Word to the wise. and the newbies.

Post by **jcbuttry8** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:35 am

Just remember in this season of hunting and enjoying the dogs working on pheasant, grouse, cock, thunder chickens, or what ever you like to chase, know who you take hunting and make sure they understand how to hunt with a dog. Make sure they know what the do's and don't's are in the field with a dog.

A friend of mine who trained often with me and Kona, lost his dog yesterday morning in a hunting accident. They were out, and someone in his party shot a bird and then tried to finish it off on the ground and got his GSP. She was a great little dog and was starting to come together in the field and in the trials. She had just taken her first win in the derby a month or so ago. There house is absolutely devistated today. He has young ones that want to know where the puppy is at. He's not quite sure what to tell them.

So just remember that in a few short minutes a loved one can be lost in the field and sorry doesn't mean anything. So keep yourselves and your hunting buddies safe.

Joe

Post by **Sharon** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:26 pm

Good reminder. I can easily picture the day I almost shot my beagle. You seem to get a clear picture of the rabbit coming around and forget the dog. Thanks

GUNDOGS · Post by **GUNDOGS** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:44 pm

Very true joe, not only those hunting with you but others out hunting in the area you are in..my husband and i took the dogs out yesterday with a friend of ours and his lab and we heard shots, next thing we know 3 deer came running out not too far from us, thank god our dogs dont chase or we would have been in a nasty situation..the shots got louder and louder while we were out in the field so we packed it up and left the area...i didnt have the camera ready when the other deer came running out but on the way back to the van i got a pic of one running across the field we were in who stopped to have a look at us...so sorry to hear about your friends dog, thats terrible, really terrible..ruth

mxdad777 · Post by **mxdad777** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:19 pm

Sorry about your buddies dog. I had an experience about 20 years ago where we flushed a pheasant and it was a low flyer and my lab was in hot pursuit. My young nephew fired a shot and the next thing I knew I couldn't find my dog. We found her laying down in a ditch with a few blood spots on her back. Luckily all of the shot pellets were very shallow except for one lodged in the back of her neck and the vet was able to patch her up. After that incident I couldn't get her to hunt any upland, she would just walk behind me or beside me. Fortunately though it didn't affect her love for duck hunting and she was still an awesome duck dog. Ever since then I always discuss the rules of the field with anybody that hunts with me for the first time. If there is a youngster going with me, they get the speech before every hunt. You can never be too cautious.

SHORTFAT · Post by **SHORTFAT** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:01 pm

Sorry to hear about the loss of your friends dog.

Several years ago my son and his friend were shooting their bows at our back yard target. Our Lab had snuck out and they didn't know he was out there. The dog stepped out from behind the garage just as the neighbor boy shot. I was standing right there watching them and didn't know the dog was out either... I watched the arrow fly with horror as it hit my dog broadside. Fortunately it hit high and slid in between muscle and skin and didn't hurt a thing... He came straight to me with his tail between his legs and was really scared of the bows after that! The vet removed the arrow and cleaned the wound out. It helped that the bows were only around 40#, but I've killed deer with a 42# recurve, so 2" lower and we would have lost our dog. Thanks for the reminder, and very sorry for the dog.

AzDoggin · Post by **AzDoggin** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:16 pm

Very good reminder folks.

Joe - sorry to hear about your buddy's dog. That would be a tough one on everyone involved. I doubt the guy who shot him is having a very good Sunday today, either.

buckshot0074 · Post by **buckshot0074** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:34 pm

UGH !!

sorry to hear about this,
I have been particular on who I have taken with me with my pup (this reassures me to why I guess)

skeetermc · Post by **skeetermc** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:29 pm

I never know what to say in times like these. I know my friends get tired of hearing me and the while safety talk, but they dont have dogs on the ground, I do. Thanks for the reminder that those of us who have dogs also have a huge responsibility for the welfare of those who love us the most. So sorry for your friend.

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:42 pm

Bad stuff.

