Gun Dog Forum

DGFavor

Went out for a run (exercising myself) this afternoon and grabbed my 2yo Trixie dog just back from the Dunfur Kennels summer camp. Pretty fun - in a 30" loop from my house through alfalfa/oat/grain fields she had a STF on a hen pheasant that took just a little nick to get her stopped, a nice find on...

DGFavor

Well, we're gearing up to head to the Sharptail next week so hopefully it'll be a go. I don't know John. It's pretty hard to pass up trials at the Robertson Ranch here in Idaho - essentially a wild bird trial and my dog has won there before (maybe that's reason to go try somewhere else??). It's a wa...

DGFavor

Was headed to the Montana SD champ. last week but heard from Butch Nelson the day before I was leaving that they had to cancel it! Bad drought in those parts. So I ran up to Dan's, bailed out Trixie, checked on Bugsy, and pigged out at Milford's. Sharptailhunter and I are heading to the NGSPA Sharpt...

DGFavor

Typical stupid chukar. Went with Dan last week to pick those birds up. As we pulled in to the place, I told Dan he was gonna think I was nuts but I was certain I had just seen a zebra run by!! In typical Dan fashion he said, "yah, it's over there by the wallabees and camels" like I shouldn't be sur...

DGFavor

pen-raised are great for early training obviously because they hold better. I would actually lobby for just the opposite. I think wild birds are better for early training. After a year or two of those, a pup is gonna stand back off the planted poultry and not start (unless the handler allows it) ba...

DGFavor

I've done it but with the small Marshall transmitter. (I posted a pic on one of threads here showing the combo). I tried doing it with my Dogtra e-collar and Tracker Supra Lites but I didn't like the "balance" of it. Seemed like the antenaes were always sideways (not sure if that makes much differen...

DGFavor

and how do ya find a Sage Grouse in all that expansiveness

Big running dogs and a good horse (or two!)

DGFavor

remember it is a radio signal that the collar sends out,bigger is better in antenna's. Yup. I'm telling ya' though - you can hook any yagi ya' want onto the Tracker receiver with the adapter. http://www.northwoodsfalconry.com/index.cgi?rm=showitem&itemid=TE-264&cat= You want a big boy - hook this 5...

DGFavor

The problem with tracker is range (1/2 to 2/3 of the big boys) Where did you come up with this info? Certainly hasn't been my experience as a Tracker guy that trains with Marshall and Wildlife Materials dudes. Can't see that any of them have a performance advantage over the other. If a guy wants, y...

DGFavor

Yup, almost lost my dog many times. Very sick feeling before the Tracker days. I really like the Tracker unit for what I do. The two dog Classic is a nice unit - bought my dad one and he uses it fine. I've got the Maxima and really like it. I've got the adapter so I can add a 3 or 5 element yagi if ...

DGFavor

I am concerned about only having 17" for each dog width

Mine are 18" wide with plenty of room. I don't think 17" would be too small - of course, I'll state the obvious, depends on your dogs size.

DGFavor

What'd the aspirated fluid look like? If it was a hemolyzing hematoma (i.e. a bruise breaking down) it would have looked sort of like berry Kool-Aid.

Here's an interesting read on foxtails/speargrass/cheat grass/etc:

http://www.sportingdogclinic.com/Articl ... awns_T.htm

DGFavor

Hey Justin, A little hard to tell from your pics but looks like what we see out here when a dog aspirates a cheat grass seed. Migrates through their chest wall and forms an abscess. I've seen 3 dogs here, including one of mine, that have had that happen. My dog never acted sick, had a mass like that...

DGFavor

Nope, haven't been up there Dennis. I'm trying to work out going up to get Trixie back and checking up on my Bugsy dog but I've got too many things going at the same time. I may run up next week...but that'll take two days away from training my Stitch dog...hmmmm....decisions, decisions. You bet I'l...

DGFavor

Hey Dennis, I'm in SE Idaho, 1.5 hours from Montana. We're dry but not drought by any means. We've got decent cover and average birds. I've ran through the cylinder on my 8 shot primer pistol a few times out training on sharptails. My buddy, Sharptailhunter, says he saw about a hundred sharpies the ...

