warm weather!!

gettinbirdie

gettinbirdie

Active member
I was going to head up to SD this week...till I looked at the weather. Mid 70's! are you kidding me?! :poop:
I guess I'll wait another week🤣- got some weather coming in next week. Fingers crossed it isn't too much snow...
I can't imagine these birds are holding very well in 70 degree weather....
 
Yah, Unfortunately I'm heading back and hunting Friday through Monday. At least Monday will be nice and cold.

Crazy weather!!!!!
 
gettinbirdie said:
I can't imagine these birds are holding very well in 70 degree weather....
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Tougher on the dog than anyone. Carry plenty of water &/or hunt near water. The temp doesn't really have a major effect on how jumpy they are. It's all about how much pressure they've had, how soon they detect you, & what options they've got to evade you.
 
Evidently we still have lakes where we had good pheasant ground, from the flooding last year or whenever that was.

Lost quite a bit of good habitat due to all the water my nephew said is still back there.
 
My truck thermo said 80 for a couple hours this afternoon. Im going to give it a shot from 10 till it gets too warm in the morning and then head home early. Not going to jeopardize the dogs in this heat. I NEVER hit it right. Just crazy
 
I'm headed to Aberdeen tomorrow. It's been crazy to watch the forecast. The first 10 day forecast was showing 40/20 as highs/lows. Now it's gonna be 70/50. Just nuts how I had to go from figuring out how to stay warm at night because we're camping to now figuring out how to keep the dog cool during the day.
 
76 on the truck when we finished today. Rotate dogs and helps hunting close to water so they can cool down often or carry lots of water and take breaks frequently.
 
I've been hunting SD for the past 8 years and have never experienced such cold weather so early. It's funny how different the weather can be from week to week. I hunted near Pierre last week with at least 8" of snow on the ground every day. In some areas, the snowdrifts were 3' deep. The first day (10/27) it was 3 degrees when we started in the morning and the roads were frozen solid. Our last two days it was still cold but the roads were so slick and muddy from melting snow we couldn't make it to half of the hunting ground. Hunting in the snow is definitely harder than I imagined. Walking in deep snow slowed us down considerably. We covered about half the ground we normally do. The bird numbers were good and they seemed to hold tighter when the temp was in the single digits and teens, but when it warmed up the next couple of days, they were very skittish.
 
Just out of curiosity, what is the temperature threshold that you are cautious of running your dogs in out there? I don't want to sound snobby but here in SC I (and many others) run our dogs for a full afternoon in a dove field in 95-100 degree heat. She loves it and has been conditioned for it living and hunting down here in southern heat. Just ensure she has plenty of water and watch for exhaustion. Thanks for the input. Heading out to SD next week and very excited.
 
I’m in Florida and my dog is very accustomed to heat as well. As long as they stay hydrated I’m not concerned. The main difference between the two areas in my opinion would be running them in thick cover for too long. We hunt a lot of cattails and CREP grass. There little to no air movement that close to the ground in thick cover. We water the dogs after each hunt in hot weather and I keep a bottle of water on me for water breaks in between.
 
I was supposed to be in SD for the end of this week, but moved it to early next week because of the heat.

Keep in mind how hot your vehicles can get as well. I have a truck with a topper on it, and have a cheap indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer. A 60 degree day in the sun, inside my pickup can easily get to 110+, and under the topper is always about 10 degrees cooler. Parking in the shade, keeping vents and windows open when not in use, all help a lot. But it is amazing how hot it gets inside vehicles. Summer days, in the sun at 90 degrees, and it can easily reach 150 in the cab or under the topper.

In case I was there as originally planned this week, I had been stocking up on freezing milk jugs filled with water so I could put them in the dog kennel to give something they can lay next to and cool down, while also not making a wet mess. I don't have any fans mounted on my kennel door, but something I've always considered - maybe if I every upgrade from a cheap plastic crate to a nicer kennel.

Fullchoke said:
Just out of curiosity, what is the temperature threshold that you are cautious of running your dogs in out there? I don't want to sound snobby but here in SC I (and many others) run our dogs for a full afternoon in a dove field in 95-100 degree heat. She loves it and has been conditioned for it living and hunting down here in southern heat. Just ensure she has plenty of water and watch for exhaustion. Thanks for the input. Heading out to SD next week and very excited.
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I've got a black lab. 50 degrees is really about my cutoff when pheasant hunting for an entire day on a trip. When closer to home and just doing one field for an hour or two, I can push it up to 70 degrees but need to take breaks and choose spots that are near water. I feel like dove hunting is slightly different because there can be some time where the dog is sitting next to you in the shade waiting for the next retrieve as opposed to constant running and quartering.
 
