Gun Dog Forum

SpringerDude

Glad you got the video series. The bad part of reading books with time perspectives is that not all dogs are going to progress at the same pace. The progression is usually very good. The steps in each progression is in the right order. But the dogs move at different paces. Keep the steps in order an...

SpringerDude

Planting pigeons is never 100% right. You might have a few stay down and then the next several volunteer. I have seen folks plant pigeons in cover so thin I thought they would all volunteer. But they planted 7 birds down a course and they all stayed until flushed by the spaniels on the course. The p...

SpringerDude

Hal,
Do you think they would have used $17,000 worth of pheasants to run 29 dogs in that National?

That seems a little "high" in my opinion.

SpringerDude

A few interesting SI articles: Spaniel Related

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm

SpringerDude

The way the dogs are handled is sometimes up to the handler and the shoot. At Show Me Birds, they want the dog going after the birds as they are hit. I like to keep my dogs steady until the bird is down before I send them. I will also hold my dogs off a "dead" bird in case the next one shot is a cri...

SpringerDude

Bill,

You can check out this website. it has a video as well. This is one place I go to work my dogs picking up pheasants.
http://showmebirds.com/hunts/european-hunts/

SpringerDude

Been a while since I visited this forum. Here is an update that some of you have heard already. My pup, Josie, completed her Master Hunter title on May 18, 2014 at the AKC Spaniel Hunt Test hosted by the English Springer Spaniel Club of Eastern Nebraska. In October 2013, at 17 mths, Josie passed her...

SpringerDude

Vantams, I do not own a Boykin but have seen several work in the field. My comments will be "general" statements. For the most part, they have strong retrieve desire, determination in the field, good nose, works with enthusiasm. The individual dog might vary some and the training is definitely neces...

SpringerDude

Nice looking spaniels.

TXBoykin, What do you hunt with your Boykin?

SpringerDude

Looks like fun!

Enjoy them and then send them back in March!

SpringerDude

Sounds like a nice trip and finally got into some wild birds. Congratulations!

SpringerDude

Have you tried putting the dog in a crate? When the dog act's up, back in crate. Sounds like the dog rules the house and needs to know who the pack leader is.

SpringerDude

. Tim I believe you saw Nancy run a little hunt dead drill with Zeta on Face book. Here is some of the foundation training that Zeta is getting, in the area of handling, the basics for hunt deads and blinds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS6XuLdyPjk Contacted Bramwells ordered the Book, thanks agai...

SpringerDude

Cass,

Thanks for sharing the video. I would call any retrieve that is tossed for the dog to see it and then retrieve it, a 'marked' retrieve. I am kind of simple minded.

Have fun on that ice and be careful yourself. A quick move and you can be out of training for a while.

SpringerDude

I don't train with an e-collar.

SpringerDude

Checked my journals, I have hunted wc in SD, KS, MO TX, LA, MS, TN, WI, MI, ME, MN, WV, PA, SC, FL, and AL. Plus two trips to Canada. Other than flight birds resting or those seeking a sunny south hillside, all the birds were found in spongy areas near a river/creek, the same place you would dig fo...

SpringerDude

It is amazing that folks feel like they should have access to land due to taxes being flowed through the government and then back to the farmer in subsidies. Wow. If you would like to participate in these programs, then go buy yourself a farm, get you some government payments, and have your own plac...

SpringerDude

Nice! congratulations!

SpringerDude

That's a great place to start looking for woodcock but we don't always find them in the creek bottoms. Woodcock feed primarily at night. So they don't have to be in "feeding areas" during the day. The pictures I have posted were taken in areas where I killed the last bird of the pic. Most are well ...

SpringerDude

Do they mainly stay in river bottom areas? Would creek areas with heavy or thin woods be better? Do they hang around flood plain of areas lakes? Even though most lakes around N. TX are 3-6' below average levels. You can't go wrong in the river bottoms. I don't know how much of the migration passes ...

SpringerDude

Where is GR?

Sounds like you have had a good season. Rabbit hunting is fun!

SpringerDude

Welcome to pheasant hunting. They are going to run and your dog can't do much about it. That's just the way it is. Not a lot you can do either. If your dog goes on point and holds, there is no telling where you are going to produce the bird at. If it flushes from 20 yds out, that doesn't mean your d...

SpringerDude

I always like to end training sessions with a bumper retrieve. Even when introducing birds, I will work bumper retrieves into the drills in order for the dog to understand that retrieving whatever I toss is its priority. No messing around ignoring the bumper ... get it picked up and back quickly. So...

SpringerDude

pointstar wrote: Though I am not sure how a hunter would shoot a bird being pointed from a half mile or a mile away with a shotgun.

The dog should hold point until you get there. Right?

SpringerDude

Tomb82: Congrat's on getting your first pup. Doorcreek produces some nice dogs and I would think would be very helpful in answering questions. Cass: let us know how your training goes today. Keep the bumper in a short grass area where you can see it. If you use an Orange one, the dog will not see it...

SpringerDude

Huh? What are you "really" saying? No sense in trying to guess what the analogy was meant to imply. I suppose if a 3 year old kid was given a $20 bill he would discard it after the initial touch,because he doesn't know the value of it. But once the value has been realised it would put its hand throu...

