times. Each time in a slightly different direction. Close dogs stayed with me.

Never hunt without GPS again. Sometimes even close dogs on point are difficult to find. Collars hold charge for quite awhile, carry spare batteries for hand unit.

Hopefully good pheasant hunting this year in Kansas. When far dog zigs, me and close dogs zag.
 
Different strokes for different folks, we all herd that before.

My question for those who rely on the telemetry of the GPS. Is it not artificial hunting to depend on the GPS to direct you to your lost dog on point ?
Example reactive shooting once you hoof it a 1/4 mile to the point than flush as oppose to hunting ( I get the wide open cover )?
Last question what happens when the battery dies on the Garmin ?

No offence to anyone but it sure is to me much more interesting when your dog is in gun range..

When your pointy dog ranges like mine, the GPS is about safety and peace of mind, especially in the grouse woods. To keep her in gun range would involve tremendous amounts of hacking, and that's not enjoyable. I throw the Astro on and let her roll while I take a peaceful stroll.
 
When your pointy dog ranges like mine, the GPS is about safety and peace of mind, especially in the grouse woods. To keep her in gun range would involve tremendous amounts of hacking, and that's not enjoyable. I throw the Astro on and let her roll while I take a peaceful stroll.

EXACTLY! Peace of mind.

My little Brit can disappear in CRP within seconds of being released. The bigger GWP, I rarely lose track of, but Junie is so small she barely swishes the grass when she goes through. And she's so fast that if I take my eyes off her to watch Daisy for awhile, she could be anywhere by the time I look back for her. The Astro makes hunting with her relaxing, knowing that I can always find her even if I can't always see her.
 
Different strokes for different folks, we all herd that before.

My question for those who rely on the telemetry of the GPS. Is it not artificial hunting to depend on the GPS to direct you to your lost dog on point ?
Example reactive shooting once you hoof it a 1/4 mile to the point than flush as oppose to hunting ( I get the wide open cover )?
Last question what happens when the battery dies on the Garmin ?

No offence to anyone but it sure is to me much more interesting when your dog is in gun range..

"artificial" is a slippery slope.

If you're asking is a GPS collar unsporting, I don't think it is. When I'm walking all day long and shooting less than a limit, it would be hard to argue that the collar gives me an unfair advantage over the birds.
 
I have to agree with you guys and the GPS. It is priceless knowing where your dog is and not being stressed .
 
Okay I admit, it was early in the morning I was at work kind of bored and wondered what would happen if I posted a thread on the "old and classic debate." So have to apologize, and was great that you guys did not bite. I like the direction you have taken the thread.
I have always been a flushing dog hunter but not for lack of trying pointers before...and up until the one I have now the rest were a really BAD experience. So now I have 2 english cockers and 1 griffon, gonna add a lab into the mix next spring (maybe a pointing one?)
Anywho...the GPS collars I agree are a game changer. Since always having a flushing dog in front of me, it was very unsettling to have the dog go out 80-100 yrs. I know not far by pointing dog standard but also hunt primarily in the woods of NW Michigan and the dog is "gone" once out there 25yrs. Especially when the ferns are up and leaves are still on the tree. I even put the collar on my smaller cocker cause she is so damn sneaky and quiet.
The article in Shooting Sportsman by Tom Davis was good and fair regards both types of dogs and basically said what everyone else was i.e. dog type is based hunter preference, what they hunt and where they hunt. But if a hunter was only hunting pheasants vrs other birds it seems the flusher has a slight advantage cause of the running desire of the bird, but the same does not seem to hold true with other birds that run i.e. desert quail. So that puts it all back to square one...maybe the best dog is one of each in your truck. Wish I could post a link to the article but not possible and think they would frown on it being scanned into a post.
I have a Garmin Alpha, anyone out there have the GPS Sportdog equal and if so how do you like it? The Alpha screen is pretty easy to control with gloves on, but I don't think one needs all the whistle and bells on it. Imagine the map may be handy if hunting in the mountains out west, not necessary in MI.
 
It would be nice to have both. Since 1997, I have had two britts that hunted close. I refer to them as personal assistants. When roosters are plentiful, they are awesome.

When birds are scarce, nice to have a runner. Sometimes birds flush out of range from the runner. It is common for us to mark these and about a third of the time get the bird. If the dog did not cover a lot of land we would not have seen these birds. One of my favorite memories last year was when my runner pointed a rooster right before we got back to the truck. I think the astro helps the dog because now it knows it won't be long before the human gets here. Must have been frustrating in the past when the dog heard you looking in the wrong direction.

As cover shrinks, may be the day of the runner has passed.
 
I have long dreamed of having a GSP to point the bird, a Lab to flush the bird, and some Bird of Prey to go get the bird.......Just to see each of them be able to do their thing......Maybe in another lifetime.......
 
A buddy was at the hunt club on a snowy day. He was going to run his gsp pup put the Alpha on and it didn't link up so he said no big deal he don't run far. So we started out and the dog went over a hill and we could not find him and he didn't come. So we split up, I found the dogs tracks in the snow he jumped a deer and chased it, something he never did before.:eek: So I was tracking him they my buddy said his Alpha was finally working. He said the dog was 75 yards to my left and not moving, I was real close and still could not see it. Well the dog had burrowed itself under a bunch of briars and couldn't get out. Moral of the story is if you got the electronics Always put it on, you never know what can happen. We probably would not have found him without the Alpha.
 
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