Search found 970 matches

by averageguy
Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:45 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: winter has come way too early
Replies: 17
Views: 6499

Re: winter has come way too early

I have posted that photo in a couple of other spots some very experienced wild bird hunters frequent. They all appreciated it and the hunting involved. Not one negative comment or attempt to insert a problem which did not exist. I could go back and forth a few rounds about what has been raised here ...
by averageguy
Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:27 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: winter has come way too early
Replies: 17
Views: 6499

Re: winter has come way too early

The conditions I was hunting in were not lethal to birds with good cover and feed. Particularly Pheasants.
by averageguy
Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:24 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: winter has come way too early
Replies: 17
Views: 6499

Re: winter has come way too early

Come on now! I know it’s not worse over there in the land of tater tot hot dish and lutefisk than it is here in NODAK. Get you a hat, gloves and some wool socks and get after it. At least when it’s nasty you know where they’re holed up at. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Ratdog You are right abo...
by averageguy
Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:47 pm
Forum: Brags
Topic: Can't Compete With Irishwhistler but...
Replies: 8
Views: 5714

Re: Can't Compete With Irishwhistler but...

Just caught up to this. Oh my that is a beautiful photo. Thanks for sharing.
by averageguy
Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:43 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: winter has come way too early
Replies: 17
Views: 6499

Re: winter has come way too early

headed to SW MN tomorrow for the annual hunt with oldest and youngest brother. Might be the last year for my oldest brother and I seem to be getting gimpier by month. I'm hoping for a couple more seasons Hope you have an enjoyable and safe hunt. I hunt with my older Brother a lot. Started out him t...
by averageguy
Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:53 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Livin the Dream
Replies: 9
Views: 6138

Re: Livin the Dream

Thank You Gentlemen.

weimdogman,

No shortage of hens where I was this past week.
by averageguy
Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:48 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

Shags, You raise two separate subjects. Just about all dogs will smell a training bird setup for a variety of reasons depending on how much effort the trainer goes to avoid it. Not all bad if they do anyway as long as the dog does what is desired in that phase of training. Some key reasons I have ex...
by averageguy
Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:19 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Dog house
Replies: 4
Views: 3272

Re: Dog house

verg, I snapped a couple of photos this evening while putting some straw in the dog houses so you could see what I mentioned about the Uplander dog houses. Lined upgrade model with a metal door that I discovered the puppy had chewed on a bit. Three sheet metal screws attached the top hinge so no big...
by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 6:17 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Dog chasing running birds
Replies: 9
Views: 4119

Re: Dog chasing running birds

My Spud dog has hunted wild roosters in 4 states annually every year of his life (will be 5 states this season Good Lord Willing) and he learned to handle them at a young age. When I took him further west and we hunted Huns and Chukars they ran like heck too. When I hunted him in Texas those Bobwhit...
by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 6:04 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Livin the Dream
Replies: 9
Views: 6138

Re: Livin the Dream

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by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 6:02 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Livin the Dream
Replies: 9
Views: 6138

Re: Livin the Dream

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by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:59 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Livin the Dream
Replies: 9
Views: 6138

Re: Livin the Dream

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by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:57 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Livin the Dream
Replies: 9
Views: 6138

Livin the Dream

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by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:52 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

Ratdog, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Perfection Kennel has trained just few thousand dogs using a launcher based program. Mo Lindley's program makes heavy uses of them too. As do thousands of other trainers.
by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:27 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

That is all very nice. However keep in mind if he has already been intimidated by launchers, he may remember and in that case it will be fixing a problem not starting over.........Cj Yes and if Ratdog uses the approach I posted the potential problem with a launcher will be immediate evident and the...
by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:22 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: USE A LEASH!!!
Replies: 7
Views: 4596

USE A LEASH!!!

Up at 5:30am spent 30 minutes chipping ice and snow off my truck so I could drive to nearby spot to let the dogs out to air. Back to motel and ate some breakfast, then back out to get the dogs out of their crates and into the motel room til we head out for the 10 o clock start time to hunt. This bli...
by averageguy
Fri Oct 23, 2020 6:21 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

x2 on keeping the pup on wild birds, shoot the ones he points, hold fire when he flushes. Steady him up after this season and before his second season. Study and follow a program when you go to steady the pup vs trying to wing it based on a few paragraphs you read posted on the internet. Lauchers - ...
by averageguy
Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:33 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Dog house
Replies: 4
Views: 3272

Re: Dog house

I have two of the old style dog dens and two of this Uplander model. The Uplander is the best design and construction I know of. The removable divider inside has a swinging door as well. You can order the door in different materials. If a dog does not chew on it the metal one works fine. Being offse...
by averageguy
Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:23 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: winter has come way too early
Replies: 17
Views: 6499

Re: winter has come way too early

Hunting in a blizzard was excellent yesterday.