DGFavor

Like Doug, I use the pinch collar. Just walk relaxed and let the dog teach himself, works well. How do you do that from your float tube?? You got the pinch collar on the end of your fly line?? As far as going back to their regular collar. Yah, sometimes they try and pull - sort of situational. Goin...

DGFavor

BTW: I think this is George Hickox's method. and just where do you think he learned it?? Hah, kiddin'...I really like how he introduces the collar to the dog with the "kennel" deal. Dogs pick it up quick, seem to enjoy it. They've been hearing "kennel" every time they've been put in the kennel sinc...

DGFavor

I'm no trainer but even in my hands a good pinch collar (with either sharp or blunt spikes) works great for getting a dog started walking at heal. If the collar has good "spring" to it for pinch/release, I feel like I just hang on, go for a walk, change directions, stop and talk with the neighbors a...

DGFavor

sharptailhunter

Hmmm....dude, is that you?

DGFavor

Huns hold in Alberta, not anywhere else in the world. That's sure not the case around here. Depending on where we go, we'll get as many good points on huns as chukars and they'll cooperate pretty well...sometimes just like your story John where you wonder what the dog is pointing then a whole covey...

DGFavor

I wish someone would just put the tracker and the ecollar together on one strap. I guess if I thought about it, it would not be too hard to do. None of them use the strap as an antenna anymore, it is just there to hold the collar(s) on. I've done it. Worked really good with the little Marshall tran...

DGFavor

For what it is worth, if you have a wild bird supply like Ryan does, I would not get on that check cord too fast. but then I like em running pretty big, and the more they get on those wild birds, point, then chase at the flush, the bigger they get. depends on just how big you want em to go. only yo...

DGFavor

Yup. Same here - E collar and tracking collar on every time I turn 'em loose. Can't see any reason to leave 'em off and a bunch of reasons to leave 'em on.

DGFavor

Looks like it's time to break out the CC.

Really?? Why??

DGFavor

Trying to cure man made problems with man made solutions, creates more man made problems IMO. Let a bunch of real birds (it may take awhile), some copper plated 6's, and a bunch of miles under your boots bring back her natural pointing instinct.

Just my .02

DGFavor

Dennis - Yah, you are right on. I've spent some days with Dan where he just kept on bringing out dog after dog, all with amazing style and training (Eva is now probably one of them!). Convinced me I could never duplicate that on my own and would be a disservice to my dogs for me to try. Trixie is a ...

DGFavor

I think that's a great observation Breton13 and I think you are definitely right. You can definitely polish the shine right off a nice bird dog - go watch a few call backs for retrieve. I'm not a good trainer so I spend my time letting mother nature, horse sweat and shoe leather do my training for m...

DGFavor

I have found that many of the roading harnesses offered from gun dog suppliers really don't work that well. Seems to me they make the dog pull more from their neck or put pressure around their throat. I really like the leather harness made by Buckeye Kennels: http://www.bdarn.com/buckeye/ I also rea...

DGFavor

I tell you what Doug, Dan, lets open up the next Field that comes out, and total up the number of "all breed" trials, and just for the heck of it, figure out how many pointers v. other breeds were entered, and how many other breeds besides pointers actually won. What would you say, 98%? That is if ...

DGFavor

you mean "only pointers need apply" trials, don't you. why that, and not trials where judges put up other breeds? I sure haven't found that to be the case John...certainly wouldn't be a fair statement out in these parts. Have you had specific instances where you've felt your dogs put in a winning p...

DGFavor

Silver Sage - You must be somewhere close to me judging by the birds you mention. Huns/pheasants out my door. Add about 20 minutes one way to sharptails and sage hens, 20 minutes the other way to chukars. Add another 20 to ruffed's and blues (chased a ruff up the trail yesterday on my mtn. bike - th...

DGFavor

Hunter also won an American Field Championship in Sunnyside WA and there was one other shorthair and 32 English Pointers in the stake. It was an amateur allage stake and his find took the handler and judges 17 minutes to ride to him on horseback. Almost. I do like your version better though! :) 200...

DGFavor

Hunt birds every day I have off from October to February - about 60 days. Last year missed a couple due to weather and flu...I think the dogs understood.