Just another reason to run a broke dog.

wems2371 · Post by **wems2371** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:43 pm

So sorry to hear that. It's bad enough that accidents happen, but shooting a bird on the ground is ... I don't know what to say other than someone needs to take a hunter safety course.

Post by **jcbuttry8** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:22 pm

Thanks all I am sure he would appreciate the gestures.

Got the rest of the story. Not at all good. I will spare the horror. She was on the retrieve. She got to go out doing what she loved with a mouth full of feathers.

Be safe all,

Joe

dog dr · Post by **dog dr** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:15 am

I just saw a young lab TODAY that had been shot hunting. it took a huge chunk of muscle out of her just above the spine and right behind the shoulder blades. She sure acted no worse for wear, and i got her patched up the best i could, but she is gonna be sore for a while, thats for sure. Couple inches lower and she would have been gone for sure. Owner said she jumped out to retrieve too early just as they fired at a low duck. 2nd one this year. I didnt have to ask who pulled the trigger, you could see it on his face. Try to keep those muzzles high folks.

Also got to stitch up a dog that i am fairly confident took a slug to the chest. Lucky dog, as it went between the skin and the sternum, so just a flesh wound. Its the last day of shotgun deer season here. Course the dog looks alot like a coyote, too. Busy day on emergency!!

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:58 am

The whole reason some people don't run broke dogs is for situations where a bird goes down wounded. You let the "bleep" dog fetch the wounded bird not shoot it on the ground. I am sorry for your buddy's loss Joe. Someone would have gotten an "bleep" whippin out of that if it would have been one of my dogs. A bird is never worth a dog's life.

ohmymy111 · Post by **ohmymy111** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:15 am

When I hunt with someone new, which is really not that often, I tell them since the dogs can't shoot back when shot at, I will shoot back for them. I am joking of course, but if it ever happened, I am not sure i wouldn't shoot back.

dog dr · Post by **dog dr** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:50 am

ohmymy111 wrote:When I hunt with someone new, which is really not that often, I tell them since the dogs can't shoot back when shot at, I will shoot back for them. I am joking of course, but if it ever happened, I am not sure i wouldn't shoot back.

Here we go again. :roll:

Chukar12 · Post by **Chukar12** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:00 pm

The premise of the original post was pretty wise...I hate even reading the story and I am glad Joe omitted further detail...
I think the point is, whether you put yourself in the wise or the newbie class, if you have a dog there is no reason, ever...to shoot a bird on the ground. Weapons are meant to kill and they will do just that, a mistake with a gun carries consequences that apologies cannot fix. If you lose a bird...so be it. Shoot one less and the predators and scavengers eat as well.

GUNDOGS · Post by **GUNDOGS** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:18 pm

What the heck is with all the people trying to shoot a bird when its on the ground, i just read a few more posts about this in the last few days..theres another thread of a member on here who almost got shot from a guy trying to finish off a bird on the ground and hit his truck, i think some people spend too much time playing video games and forget what happens in real life :roll:....ruth

markj · Post by **markj** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:26 pm

someone in his party shot a bird and then tried to finish it off on the ground and got his GSP

I sure feel for the guy, hard to lose one this way. I am sure the shooter feels very bad too. Bad situation all around.

Munster · Post by **Munster** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:26 pm

Very very sorry to hear about this. Keep it safe people.

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:44 am

So sorry to hear of this. I once shot holes right through my own labs ears. She was always totally steady except for this one time. I had pricked a rabbit which tumbled then started running off again . All I could see or think of when I fired the second barrel was the rabbit. My dog had ran in and I still remember the instant of horror I felt as her head appeared just as I pulled the trigger........

Very luckily I'd only perforated her wildly flapping ears but a couple of inches lower would have been very bad. I just had not expected this steady dog to run in.

Bill T.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:53 am

dog dr wrote:
ohmymy111 wrote:When I hunt with someone new, which is really not that often, I tell them since the dogs can't shoot back when shot at, I will shoot back for them. I am joking of course, but if it ever happened, I am not sure i wouldn't shoot back.
Here we go again. :roll:

Yep, never fails.

