First Season Expectations...What's realistic?

[cpinkert]

Alright...I have a 9 month old female Brittany named Jemma who is a month into her first season of grouse hunting. I've had her in the woods close to 10 times and we've had probably 50-60 bird contacts. Of those, the vast majority were right along the trail and I kicked them up. However, she has found and pointed birds on her own 5 separate times (2 on the trail, 2 just off the trail, and 1 covey of 6 probably 30 yards off the trail). She has also pointed another 6 or 7 after I bump them back into the woods and we go after them. Her points usually aren't staunch, they usually are intense for a few seconds when she hits strong scent, but then she'll start to creep (one time she flat out ran past the bird that was hidden 10 feet off the trail! lol). I've shot 3 birds over her (and missed 3 or 4 others) this year that she's pointed. The two road birds and another one that I bumped then we went in after.

One thing I'm concerned with is, aside from the covey of 6, I have yet to see her find a bird back in the woods on her own. Part of that may be that the woods are thick and I'm not seeing them flush when she bumps them (I am regretting not conditioning her to the beeper this summer...), part of it may be I tend to hunt in areas or during times when the birds like to be close to the trails, part of it may be scenting conditions. I don't know. I just feel like she should be finding more birds back in the woods. It's not for lack of effort that she's not finding birds back in the woods. Jemma covers ground well in my opinion. She's clearly using her nose and quarters as I'd want her to. She has also made a couple finds on birds I didn't know I had hit after I shot them (those were proud moments).

So, Jemma is covering ground well, has pointed a dozen birds this fall, and listens very well in the woods.

Realistically, should I expect more out of a pup in her first season of grouse hunting?

She is whoa and here trained and I worked her on launchers and pigeons a couple times a week for 6 weeks prior to grouse opener (she was at the point with launchers where I could walk up next to her, but not in front of her, before she'd take a step).

[Ruffshooter]

I think you pretty much are getting just what the doctor ordered. She is doing good. If you have a chance and can whoa her on a bird you can see and she has scented or seen. Do it if you can enforce it. Then shoot the bird even if it is still on the ground. Yes on the ground. First bird is important and good proper work should be rewarded, and she will understand more what is expected and the process.

But I think you are in great shape.
Enjoy the season and be patient.

Rick

[rkappes]

I think it’s important to give that pup the first season to be a pup, have fun and virtually do no wrong. Let them build that confidence and independence. I tend to keep my mouth shut and let them learn. Not sure if this is right or wrong but seems to work for me.

Ditto on the patience.

Sounds like your pup is coming along nicely!

[jcbuttry8]

you have a nine month old that is hitting thunder chickens and you are coming home with some. Not one good reason to complain. Have fun. Let her do her job. She will figure it out without much from you. Good luck this season and it sounds like you have the makings of a great hunting buddy.

Joe

[cpinkert]

Good deal, thanks for the reassurance. The whole passive training thing can make you feel like you're not doing something you should be doing. While hunting, I tend to not say any commands to the dog unless she fails to respond to a light whistle to stop/turn her. Otherwise, it's praise when she's crossing the trail doing a good job quartering and stuff like that.

I just wish gun season for deer in MN didn't open until Thanksgiving like it does in WI. Only 2 more weeks til the woods are filled with orange...

[DonF]

Good deal, thanks for the reassurance. The whole passive training thing can make you feel like you're not doing something you should be doing. While hunting, I tend to not say any commands to the dog unless she fails to respond to a light whistle to stop/turn her. Otherwise, it's praise when she's crossing the trail doing a good job quartering and stuff like that.

I just wish gun season for deer in MN didn't open until Thanksgiving like it does in WI. Only 2 more weeks til the woods are filled with orange...

One bad thing about most people and their first dog is they do think they're not doing something they should be doing so they make a effort to do something and usually cause themselves a problem. Training a dog is not rocket science but some people seem to make it that way. I don't hunt my dogs the first year either but I do happy time them. Sounds like your getting the pup lots of happy time.

Keep in mind, your not doing something you should not be doing! Have fun.

[cpinkert]

Yeah, the pup gets plenty of time in the woods and loves hunting, that's for sure. Only "problem" is now she wants to go every day!

[jimbo&rooster]

Ive never grouse hunted and have no idea the mechanics of it or the cover,but it sounds like you and your dog are doing great. The only thing I might suggest, and again, i have no clue, is that if you want your pup to get into the woods more and off the road maybe you could loop in and out of the woods 20yds or so and give her the idea that she can range a little?

I hunt quail in farm land, where I like my dogs to run big an we hunt alot of edges so I dont know if that would work for you, but only and observation.....
Jim

[cpinkert]

Thanks for the suggestion, Jim! Being new to the gun dog game, I'm open to any ideas/constructive criticism anyone wants to give.

Range and getting into the woods is really not an issue with this pup. If anything, she has a bit too much range when in the woods...which is why I say I regret not beeper collar conditioning her this summer. Tough to see her 75-100 yards back in the woods sometimes (ultimately, I want her hunting that far out, if not further). There are just times where she'll stick to the road/trail for a minute or two and if she starts getting too far ahead that's when I give her a whistle, or a "Hey", or say her name (all of them work) to stop her. She's still learning that she can swing out wide to the sides, but I don't want her too far ahead of me.

One thing I have noticed, though, is that the first trail of the day it takes her 10-15 minutes to get "warmed up". Meaning she'll walk the trail for a while and it takes the pup cutting a scent to get her in the woods. I think I figured out how to jump start her last weekend, though. If I get back in the woods with her right away on the first trail she seems to get to work immediately.

[Ruffshooter]

Jimbo: You pretty much got it.

Some of these dogs need to have you in the woods with them to start. Usually once they know that is where the birds are the go in. But many times they find too many birds near a dirt road. so they hunt that first then head in.

I have one to this day that is a horrible road hunter, he just cannot figure out how to drink, dirve and shoot from the road. But truly he will run a dirt road till he hits scent then will go in. If you go in the woods with him he is phenomenal.