Quartering

Neil
GDF Junkie
Posts: 3187
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:46 pm
Location: Central Arkansas

Re: Quartering

Post by Neil » Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:46 am

Birddogz wrote: My dogs hunt like a wind shield wiper in cattails until they hit scent. D
BD,

When having these discussions I try to go by what people say!

Being very familiar with springer people when they use the phrase, I thought you meant the same.

Not what you last explained,
Birddogz wrote:My dogs don't go the same exact distance for God's sake. They run left for a while, and then run right. Hunting for scent along the way. I can't imagine a dog that counts steps.
But even as you state above, if a dog is spending anywhere as near as much time on the right as he does the left without regard for wind and objectives, he is wasting some of his energy.

Neil

Birddogz
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Location: Garrison, ND

Re: Quartering

Post by Birddogz » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:21 am

Neil,

I think I misrepresented what my dogs do. I hunt into the wind whenever possible. They run to the right with their noses in the wind until they get scent. If they don't get any, they run forward 50-60 yards forward turn the other direction with their nose in the wind. Their pattern stops when they hit scent. Then they go forward to the scent and "work it"until they point, or decide that the bird has run ahead. They cover abot 100 yards to either side.

My dogs don't run to the right if there isn't cover, and vice versa.
Speak kindly to me, beloved master. Revel in my unconditional love, and give me every minute that you can spare, for my time with you is short.

JKP
Rank: 5X Champion
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Re: Quartering

Post by JKP » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:20 am

Sort of chasing our tails here....

Game is found by covering ground intelligently whether that is in a long straight line across the wind or quartering into it, it really is the amount of most likely cover (experience) searched.... plus the dogs ability (nose)...and reaction on contact (manners/temperament/training) that seals the deal. I think we often are talking more about our personal "style" preferences and comfort levels than we are about effectiveness/results or defending the games/beliefs we have formulated. Put a really intelligent, talented, cooperative dog in different situations enough and they figure it out...the ones that don't are second best. There are some dogs that just seem to be in front of game more often than others. We like to think we know always know why but it is a combination of many factors that the dog knows best....and for us, a thing of beauty to watch.

BigShooter
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Location: Minnesota

Re: Quartering

Post by BigShooter » Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:05 pm

Neil wrote:I do not know about the wind shield wipers on your car, but mine go the same distance in each swipe, in a steady uninterupted manner.
Actually Neil, you and I are both old enough to remember driving vehicles with vacuum operated windshield wipers and they sure didn't go the same distance in each swipe, in a steady uninterupted manner. This was especially annoying if you stepped on the gas to pass a vehicle in sloppy weather and your windshield wipers slowed way down. On my 1967 Scout the vacuum wipers operate independently and their swipe distance is very erratic. Some days I'm lucky if I can see out the windshield when I'm plowing snow. :lol:

On a serious note ... yes, my pointing dogs hunt like yours. The older, wiser, more mature wild bird dogs waste very little energy getting into whatever birds are in the area.
Mark

Willows Back In The Saddle
Tall Pines Hits The Spot
Tall Pines Queen Eleanor
Bo Dixie's Rocky
TALL PINES MOONBEAM

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