Turkey

[knowlzy1824]

Does anyone on here use their dog to retrieve turkey? I'm thinking about using Tim, my black lab, this year but better make sure the bird drops because I'd hate for my little buddy to get spurred.

[ezzy333]

So how is he supposed to pick up a turkey? And why would you want to risk him getting spurre when the turkry is laying only 30 or 40 yds in front of you in plain sight? Seems like you are risking the dog just for your pleasure and running the possibility you could end up messing up your dog and the turkey.

JMO

Ezzy

[postoakshorthairs]

So how is he supposed to pick up a turkey?

With his mouth

some wild turkeys and geese aren't much different in size/weight from what i've seen so i bet a full size lab could pick one up without much problem but i do agree with the why. Plus the limited wild turkey hunting i've done you have to be absolutely stealthy to not spook one so i don't think a panting dog beside you will make it any easier. JMO

[gittrdonebritts]

I would check out your local laws some states don't allow you to have a dog with you when turkey hunting. some states it is ok to use a dog for fall turkey hunting. but i would't want to be caught by the DNR and plead ignorance, they don't care if you didn't know or not.

[ezzy333]

So how is he supposed to pick up a turkey?

With his mouth

some wild turkeys and geese aren't much different in size/weight from what i've seen so i bet a full size lab could pick one up without much problem but i do agree with the why. Plus the limited wild turkey hunting i've done you have to be absolutely stealthy to not spook one so i don't think a panting dog beside you will make it any easier. JMO

Now why didn't I think of that

Not sure of the size difference but a lot of our turkeys are twice as heavy as most geese. That was my concern. Seems they might just have to drg it.

Ezzy

[knowlzy1824]

Well it seems to be a big thing around here to use your dog. Guys I work with use their brittanys to retrieve their birds with no problem and most the geese we drop are only a mere 30 yards away too but we still use our dogs. Just thought it would be nice to get Tim out in the spring hunting too, didn't know it was so frowned upon.

[ezzy333]

Don't think anyone is frowning but just wondering why. Be sure to check with your DNR as it isn't legal in some states. The big reason we use dogs for waterfowl is that you drop many of them in the water. That's a big difference.

Ezzy

[twofeathers]

I'd have to agree with ezzy here. The thought of taking your dog with you turkey hunting is a bit ridiculous. And even if you do down the bird aren't you using a bow and arrow? Doesn't it have a broadhead?

[knowlzy1824]

I don't want him to retrieve the arrow and I've never not had a complete pass through, you still shoot them in the jugular to head.

[ezzy333]

So how do you hide your dog when trying to get the birds in that close? I know the people who hunt with dogs usually put them in a sack but that takes a lot of training to get them to accept being in that small bag.

Ezzy

[knowlzy1824]

Doublebull brother.

[twofeathers]

I guess to each his own. Good Luck.

[Ditch__Parrot]

I remember about a year ago watching a program on one of the outdoor channels. They were turkey hunting with dogs. These were dogs bred for the purpose of turkey hunting. "Mutts" probably to anybody but the people who bred and worked them. It looked to me like the dog would run huge, locate turkeys and then vocalize its location. Hunter would go to where the dog was and sit down to wait, after finding a good place to hide. Dog would be hidden in a sack. After a short time the turkeys would return to the same spot. A little different but I had never heard of or seen such a thing and it was pretty neat to watch. Don't remember the dog making the retrieve though.

[Shadow]

I'd like to see some pictures of "the guys arround here who use their Brittany's and don't have any problems"

[tdhusker]

I shot a turkey in front of a lab I had quit e afew years ago. in Nebraska, fall turkey season coincides with the pheasant opener. Anyway, I was walking the food play by the timber and I heard a tom coming up a draw, sat down by a fenceline with him and ambushed a pretty big tom. Anyway, the lab ran over and promptly tore the heck out of it once it quite flopping because he couldn't pick it up and their skin is so soft. I like to pick my turkeys and had to skin that one.

I think you'd be OK with a small bird, hen or jake but bigger birds are going to get damaged because it is hard for a dog to grab them without sinking his teeth in pretty good.

[knowlzy1824]

Thank you Td, that is the kind of help I am looking for. I appreciate it man.

[BirdieBoiler]

Yeah I'm calling the BS card with Shadow...A LARGE goose weighs maybe 16 lbs TOPS...Which is what a sMALL turkey weighs...If you want to get the dog some fun in the off season get involved in HT's and FT's...NOT throwing the dog in a sitation thats going to hurt the thing...

