YO-YO? Or Quartering?..Flushing dogs

G

gundogguy

New member
Hey
Which would be better for your type of hunting. A dog that works the ground within gunrange side to side like a windshield wiper or a dog that punches straight out and straight back like a YO YO?
Applies to flushing dogs only.
Thanks
 
Depends on the cover I hunt. Some is more linear where my springers yo-yo and some is more open where my dogs quarter. I let my dogs range depending on conditions ie wind, cover, terrain, species hunted etc.
 
I learned a long time ago that my dog knows where the birds are and how best to jump them a lot better than I do. I just point her in a general direction and follow.
 
Hunt with a guy that has 2 labs they are half brothers but one is leggier and thinner. That dog is always out ahead quartering and doesn't miss much ground probably 30 yards or so each side of the line is owner is walking. The shorter chunkier dog stay in front but doesn't do much big wide quartering. He does get to quartering shorter swipes from side to side if there is birds in the area and he will go off his own way to plow through birdy looking cover. He's just lazier and sticks to the high percentage bird chases at least thats the way it seems. Both dogs put up birds and more often then not when a bird is put into the air both dogs has a paw in it. If I was to chose I'd take the windshield wiper dog I don't think he'd miss as much overall.
 
I you’re hunting into the wind, the dog runs a across it “windshield wiper” style. This covers the most ground w/ his nose & least with his legs. If the wind is blowing across your beat (a cross wind), the dog punches out & back more or less. Again he’s running perpendicular to the wind thus maximizing his efficiency. Most dogs figure this out on their own with experience.

Many handlers think the dog should run “windshield wiper” regardless of the wind but think about it, if the dog is running straight into the wind (cross wind), the only scent he’ll find is what’s directly in front of him. If he then turns & runs with the wind, he can’t smell anything w/ his tail so that whole cast is wasted effort.

Generally speaking, you want your dog to run perpendicular to the wind as much as possible. This maximizes the amount of ground he covers w/ his nose for each step. Make sense?
 
YO YO /Quartering

Very valid points across the board. Wind riders cover more ground with nose vs legs.
Thanks for the imput
 
Yep it's all about the wind. A good dog will change his pattern no matter which way the wind is. If they don't they are of little use to me. A down wind dog better get there but out and work the cover back at me. Flatter running side to side more in a head wind. Big rolling loops with an off sided figure 8 in cross winds. What Nim said. And they should dart in on that cone, and be able to put the nose down at that point trailing out the bird as well. The dog that does not change it's pattern for different wind is flawed. And most likely taught that barrel board racing. This is a mechanical dog, and a dog trained wrong to me. And also wrong to the AKC judging standards. Even the trial rule book tells you a mechanical pattern is bad, and also says the best dog may not be the most perfect dog. It all plays the same when hunting to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top