Hunted sun through wed ,3 days in a t-shirt. Hunted west of the river. Bird numbers were mediocre at best and my shooting was lousy. Im turning 72 this week. I guess I’m getting to old to hunt. The hot weather limited my time in the field and wore me and the dog out faster. In general the prop I hunt has been less productive the last 3 years. In past years i averaged limiting out in less than 2 hours and taking home a 3 days limit after a trip.
 
dogbo2013 said:
I’m in Florida and my dog is very accustomed to heat as well. As long as they stay hydrated I’m not concerned. The main difference between the two areas in my opinion would be running them in thick cover for too long. We hunt a lot of cattails and CREP grass. There little to no air movement that close to the ground in thick cover. We water the dogs after each hunt in hot weather and I keep a bottle of water on me for water breaks in between.
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these comments are spot on. good post. little air movement in 5 foot tall CRP either, tough on any dog.
 
A couple of thoughts on overheated dogs. Link: Increased Body Temperature and Heat Stroke in Dogs

Signs you are likely to see in the field:
  • Panting
  • Dehydration
  • Excessive drooling
  • Increased body temperature - above 103° F (39° C) [It's worth it and easy to carry one of those child rectal thermometers in the vest. 105° is definitely too high]
  • Reddened gums and moist tissues of the body
  • Changes in mental status
  • Seizures
  • Muscle tremors
  • Wobbly, uncoordinated or drunken gait or movement
"Some external cooling techniques include spraying the dog down with cool water, or immersing the dog's entire body in cool – not cold – water; wrapping the dog in cool, wet towels; convection cooling with fans; and/or evaporative cooling (such as isopropyl alcohol on foot pads, groin, and under the forelegs). Stop cooling procedures when temperature reaches 103° F (using a rectal thermometer) to avoid dropping below normal body temperature.

It is very important to avoid ice or very cold water, as this may cause blood vessels near the surface of the body to constrict and may decrease heat dissipation. A shivering response also is undesirable, as it creates internal heat. Lowering the temperature too quickly can lead to other health problems, a gradual lowering is best. The same guideline applies to drinking water. Allow your dog to drink cool, not cold, water freely. However, do not force your dog to drink."

I carry a couple of pint bottles of isopropyl alcohol in the truck and a quick read kids unbreakable rectal thermometer in the vest. Reports I've read said you can drop a dogs temperature several degrees in minutes using the alcohol. The don't use ice cold water thing is very important. My hunting buddy is my vet. I asked about just putting an overheated dog in an icy pond. He clearly stated that would make the situation worse. Cool, not cold, is what you want.

Obviously keep them hydrated. We both carry a 5 gallon jug of water in the truck for the dogs. They get a shot a a full pan of water before and after every field we hunt. Water is cheap.

<EDIT> You don't want them drinking out of ponds/water that cattle have used either. Check out leptospirosis. I lost a GREAT pointing Lab to lepto years ago before anyone really talked about lepto and before they had the 4 way lepto vaccine. All my dogs get the vaccine 6 weeks before hunting season. It takes time to take effect. Won't protect against all strains of lepto but...you do what you can.
 
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Dove hunting is different. I live in SC too and I am an avid dove hunter and woodcock hunter. I will take my dog on the dove field if it is under 90, but she will be sitting next to me and only out to retrieve and back to sitting. Plenty of water and I will usually try to put her in my shade if I don't have shade for both of us. Low 70s is about as high temp i have gone woodcock hunting but we are doing that mostly where there is sufficient water for the dogs to drink and cool off. I have been in SD pheasant hunting into the middle 60's and that would be about the limit for my dogs. The thicker the cover, the lower the temperature cutoff for hunting. I will admit, I am more cautious then most people when it come to risk, and when it comes to the life and well being of my dogs, abundance of safety always comes first. I have heard of and have had too many acquaintances tell me of dogs that did not make it off the dove field or succumbed a few days later from the heat.

With that said we leave in three weeks and 2 days. Can't wait! hope it is cold enough to end the mud and wish for cold enough to walk on water. Whatever the weather, we'll be happy to be there doing what we love to do most.
 
I was out yesterday south and west of Redfield. Started at 10:00 AM and quit by 1:00 PM. Way too hot (78 degrees) and it's really getting dry again. I carry two 1 liter bottles of water in my WingWorks vest. My dog drank one liter in the first field alone. Scenting conditions were not the best. Didn't see many birds and 3 of us ended up with one rooster.
 
Was out in SD hunting last week, 2 guys one dog. when temp. got over 50 on Sat. even with 30 mph wind it was too warm for my lab. She was pushed pretty hard the previous two days; due to lack of another dog. She is in good shape fitness wise, but breed is a factor. A lab with a thick coat and hide is not going to tolerate heat like some finer breeds. For me and my dog over 55 degrees is really warm.
 
I had a friend kill an english pointer in GA years ago. Quail hunted him when it was about 90F. Of course he thought he was watering dog enough and said the dog never acted odd just running along and fell over. Some dogs wont quit hunting when they get too hot, especially if they have a lot of drive. I will only hunt my dogs around ponds or creeks when its 75 or above.
 
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