[knowlzy1824]

No thanks, I have no interest or time in doing any sort of trials just hunting.

[BirdieBoiler]

Hunt Tests? Thats a common thing with a retriever...Gets it involved in the off season (like you are looking for) and they only take place on the weekends...Theres clubs within an hour or so of the Lafayette area...

[knowlzy1824]

Look man, that stuff isn't for me. I have no interest in making hunting a competition and nor do I like the atmosphere of these kinds of things. I play baseball and shoot my bow every weekend competitevly. I have a dog for a companion and hunting partner nothing more. I do not care what other people do, if that's what they are into that is cool and I support them.

[Shadow]

I've had and have a pretty big Brittany- I've also used mine on turkeys- pretty cool to have them pin a Gobler- 25 lb Gobler isn't an easy thing for a bird dog to handle- even dead

oh- I've snuck up and arrowed a few- seems rediculious to need a dog

I for sure will never shoot at a turkey again when I have one of my bird dogs with me

still waiting on the pictures

I'd also like to know, since you clip the necks with your arrows, how your dog runs up and grabs that thrashing Gobler

[knowlzy1824]

No I love competition just not mixed with my hunting. I hunt for myself, not to prove to the next guy who is the best, hunting is my escape so I have no desire to bring competition into it. I understand this may be hard for some people to understand who find the insecurities of not one upping the next guy to make themselves feel superior or better but matter of factly I do not care. Leave your negativety and besting elsewhere, all I wanted was a little advice from people who have done it and know something about it. Also it's not the competitve environment I do not like about hunting trials.

[BirdieBoiler]

Knowlzy, telling Shadow who has over 800 posts to leave his negatively elsewhere is pretty bold when you have been a member for a week and have 20 postes...IF you came looking for advice then you have to take peoples advice towards your posts and questions...EITHER positive or negative, they can both be learned from...IF you dont like the responses you get...Dont ask. Shadow I agree, the competitive statements make no sense to me. If training dogs and/or competing with them isnt for you then maybe a strictly hunting or more hunting oriented forum would be a better fit Knowlzy? With that said, maybe you have the completely wrong idea of a retrievers hunt test...In Hunt Tests it is not man verses man. Its a dog verses itself. Hunt tests are to test the dogs ability that the dog has. Just something to think about.

[wems2371]

If only the # of posts make you an expert or an armchair psychologist. Last I checked this is a hunting thread... :roll:

Knowlzy, it sounds like the best advice you could get would be from your friends who are doing it successfully. My concerns would be similar to others, such as the broadhead issue or a cripple situation (but I'm gonna bet you're pretty good at getting a kill shot ). In my curiousity, I could find a little info about dogs retreiving turkeys and even smaller breeds doing so http://www.boykinspaniel.org/boykin.html . But I don't think any of it, was paired with archery. I don't have the experience to know how feasible it is or be of much help to your question, but I do understand the joy of taking a dog hunting, using it where you can, and watching it work.

[knowlzy1824]

Kinda what I was thinking, this was posted in the hunting section. Thanks for the help though, I am trying to learn and absorb as much as I can. Sad to say some of this arguing may have stemmed from a prior argument and the other guy seems to like to start problems everywhere he goes. Hopefully we are a little more mature on here than that but maybe not. Oh well, this will be my last post though and I am removing myself from this forum. Thanks to all those who were helpful but seems this is not the place for me.

[Shadow]

wems- you or any of your freinds tried using your bird dogs to retrieve turkeys

[lvrgsp]

Absolutely a dog can do that and many have...heck theres folks breeding just that turkey dogs. The turkey dogs purpose is to run an area find and scatter the turkeys, after scattering the birds said dog and hunter sit and hunter recalls the turkeys to flock back up...and yes dogs retrieve turkeys...c'mon guys. And they make gunny sacks just for the turkey dogs...most are a cur/pointer mix. Very very few turkeys I have shot have been over the 18-22lb range. This is not something new. I do believe there are just a few states that allow it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjQxwHYAuwc

[Brushbustin Sporting Dogs]

Chip I'm sure it could be done but why would you want to take a dog out to retreive a turkey...??? Most of ours are shot under 20 yards away and I've never had a tough time finding one like I do with pheasant and quail. Again i'm sure it could be done but why......

As for Shadow and Birdieboiler you both never have anything good to bring to the table but yet you can tell this guy that he doesn't belong and run him off?????????? You two should be proud of yourselves....

