Getting a dog pointing

[Willie T]

IDHunter, outstanding! I’m looking forward to seeing a picture of you shooting some birds for your dog!

[AverageGuy]

Great News!

[Drahthaar1108]

Any positive progress with a pup is great. Forrest

[J D Patrick]

good stuff

[IDHunter]

Some more good finds and several points today on wild huns and chuks. A couple of good long points, and two repositions on moving birds as well. We have work to do in regards to holding point until I have time to flush the birds, as he is still breaking occasionally when I get in front and start trying to flush, but hey it's good progress compared to a few weeks ago.

Crazy thing happened today. Two separate coveys of huns that he pointed had wounded birds in them. The covey flushed and one bird couldn't get off the ground and unfortunately he broke on the flush and proceeded to catch the cripple. This happened on two different occasions on different coveys, but in the same general area. Makes me think some guys were probably under gunned a bit this weekend, or were taking long shots and didn't have a dog to help locate their cripples. Either way, almost had to laugh about it because catching crippled pheasants is something that I think has set this dog back a bit in his first hunting season, and I didn't figure we'd encounter that much at all on chukar and huns. It was definitely a "you gotta be $#!**!^@ me" moment... twice. Oh well, he proceeded to point birds again after that, so I don't think these will set us back much at all.

[Bruce Schwartz]

Great to hear your progress! Keep up the strong work. I'll be going out around here the next few days and sure hope I see as many birds as you seem to be finding. And we do need pictures of course.

Bruce

[slistoe]

Some more good finds and several points today on wild huns and chuks. A couple of good long points, and two repositions on moving birds as well. We have work to do in regards to holding point until I have time to flush the birds, as he is still breaking occasionally when I get in front and start trying to flush, but hey it's good progress compared to a few weeks ago.

Crazy thing happened today. Two separate coveys of huns that he pointed had wounded birds in them. The covey flushed and one bird couldn't get off the ground and unfortunately he broke on the flush and proceeded to catch the cripple. This happened on two different occasions on different coveys, but in the same general area. Makes me think some guys were probably under gunned a bit this weekend, or were taking long shots and didn't have a dog to help locate their cripples. Either way, almost had to laugh about it because catching crippled pheasants is something that I think has set this dog back a bit in his first hunting season, and I didn't figure we'd encounter that much at all on chukar and huns. It was definitely a "you gotta be $#!**!^@ me" moment... twice. Oh well, he proceeded to point birds again after that, so I don't think these will set us back much at all.

Given time and experience the dogs will learn the difference between birds that can and will fly and those that can't/won't. Catching crippled pheasants was not a set back at all, merely a part of the learning journey.

[AverageGuy]

What a Blessing to live where you can get a dog on that many birds. No better training than what you are doing.

[birddogger2]

Some more good finds and several points today on wild huns and chuks. A couple of good long points, and two repositions on moving birds as well. We have work to do in regards to holding point until I have time to flush the birds, as he is still breaking occasionally when I get in front and start trying to flush, but hey it's good progress compared to a few weeks ago.

Crazy thing happened today. Two separate coveys of huns that he pointed had wounded birds in them. The covey flushed and one bird couldn't get off the ground and unfortunately he broke on the flush and proceeded to catch the cripple. This happened on two different occasions on different coveys, but in the same general area. Makes me think some guys were probably under gunned a bit this weekend, or were taking long shots and didn't have a dog to help locate their cripples. Either way, almost had to laugh about it because catching crippled pheasants is something that I think has set this dog back a bit in his first hunting season, and I didn't figure we'd encounter that much at all on chukar and huns. It was definitely a "you gotta be $#!**!^@ me" moment... twice. Oh well, he proceeded to point birds again after that, so I don't think these will set us back much at all.

Given time and experience the dogs will learn the difference between birds that can and will fly and those that can't/won't. Catching crippled pheasants was not a set back at all, merely a part of the learning journey.

I agree with this.

My very first bird dog was trained to stand until the bird flew...and then it was off to the races. He would stand a bird for as long as it took me to get there... pretty much every time after his second season.

We hunted a lot of state grounds where they stocked pheasant, but generally started only after the morning crowd was gone. In the middle of his fourth season, my dog started diving in on some birds as I began to flush. I was quite upset until I started checking the birds he trapped. It was obvious that some had been winged as there was damage to their wings and congealed blood and such. I am pretty sure he could smell the blood because he (almost) never dived in on a bird that was uninjured. If I went out the day after a stocking, it was not unusual for me to not fire a shot, but still come home with a full game bag of cripples. Good thing too, because I am, at best, a mediocre wingshot and I don't like ground sluicing a bird.

I'd mark it down to yours being a smart dog.

RayG

[Willie T]

IDHunter, glad to hear you and your dog are making some solid progress. You might try taking a much wider line to the pointed birds and ease in on the birds from the front of the dog. It might pay off to see if that will help him keep his composure long enough for the birds to flush within range. Be ready and don’t miss if it pans out.
Best of luck and stay with it.
Willie

[Drahthaar1108]

Awesome progress.
And yes you are blessed to have that many wild birds. Forrest

[IDHunter]

Great to hear your progress! Keep up the strong work. I'll be going out around here the next few days and sure hope I see as many birds as you seem to be finding. And we do need pictures of course.

Bruce

Here's a pic from a couple weeks ago, chasing chukar in the snow. This was our first water break as we were working up a ridge to a nice bench that almost always holds birds. Second pic is 30 minutes later when the fog cleared.
I have been horrible about getting pics of him working because I usually hunt solo and I'm always focused on him and not on my phone/camera. Going to try and convince my wife to come with next time and hopefully get a few better pics, including some pics of him on point.

[IDHunter]

Awesome progress.
And yes you are blessed to have that many wild birds. Forrest

No argument here. It is definitely nice to have birds around. I wish we had a little more public land that was decent pheasant hunting (best options around here are stocked WMA's), and would be awesome to have sharptail numbers and a season near where I live, but I suppose you can't have it all. We certainly have some good options as it is. I'm already looking forward to branching out and trying more upland varieties next year.

[Bruce Schwartz]

ID, Looks like southern Idaho - really great chukar country, and nice long seasons! Likewise for over here in Oregon. Lots of public land but slippery roads with any moisture. I went out today and found four coveys and managed to kill one bird, but often I don't get any. And I didn't take my camera for the same reasons you don't - too hard to keep control of all the gear and the dogs at the same time. So... I missed a great image of both dogs pointing with mountains in background. Thanks for the photos - your pup looks great!