Bird Training Videos

[alex]

curt said:

(Hint: you may want to right click and save the file for the download, then opening it from your computer...probably save you some time.)

;D

Curt,

Its not so simple to get the video file from putfile.com.

[Summit Forge]

Alright Madonna...hunt 'em up!


Ron

[Maverick]

Great to see Airedales at work and enjoying it! Anyone got an Airedale that can successfully work late season pheasents?

[Summit Forge]

eggers said:

... Airedale that can successfully work late season pheasants?

Pete,

I assume by "late season", you mean birds that have experienced hunting pressure. These birds will typically flush "wild" ( beyond gun range). This problem traditionally applies ( correct me, if I'm wrong) to pointing dogs that are not experienced with running pheasants and probably are not steady on point.

If your Airedale is a flusher and working close as all flushers must or if your Airedale is a pointer and is not bumping birds due to lack of training and experience, the only solution that I know of is to employ other hunters and, or dogs as "blockers".

I know of no dog that can prevent pheasants or any other bird from flushing wild out of gun range.

Ron

[Maverick]

Flying a hawk over the hunting field helps, but guns and/or birds with shot in them are not healthy for hawks. Sometimes a hawk call helps.

You are right about pointer, the pheasents run out from under them, and it is really bad style for a pointer to follow (incourages creeping). You are also right about flushers/spaniels being a problem too, as the pheasents won't let you get close, and will flush way out of gun range if pursued.

The best late season pheasent dog I ever saw was a Border Collie! He (or was it a she? don't remember) would swing wide around runners, and then slowly and carefully herd them back to the owner who was being very still and inconspicous as possible. I remember him kneeling beside a bush in a fence row, as the dog was now moving about half speed at a crouching run back to him. All of the sudden, a hen broke just a few yards from the guy, who was then on his feet as the dog made a mad rush straight at the birds that were now between man and dog. That freaked the rest of the birds out, and there were pheasents going every which way! The guy got a rooster almost immediately that fell on the opposite side of the fence row, and then swung back around to hit another rooster just before it got out of range, and it went down fluttering. The dog immediately took off after the flutterer, and after a few moments was bounding back with a half dead bird to hand. Then was off like a streak after the other, which he/she promptly retrieved. The dog had absolutely no class as a pointer or spaniel, but did have that collie "eye" and patience when blocking the birds exit. The guy said most of the time the birds did not reverse direction, but he could count on some confusion and hesistation in the birds when the dog suddenly appeared in front of the birds, which normally gave him just enough time to close the distance within gun range. He said the key was a good BC and access to some flighty free range chickens for the dog to practice on before the season, and this was (if I remember correctly) the dog's third or fourth season. If I was at all serious about pheasent hunting, I know I would not be looking for any traditional bird dog!! LOL!

I think a smart Airedale with some herding instinct could be very effective at that game too! Wadda think?

[Summit Forge]

Good story Pete,

Spooky pheasants for me, however, seem to want to flush wild before any dog can get behind them or they flush as the dog bumps them going out beyond gun range. Or the buggers seem to be some sort of Olympic sprinters.

I have had "some success" on spooky ruffed grouse by sending my Airedale out and then bringing him back toward me with a whistle. Its the same technique as hunting with the wind at your back. It is similar to what you suggest but the Airedale doesn't need to be a herder, just compliant to the whistle command.

Ron

[Maverick]

I think it is a matter of cover, and how much the pheasents get chased. If they can see you a long way off and are expecting to get chased, you got a hard problem to solve. Ran into that into that in the big open fields (stretching to the horizon in some cases) in eastern Washington. Saw the BC working down in the Willemette Valley of Oregon where there was much more cover and much smaller fields.

You could always take up falconry! Just never let your hawk/falcon start eating any bird that might have lead shot in them, it is very toxic to them. Don't know about the newer shot compositions.