Image
by averageguy
Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:21 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Adventures With Tubbs
Replies: 50
Views: 30505

Re: Adventures With Tubbs

Hence the often repeated "Birds make a Bird Dog"
by averageguy
Tue Oct 20, 2020 3:39 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: When to take Rex hunting?
Replies: 4
Views: 2589

Re: When to take Rex hunting?

With good recall and proper gun and bird introductions a pup that age is ready to hunt. Be sure to follow a good program for your bird and gun introductions as they are critical to a hunting dogs future. Not difficult but needs to be done right and many approaches to gun introduction are not good.
by averageguy
Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:09 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Vests
Replies: 9
Views: 3851

Re: Vests

I have never run a vest on my dogs while hunting upland birds including subzero temperatures. So far they have all had coats which provided adequate protection against abrasion and weather. A hunting buddy ran a skid plate model on his GSP and it seemed to work ok. My dogs wear a neoprene vest while...
by averageguy
Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:58 pm
Forum: Product Ratings & Reviews
Topic: Hunt REDI
Replies: 5
Views: 4734

Re: Hunt REDI

Never heard of it. I am hearing good things about the Final Rise Vest. I use a Wingsworks and like it but that is moot when you can't buy one.

https://finalrise.com/?fbclid=IwAR0vkj4 ... qYomQfEMxY
by averageguy
Sat Oct 17, 2020 2:14 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: A Labrador Retriever Struggling Retrieving Birds (video) - Advice Appreciated
Replies: 11
Views: 4747

Re: A Labrador Retriever Struggling Retrieving Birds (video) - Advice Appreciated

I could not make it to the halfway point. Sorry. (I went back and watched the whole thing) I lost track of how many different commands you shouted starting the moment the bird hit the ground. Wow. Why are you saying whoa to a flushing dog while it is working a bird getting ready to flush it? Let the...
by averageguy
Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:55 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Dog chasing running birds
Replies: 9
Views: 4119

Re: Dog chasing running birds

Ricwoodard, None of us know enough about your dog, its temperament, experience and training to advise you beyond urging you to undertake a complete program to teach the Whoa command. The Perfection Kennel DVDs have a very effective and easily understood approach to teaching the Whoa command and then...
by averageguy
Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:46 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

Hitting that pup with an ecollar while it is working a bird right now will ruin it. Check cord is a bad idea as well. My advise remains as posted a couple of times already. What took place at the trainers with your pup wasn't good and it wasn't the pup's fault. Be part of the solution not the proble...
by averageguy
Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:27 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: South Dakota
Replies: 2
Views: 4195

Re: South Dakota

PM sent
by averageguy
Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:38 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

I think maybe I could use some encouragement to stay the course here. I’ve had my dog on wild birds 15 days so far he has gone from being timid and not very sure of himself but occasionally pointing to a heat seeking missile heck bent on flushing birds! I love the drive and building it was the goal...
by averageguy
Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:13 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

The value of launchers is using them to present a training bird as close to a wild bird as possible. Most people don't get that. I use launchers when my puppies are young, prior to their first hunting season to teach caution and bring out the pup's natural pointing instinct. I introduce the launcher...
by averageguy
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:28 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Meet Axe
Replies: 72
Views: 51838

Re: Meet Axe

Beautiful dog.
by averageguy
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:26 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Big Day for the Pup
Replies: 8
Views: 5414

Re: Big Day for the Pup

T
by averageguy
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:25 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Big Day for the Pup
Replies: 8
Views: 5414

Re: Big Day for the Pup

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by averageguy
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:23 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Big Day for the Pup
Replies: 8
Views: 5414

Re: Big Day for the Pup

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by averageguy
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:15 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: S.Dak. resident only on public ground
Replies: 4
Views: 4457

Re: S.Dak. resident only on public ground

I was hunting in that wind as well. Grouse were crazy spooky.
by averageguy
Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:26 am
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Big Day for the Pup
Replies: 8
Views: 5414