Charlie

Post by **jcbuttry8** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:20 am

It's easy to say that you would be upset enough that you would shoot em or even mess them up. I myself wondered if it would make me mad enough to retaliate. Honestly, I would hope we had a few extra men there just in case I did go over the edge a bit, but I think in a case like this, he was ultimately more concerned at the time for his 12 year old daughter that was with him hunting. I get that. My daughter is 11 and is my little training partner. If it would have happened to Kona, with her around, I would have had to cap my emotions to tend to her.

Kona's first hunting trip was also saturday. She pointed three pheasants but I am not as good as I used to be and only shot one. My son who is 12 went with me. He was not at all happy that he couldn't carry a gun but He was told three trips without a gun so he can see how it is to hunt behind a dog. I let absolutely no one hunt behind my dog that does not no how it is done or what to look at. I have had people get into cars and drive off calling me names because I expected them to watch the first drive and not hunt if they had never been behind a dog. I have never had a dog shot and will forever go the extra mile to try and ensure that I never do. The sole purpose of this post was to make sure that everyone keeps in mind that gun safety needs to be for front. For those new to bird dogs. Your friends need to understand that even you are new to this game. Make sure that everyone is concious of that bird machine running birds for you.

If a bird flies low or runs off and never gets up, he is the smartest bird in the field. He gets to live to see another day. If a bird in the bag is that important, find a preserve. Most will sell you a bird for 25. It is much cheaper all the way around than loosing and replacing a bird dog or shooting a fellow hunter.

Joe

Chief_dog · Post by **Chief_dog** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:34 am

That's why I no longer guide, and mainly hunt alone now. If I do hunt with other people, it's only with other dog people. It's been over 3 years since my Chief was killed, and I still tear up and cry about it all the time. I don't know about the shooter involved in this case, but I hope there is a special place in heck reserved for the guy who killed my dog.

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:41 am

jcbuttry8 wrote:It's easy to say that you would be upset enough that you would shoot em or even mess them up. I myself wondered if it would make me mad enough to retaliate. Honestly, I would hope we had a few extra men there just in case I did go over the edge a bit, but I think in a case like this, he was ultimately more concerned at the time for his 12 year old daughter that was with him hunting. I get that. My daughter is 11 and is my little training partner. If it would have happened to Kona, with her around, I would have had to cap my emotions to tend to her.

Kona's first hunting trip was also saturday. She pointed three pheasants but I am not as good as I used to be and only shot one. My son who is 12 went with me. He was not at all happy that he couldn't carry a gun but He was told three trips without a gun so he can see how it is to hunt behind a dog. I let absolutely no one hunt behind my dog that does not no how it is done or what to look at. I have had people get into cars and drive off calling me names because I expected them to watch the first drive and not hunt if they had never been behind a dog. I have never had a dog shot and will forever go the extra mile to try and ensure that I never do. The sole purpose of this post was to make sure that everyone keeps in mind that gun safety needs to be for front. For those new to bird dogs. Your friends need to understand that even you are new to this game. Make sure that everyone is concious of that bird machine running birds for you.

If a bird flies low or runs off and never gets up, he is the smartest bird in the field. He gets to live to see another day. If a bird in the bag is that important, find a preserve. Most will sell you a bird for 25. It is much cheaper all the way around than loosing and replacing a bird dog or shooting a fellow hunter.

Joe

BRAVO on this post. We just never know how we'll respond. We need to do our best to avoid, as well as hope, we never have to find out. No sky below the bird, no shot.

jforgey · Post by **jforgey** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:19 am

This is a very important topic, and I am glad you posted it. It is important to set our priorities, and with me, my dog is tops over anyone I may be hunting with. Please don't be afraid to talk to people prior to hunting with your dog. Unless I am hunting with guys I have hunted with a lot, I always talk to the group prior to going out, and make sure everyone understands the rules. If I have any reservations I will leave my dog in the truck or him and I will go hunt by ourselves. It is much better to have some hurt feelings than the potential for a tragic accident.

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