DGFavor

Man, I disagree with earning a FC or AFC "just" for winning a Nat'l event. Did I read that right? What if there is only a few dogs in the stake. I think the Nat'l Walking GSP deal only had 20 dogs. Certainly it makes sense to award the appropriate points for the win towards a FC/AFC. I'd think an Op...

DGFavor

Huh, learn somethin' everyday. It always just made sense to me to award up to 2pts. in a puppy or derby stake no matter the number of entries since that's all that can count in each towards a FC anyway. I always figured the points schedule just applied to broke dog stakes. I was wondering also if po...

DGFavor

I understand you can earn more than the two points allowed for both puppy/derby stakes winning at multiple trials. I guess I've never heard of getting 3pts. (or more) for a single puppy or derby win. I have always been under the impression that the most points you can get with any single puppy or de...

DGFavor

Thanks! The point schedule you're referring to is for broke dog stakes.

I thought max points for a puppy or derby was 2 pts. so am thrown off by the 3 pt. derby??

DGFavor

Wow! That's neat! I don't think I've ever heard of placing in both a puppy stake and a broke dog stake at the same trial with the same dog! :o I did see a dog win an All Age Derby classic one day and a shooting dog championship the next a couple years ago. I don't do AKC much but how do you get 3 pt...

DGFavor

I don't recognize it. Hey Keith - The fall pic with the yellow grass is the Idaho SD Championship at Robertson's and the spring pic with the green grass is Reg. 9 ASD at American Falls. Good venues with usually more wild birds encountered than wind ups. You don't know any firm dates on the Montana ...

DGFavor

I was checking out a pic of some field trial grounds in the "Brag" forum. Yikes...hand me the Tracker please. Don't know how you guys do it. Where's the horizon? Where'd camp go? Here's a couple pics of a couple wild bird western "shooting dog" courses. Plenty 'o room for stuff to go wrong. http://w...

DGFavor

When Tom Davis was out at the Reg. 9 trial he mentioned some concern on the status of the Sharptail this year. He said they'd likely know the scoop after a meeting around the first of June. Anybody know anything? Right now I'm scheduled to work that week but will begin trying to swap in earnest if I...

DGFavor

More importantly - how do you get a 5X Champion rank under your name on here. Jer - you and I are still just pups. You've got potential but I'm afraid of getting culled.

DGFavor

I agree with you 100% Dave on judging the dog solely on the performance it puts down that day. If it performs to the standard of the stake cleanly then it should certainly be in consideration. What we're seeing out here though is a dog putting down the same performance (same type ground race, finds,...

DGFavor

I was just reading trial reports in the American Field - on several stakes a dog won the AA championship and SD championship. Are shooting dogs getting that big running that the line is blurred between SD and AA. Just curious :? Hey Keith - Yah it's getting ridiculous. I don't want to comment too m...

DGFavor

Margaret - Sheesh, I've been hunting birds nearly 30 years, go about 60 days a year and have had 8 dogs. It's seems like every time we go is memorable. It seems the importance and appreciation of the memories grow when they're gone. In no particular order: (1) Shooting a limit of chukar over Lucas, ...

DGFavor

Copy what you want to include as a quote. Go to your message and click quote then paste what you copied and then click quote again. Try it, I think it will work.

Alrighty then!

DGFavor

"I agree completely in principle, however, there are only two wild bird trials in the GSP world, the Sharptail, and the Reg. 17. All the other "specie" trials are planted and/or stocked birds. And the Reg. 17 is so hot most of the time, it is really not a fair test. the point being there is so littl...

DGFavor

Steve - If it's mainly horseback AA field trials you're interested in, your odds of getting a true AA dog are probably better going with a pup out of a couple proven AA pointers. I know if all I wanted to do was win field trials that's what I would do. I'm not a diehard GSP guy because of their prow...

DGFavor

Dirtysteve - I'm always curious when I hear people say they are looking for an AA dog as to what characteristics they are looking for. What are you looking or hoping for in your pup?

Doug Favor
www.hbv.netkennel.com

DGFavor

Sheesh Keith, Never noticed the change in location - Cascade, MT?! Wow, that's nice. Would have liked to run up and support that trial since those guys are usually so good to come down to our stuff. Had to work. Yah, Mike's setter did a good job. Hope he keeps coming out and running. One of these da...

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Re: What is the difference between a SD and an AA dog