Pheasant Experience Lessons Learned

[Billinsd]

Yesterday I spotted three roosters next to a bunch of hay bales on a dirt road. I immediately stopped and saw them running out into a fallow field (Bermuda grass). They saw me and hunkered down. I figured they would run real far hunkered down. There was a 20 mph cross wind between us and where the roosters were.

I let my dog run and she bumped one rooster. When she got down wind the bird was about ten yards upwind. And the bird flushed. She did this with the other two birds that were all close together. I was about 100 yards away while all this happened. The birds did not run after they had hunkered down like. I thought they would.

I don't blame the dog since I just let her go and did not recall her I expected her to run out and find them before they got to the next county. What should I have done differently?

[birddog1968]

What kind of dog? how old? where is it at in its education?

[Billinsd]

Shooting Starr GSP, 5.5 years old, trained by me using perfection kennels DVDs. She is steady to flush and her education was completed when she was 2. Not a lot of actual hunting experience due to time limitations. She is good at hunting Mearns, ok with Valley's and chukar. She has very little experience with wild roosters, but a lot with pen raised ones. Last year she got real birdy and would point, then relocate as three of us were working an alfalfa field. When we got to the end of the field she pointed the rooster that wild flushed about 40 yards from her.




Thanks Bill

[Billinsd]

I'm thinking I should have approached the birds at least 100 yds down wind and kept her close and zig lagged into the wind.? What do you think?

[birddog1968]

Yes, that may have been better.....get the dog in the field as much as possible, phez have a fairly steep learning curve, especially in grass cover that may not be thick enough to make them hold.


Dog will learn how to work the birds if given enough exposure.....I've always found keeping quiet and letting them learn is the best method. Time and experiences are the best teachers. Two of my current
pointers will do whatever it takes to get the bird to the gun, they will hold staunch on birds that hold and they know exactly whats going on with a wild phez and will self relocate as needed to keep in contact but not flush the bird....they have even worked the bird in a big circle cutting off escape and pushing them back towards the gun.....just from exposure and experience. I reward good work and don't shoot bumped or busted birds....

From my experiences Wild phez don't respond well to whistles and hollaring to the dog, so I try to keep my mouth shut at all times, I use the tone function on the collar to get the dogs attention.....

[Billinsd]

Thanks, I appreciate it!!!
Bill

[AG74]

I'd agree with everything Bird dog 1968 said and just add that you probably shouldn't over-think this one too hard, or think about what you or the dog could have done differently. Roosters in the open next to a road are already on high alert and difficult to get to in any situation, regardless of how good your dog is. They are just smart, sneaky, flighty birds... especially in the type of cover you describe. Even if you work them perfectly, there's still about a 60% chance they'll figure out a way to escape! Darn ditch parrots anyway...!!