Two dogs, two buddies strategy

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
If it's you and another guy hunting, each with a flushing dog, do you hunt right by each other, or leave some space and hunt "together but seperate?" No right or wrong answer, just curious about the best approach for hunting efficiently. Not asking about groups of hunters with a large pack of dogs, that's called grabass, and yes I play a few times a year when I have no other choice😅.
 
Bob Peters said:
If it's you and another guy hunting, each with a flushing dog, do you hunt right by each other, or leave some space and hunt "together but seperate?" No right or wrong answer, just curious about the best approach for hunting efficiently. Not asking about groups of hunters with a large pack of dogs, that's called grabass, and yes I play a few times a year when I have no other choice😅.
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I have hundreds of hours of experience with two guys, to to each with a fleshing dog. The best thing to do is separate, by about a quarter mile.
 
There’s no right answer. Whatever you do the birds will react differently each day. My Labs are flushers and will go out front and actively search for birds. We typically follow our dogs. Sometimes that means we stay close and sometimes that means we go in different directions and meet back up later.
 
Together, but separate. Doesn’t matter if it’s a flusher, pointer or no dog. We call it putting them in a blender. The key to success is to be the stealthier of the pair
 
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My take... Hunting close allows for more shots on a bird, a greater chance a wild flush will be seen and shot at, and a greater chance of cripple recoveries. Hunting apart will probably find more total birds, assume both dogs are equally adept.
 
Depends on the situation. My favorite way to hunt with another guy/dog is to hunt separately, around the edge of a slough, toward each other. Birds still may flush wild, but if they're feeling pinched, flush they will. Seems like many of the places I hunt, which I choose because 1 guy/dog can hunt them, lend themselves to 2 guys/dogs splitting up a bit.
 
If a place has a number of thickets, and it is winter, and especially if windy/snowing, two guys together, going on each side of the thickets can be a huge advantage. Question was about flushes, but if you have pointers, change the 2 guys to 3 guys when it comes to thickets. So frustrating to fight into a thicket and know there is a good chance you won't be able to get the gun up.

Alternatively, carry a small flusher in your vest to send into the thicket?
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Depends on the situation. My favorite way to hunt with another guy/dog is to hunt separately, around the edge of a slough, toward each other. Birds still may flush wild, but if they're feeling pinched, flush they will. Seems like many of the places I hunt, which I choose because 1 guy/dog can hunt them, lend themselves to 2 guys/dogs splitting up a bit.
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Forgot about walking towards one another….I’m known for demanding whenever possible SOMEBODY is in place as a blocker
 
I’ve done this a few times with a buddy who has pointers and I have a flushing lab. We try to stay abreast of each other, and about 30- 40 yrds apart as we move through a field and follow the dogs.

Close enough to hear each other if need be, far enough apart to cover decent ground
 
Depends on the field, I would say more often than not we hunt together with about 20-30yds in between us. But there are numerous occasions where we split up and hunt completely different parts of the field. It really depends on the field and the cover and terrain.
 
Before I’d decide the strategy, I’d choose the cover to hunt first; this weekend thus far has solidified my preference for small covers when it comes to solo hunting or hunting with one other guy. We had 3, so we’d usually have a solo guy and then a pair nearby, within a 1/2 mile or a mile. The 3rd guy didn’t have a dog, so he stayed close to his guy. The small cover approach works well because it increases the chance of closer flushes…and forces flushes due to the # of edges that we’re near, vs huge pieces of cover that go on and on. If 2 of us with dogs each, working the cover to avoid escapes by the birds is how we do it, based on wind, the specifics of the cover, etc….sometimes that’s working in the same direction, sometimes working towards each other, just depends…the density of the cover will dictate things as well…birds holding tight might allow working in the same direction…a dry, meandering creekbed in a picked crop field with no cover on its edges is perfect for opposing directions…every deal is different…every day is different…but I’ll take small chunks of cover if given the option.
 
As said, depends. My buddy and I would look at a big C.R.P. field and devise a plan, then undoubtably our plan would always go to hell as soon as the birds started running. So, we decided to forget even planning unless the cover was indicative to pinching them. We would try and keep each other in sight for safety reasons but sometimes there is no controlling the situation when his dog starts tracking one way and mine another. We will however change the tactics next time if they outsmart us the first time. Sometimes we would spread out and go through the gut, then split up at the end and each take 20 yards or so inside the outside edges on the way back.
 
For me and my BIL, who hunt alot of our time together with our 2 labs, we break down cover much like structure for fishing. I look for transitions in the cover, quick access to food, pinch points, and the spot in the spot. We at times start apart and work towards getting together at the highest percentage spot, hoping we may push singles together or to a more concentrated group.
Sometimes, the dogs just work to stay together (they are brothers and just feed of each other) so we just stay with them and let them tell us how to hunt. We stay close enough to "cover" each other on flushes.
 
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