VIDEO:A Brace Stops to Wild Flush

[Higgins]

Here is a short video taken during our 'Social Hunt Day' event this weekend. During this training hunt, I set up a 'stop to wild flush' on a covey rise (Chukar). These birds got up and flew right back over the dogs. I always try to keep the hunts challenging for the dogs and the handlers. My goal is to get the dogs and handlers ready for real hunting scenarios.

https://youtu.be/NzYgxjT6WxY

Hope you enjoy it.

Brad Higgins
http://www.HigginsGundogs.com

Higgins Gundogs hunting etiquette

Dogs: Stay in touch and handle well. Always honor another dog's point, be steady when necessary and manage the birds for the gun.
Handlers: Be silent in the hunt. Allow the dog the freedom to do his work. Nurture the natural retrieve.

[gundogguy]

Good! Now add some gun fire, kill one those birds and be selective about which dog makes the retrieve while the other honors the retrieve and you'll have a situation we train for at every Spaniel field trial. Your dogs are looking good!

[Higgins]

Hello Gundogguy,

Thanks. And yes, we do all that and in situations where the handler is also the shooter. In addition, the dogs have been taught what I call a 'flush/stop' command where the pointing dog aggressively flushes the bird on command then stops (without a whistle, verbal command or hand signal so that at the flush, I can turn my back on the dog and focus on shooting the bird), waiting for the command to retrieve. Here is a video. https://youtu.be/7AS45jbjEwE

This can be helpful in real hunting scenarios when you can't get there to flush the bird yourself. Kinda combines the best of pointing dogs with the best of the flushers.


Brad Higgins
http://www.HigginsGundogs.com

Higgins Gundogs hunting etiquette

Dogs: Stay in touch and handle well. Always honor another dog's point, be steady when necessary and manage the birds for the gun.
Handlers: Be silent in the hunt. Allow the dog the freedom to do his work. Nurture the natural retrieve.