Young Pointer Hunting With Labs

[Dennmor]

Moses, my 8mos old Large Munsterlander, and I went out to hunt Pheasants this week end.
We had a good time but I am faced with some difficult questions.
My two hunting partners both have Labs. One is a 6yr old over weight, treat eating, experienced female. The other is an almost 2 yr old male, Moonie, that has little or no manners.
The fist stop went great as we all took different angles on a hunting section. Within a few minutes Moses had a staunch point. As I moved in the bird flushed and I shot it. As with our training Moses waited till I sent him and then made a clean find and retrieve. I was very pleased.
The next point a chukar got up and I shot it. Moonie broke to the bird on the shot and before I could even release Moses he was half way to the bird and easily got there first.
That’s all it took to teach Moses that when the gun shoots, you run to the bird as fast as you can. (Which still wasn’t fast enough to beat MOONIE to it. :roll:
Later he spotted a group of chukar moving in some short grass and ran right through them.
Moonie’s owner was proud of the fact that “no matter who shots the bird, you can count on Moonie to make the retrieve”!
I guess my question is, what is reasonable in this kind of hunting situation?
Is it reasonable to think that all the dogs should be under enough control that when someone shoots a bird, their dog should be able to retrieve it? Or is it a free for all?
These guys are a couple of my best friends and we usually hunt together. I’m worried that we have become incompatible. Shoot, even if I too had a Lab I would expect that it would not have to “compete” for retrieves.)
I’m curious as to how the “flusher” crowd fels about this, maybe I can get some ideas as to how to make this situation compatible for both sides.
Thanks,
dennmor

[muddycreek]

I have been down that road, and it is not an easy choice to make. I made my GSP into a flusher by hunting her with my lab, and it took a while and $$$ to fix. Your best bet would be to have a honest talk with your buddies and discuss the diffferences of flushers and pointers and talk about rotating dogs. THis way all the dogs will be fresher and the owner can work with his dog without competition from another. One young dog and an older more experienced one can usually work out, but 2 and a pointer & flusher could be an impending disaster.

Just my 2 cents

[tdhusker]

For the most part, it just doesn't work. I have hunted a lab (my own) with pointing dogs but he did honor the point.

[cesarike]

Its not easy when you have friends that have dogs with contrasting styles.

I went through the same thing when I got my wirehair. All my hunting buddies had retrievers. I had an older retriever when I 1st got her. I decided that if the dog was going to learn the right way then I could never hunt the 2 together. The same went for hunting with friends with flushing dogs. We still hunt together just not with both dogs on the ground.

If you want to see what happens when contrasting dogs hunt together just watch that American Birdhunter with Tom Knapp.

Thats a comedy every time he puts his lab on the ground with pointing dogs.