Gun Dog Forum

...hide underground?

this evening, I was hunting with my Britt. she did a nice point, I kicked up a rooster out of a bush. I shot, know I hit it, it went down but I couldn't see where for sure because of some brush. My Britt ran after it, and when I caught up, she was digging frantically at some large boulders.

There was definitely a space that a bird could get into, but would it? Couldn't find the rooster anywhere else, my dog kept coming back to these rocks. They were too big to move, but I shone a light down into the holes and poked a stick around in there, but no luck. We went off for a while, and she came right back to the same rocks. Went off and hunted for about a half hour, and then went back again, and she went right to the same spot.

Anyone ever had something like this happen to them?

Not with pheasant but definitely numerous times with chukar

I have had a cripple rooster crawl in a badger hole before........

Trust your dog. That's all I have to say.

Never watched one run inside a hole, we have lost a couple that the dogs tracked to and alerted at badger holes.

I've had a few grouse as cripples hide in a rockwall, only found when the dogs point dead after moving them up. I do recall when I was younger hunting without a dog and walkin up grouse. I shot a right to left crosser that dropped a leg flying away. Walked over and couldn't find anything. Up in the air was a single marabouish feather hanging in a spider web, on the ground was a hole about as round as a coffee can, I reached into the hole and found a very much alive ruffed grouse. Don't know what made me stick my hand in there, but I'm glad I did!

mnaj_springer wrote:Trust your dog. That's all I have to say.

that was my inclination. just thought it strange!

I had a rooster crawl in to a badger hole and my Lab dug it out.

Had one die in a badger hole in SD. Just his tail sticking out.