Big Day for the Pup

T
by averageguy
Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:10 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds
Replies: 76
Views: 26291

Re: Steadying a Dog On Wild Birds

RatDog, Here is my 9 month old pup 3 days ago. She had not been on a training bird since her NA test the middle of August. I brought out her natural point using pigeons in launchers. Me remaining silent always, as you see I am in the video. She was over the hill and out of sight when she found that ...
by averageguy
Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:42 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Adventures With Tubbs
Replies: 50
Views: 30505

Re: Adventures With Tubbs

SUCCESS!!!!!!! There was a gully along the side of a stubble field, maybe 15-20’ deep with sloping sides and pretty thick grass and a couple small trees/bushes. Tubbs was really birdy working back and forth along the top and then dipped down into the gully. He stuck a nice point, not sort of I mean...
by averageguy
Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:37 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Fences and First Aid Kits
Replies: 17
Views: 6408

Re: Fences and First Aid Kits

I carry a dog stapler in the truck. Never had to use it.
by averageguy
Sun Oct 04, 2020 3:10 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Fences and First Aid Kits
Replies: 17
Views: 6408

Re: Fences and First Aid Kits

I select a reasonably safe spot where the fence is old enough to not be sharp and the path under the bottom wire is obvious. I call the pup, kneel down and encourage it go under, praise it when it does. Once we have that down I will do the same on a sharp fence. They are going to encounter sharp fen...
by averageguy
Sun Oct 04, 2020 6:00 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Fences and First Aid Kits
Replies: 17
Views: 6408

Re: Fences and First Aid Kits

I start training for fences at a much younger age and I select a spot where the fence is old and not as sharp. I start at a place where the path to duck under the fence is pretty obvious. I want my dogs to learn to duck under the bottom wire if possible versus trying to go through wires above and be...
by averageguy
Sat Oct 03, 2020 6:58 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Feeding before the hunt
Replies: 8
Views: 3153

Re: Feeding before the hunt

I feed normal the night before and nothing in the morning, nothing through the day.
by averageguy
Sat Oct 03, 2020 11:53 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Adventures With Tubbs
Replies: 50
Views: 30505

Re: Adventures With Tubbs

NEHomer said what I was thinking. Given the whole picture you have provided with this pup, I might shoot a wild flushed bird I stumbled across to let the pup know what we are after, get a bird in its mouth and add some more excitement to the outing to build its bird drive. But I would not shoot a bi...
by averageguy
Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:29 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Skittish Birds When Windy
Replies: 6
Views: 5187

Re: Skittish Birds When Windy

Very Common. Hunting cover out of the wind is the best you can do, but high wind days are tough especially with a pointing dog. I delayed my trip to SD this week because the wind was blowing 20-40 MPH and I have the option of going next week instead... When the wind is howling go duck hunting, they ...
by averageguy
Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:34 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Hanging Game
Replies: 7
Views: 3043

Re: Hanging Game

I clean my birds as soon as possible, no hanging. Eat quite of few of them fresh from the field which is always the best.
by averageguy
Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:31 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Dog is “soft”
Replies: 25
Views: 7635

Re: Dog is “soft”

Your plan to hunt the pup with low no pressure is the right plan given what you have described. That approach gives the pup its best chance and you a clear conscience and best information for making a decision down the road. I would not use any stimulation around birds on a pup such as you have desc...
by averageguy
Fri Sep 11, 2020 6:10 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Sept. 1 its on !
Replies: 2
Views: 4656

Re: Sept. 1 its on !

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by averageguy
Fri Sep 11, 2020 6:08 pm
Forum: Hunting
Topic: Sept. 1 its on !
Replies: 2
Views: 4656

Re: Sept. 1 its on !

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by averageguy
Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:48 pm
Forum: Brags
Topic: HOF Dog
Replies: 9
Views: 6711

Re: HOF Dog

Congratulations! That must be very rewarding for you.
by averageguy
Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:46 pm
Forum: Off Topic Forum
Topic: Why
Replies: 1
Views: 4269

Why

Hey Sharon, Why does this board limit a post to only 2 photos?
by averageguy
Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:10 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: How many gun dogs?
Replies: 21
Views: 7186

Re: How many gun dogs?

I raise my dogs from puppies from the best genetics I can find. I love the process of working with talented puppies and bringing them along as well as the bond we form. But I have a good Friend who seems to find really nice adult dogs on a recurring basis. I have hunted with one of his GSPs on wild ...