[BirdieBoiler]

All I suggested was with a Lab, if he was looking for something to do in the off season to keep his dog involved and working to try Hunt Tests. Many retriever owners use this as their off season fun just as pointer owners run trials. I just simply don't see the need in using a lab to retrieve turkey when he himself said he was worried about the dog getting injured. The only reason I mentioned maybe looking at alternative forums is because this is not a turkey hunting forum. If he looked for answers on a hunting forum where turkey hunters frequently visit he might find more of the information he is pursuing. And I DO agree. Dogs ARE used for fall turkey hunting when birds are flocked up to break them up and then call them back together. But he specifically asked about spring hunting with a bow out of a blind.

[ezzy333]

All I suggested was with a Lab, if he was looking for something to do in the off season to keep his dog involved and working to try Hunt Tests. Many retriever owners use this as their off season fun just as pointer owners run trials. I just simply don't see the need in using a lab to retrieve turkey when he himself said he was worried about the dog getting injured. The only reason I mentioned maybe looking at alternative forums is because this is not a turkey hunting forum. If he looked for answers on a hunting forum where turkey hunters frequently visit he might find more of the information he is pursuing. And I DO agree. Dogs ARE used for fall turkey hunting when birds are flocked up to break them up and then call them back together. But he specifically asked about spring hunting with a bow out of a blind.

Listen and learn from Rob's post. He told you just exactly what most of us read into your post and I doubt we are wrong. But if we are, you sure need to change the tone of what you post. Will make a whole lot of us feel better. Plus I doubt very much if anyone but you are impressed with you telling a new member to find a different forum. You are right though, we are not a turkey hunting forum any more than we are a bird hunting forum. WE try hard to be a gundog forum no matter what some one wants to do with them.

Ezzy

[BirdieBoiler]

statement noted

[birddogger]

Knowlzy, telling Shadow who has over 800 posts to leave his negatively elsewhere is pretty bold when you have been a member for a week and have 20 postes...IF you came looking for advice then you have to take peoples advice towards your posts and questions...EITHER positive or negative, they can both be learned from...IF you dont like the responses you get...Dont ask. Shadow I agree, the competitive statements make no sense to me. If training dogs and/or competing with them isnt for you then maybe a strictly hunting or more hunting oriented forum would be a better fit Knowlzy? With that said, maybe you have the completely wrong idea of a retrievers hunt test...In Hunt Tests it is not man verses man. Its a dog verses itself. Hunt tests are to test the dogs ability that the dog has. Just something to think about.

Anybody can put up alot of posts, it ain't hard. Everybody has the same status on here, regardless of the number of posts.

Charlie

[Shadow]

[quote="Brushbustin Sporting Dogs"

As for Shadow and Birdieboiler you both never have anything good to bring to the table but yet you can tell this guy that he doesn't belong and run him off?????????? You two should be proud of yourselves....[/quote]

and where did I say he should leave- he said he was leaving- explained why-

I've used my Brittany's on turkeys- it's allowed in the fall- have had a real good couple who could find, point, and hold them to fall-
don't know what kind of turkeys you have- but i can tell you a gobler weighs right arround 26 lbs- and not killed and dead beofre mine have got there has shown some pretty fierce fighting- mine have backed off- because one got her face torn

my 45 lb male was not afraid of a thrashing gobler- he'd kill it- he would pick it up- then set it down- he didn't retrieve- and he was a money retriever

and I've lost a couple Brittany's- why- because they were pointers who understood turkeys were what we hunted- and a turkey would take mine on a long trip- as mine would point, turkey would take off, mine would try to pin again- thus all over the place- lost one for 2.5 months, she survived the wild, got caught in a trap, lost all the toes on her foot from a trap, crawled up to a kid getting off the buss- darn near dead-

so tell me I don't have anything good to bring to this post
and I take offense that you seem to enjoy critizing me

[lvrgsp]

Robert, I understand what you mean, but why not it's really not htat much further than oh say dove hunting, or duck hunting in knee deep marsh, sure the cover is gonna be the x-factor, but if you think about it, you could very easily set up a small portable blind with you and dog in it, and it really would not be much different than duck hunting or snow goose hunting..heck snow geese fall in open corn fields and they buy and have dog box blinds for them? I guess just another way to get your dog into a hunting situation.....

[WeHuntTurkeys]

For everything you ever wanted to know about hunting turkey with a dog, check out http://www.turkeydog.org/