SpringerDude

Welcome to the world of training dogs. Due to your efforts in getting out to train in varying temperatures and conditions, you are starting to observe your dog in different situations. Scenting conditions change and it can be as dramatic as you saw even during the same day. You have seen your dog wh...

SpringerDude

http://www.essft.com/2013noc/home.html Above link to the home page for the 2013 National Open to be held in Cambridge, Maryland Starting on Sunday, Dec 8. A link to the Call Backs are on the home page. The trial is run the same way as the amateur trial with 4 series of brace work and then the 5th se...

SpringerDude

Sounds like fun! The Missouri Hunting Spaniel Club and the English Springer Spaniel Club of Eastern Nebraska use to team up and host Eng Springer Spaniel Field Trials in that area. We would headquarter out of Beatrice and then run the trials in the Liberty Ne area. Always looked like some nice bird ...

SpringerDude

With that particular mix of breeds, you could have a great dog it it loves to fetch and also points. It has been suggested that you find a local club to train with. below is a link to the Hunting Retriever Club website page that lists all the local clubs. List is in Alpha order so scroll down and fi...

SpringerDude

Well the woodcock season is coming to a screeching halt. The season closes tomorrow, November 28. It has been another great season with a lot of memories made. I donated a woodcock hunt to 3 different charities through the year and helped raise some money for some great organizations. I had the plea...

SpringerDude

Just another reason to be outside observing nature. Great experience. Thanks for sharing.

SpringerDude

To think that a farmer is obligated to let folks roam his land due to taking government subsidies is just crazy. If you want to hunt, go buy your own land. If you want subsidies, then take them and see if you still want to let folks use your land for free. At least in this country if you want to buy...

SpringerDude

Got out again on Saturday. May have been my last birds of the season. All the training for the dog games paid off. I have really enjoyed hunting with my little brown dog. Here are a couple of pic's taken with Josie and the birds. http://www.nottinghamkennels.com/resources/photo%20%2852%29.JPG.opt401...

SpringerDude

Lasted update :

16 dogs to the 5th series. run the 5th series before going to the water.

SpringerDude

National Amateur Trial update:
The 4th Series has been completed. The info I received is that they will run the Water Test prior to running the 5th series.

SpringerDude

Haven't read the canadian rules but will later. If your dog hunts and finds birds and retrieves them back to you, you can usually pass the AKC Junior test fairly easily. I have had pups pass the Junior test at 1 yr of age. There are some things that can go wrong due to being a young dog but for the ...

SpringerDude

http://www.essft.com/2013nac/callbacks.html Here is a link to the callback page for the ESS National Amateur Championship. Started with 113 dogs and down to 46 to run in the 4th series which is the last bracework series. Dogs that make it to the 5th series will run individually with both judges watc...

SpringerDude

The best thing that could have happened is that your dog caught all 13 birds. You have a young dog. If you are wanting to "test" the dog and see if it would be steady to flush, you need to start with hand tossing taped wing birds when the dog is sitting out in front of you, about the distance of the...

SpringerDude

When the woodcock migrate back through in early March, it is a great opportunity to put your dogs on wild birds. No, you can't shoot them then but you can really get a chance to work on obedience and watch young dogs come into their own. It is a really great resource for working dogs in late winter/...

SpringerDude

Firelight, How far west of the Kansas State line were you when you found the woodcock. I have found them around Parsons, and have heard reports north of topeka and west of Wichita. Just curious. Kansas birdhunters are somewhat like Missouri birdhunters. They say they don't have many woodcock but I h...

SpringerDude

Another nice hunt today.

SpringerDude

Rod W,

I only hunt Public Land.

East Texas is good for woodcock hunting.

SpringerDude

Another great hunt! Loving this little brown dog!

SpringerDude

tmas,

Congrat's on the new pup. Sunni will be a top hunting dog in the near future. Have fun and Happy Training!

SpringerDude

Gundogguy, Thanks for posting the link and bringing this event to everyone's attention. As an additional note: The National Open will be run in December and you can go to essft.com and click on National Open Championship and get to that page. This past weekend, there were folks still qualifying for ...

SpringerDude

We are sending plenty of birds your way. Educated as well! I am sure you will have fun with them as well.

SpringerDude

Had a blast yesterday. Took a couple of guys woodcock hunting. We hunted for 2 hours and were able to bag 3 limits of woodcock. These guys could shoot well and we should have been finished sooner but for a few misses. They had a GSP that worked nicely and I was hunting with Lee Roy. What a fun time....

SpringerDude

I have hunted with two springers with me. One hunting and one walking with me at a loose "heel". Meaning not right by my side but in close proximity to me. In the past I have hunted with two springers hunting at the same time. That gets chaotic to say the least. I prefer alternating them. I have als...

SpringerDude

Wow! Hunted Josie again this morning. She did nicely and helped by producing woodcock for the gun. Did a couple real nice 'hunt deads' out about 30 yds in the cover. Took a line to the area and then came up with the bird. Made me smile First limit of woodcock shot over this dog. AND we went into the...

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