Cant get out of my own way

[weimdogman]

Tonight I put 3 quail out in release traps. Set the traps in a weedy ditch along a gravel road. My friend has a stubble cornfield on the side where I planted the birds. There is a freshly planted cornfield across the road. No barbwire for a 1/2 mile. I have clear sight for a mile both directions for traffic.

Took the female out and she works right into the first bird. Steady point and steady release. Quail flew about 40 yards. She is going to break so I yelled fetch. Away she goes. Gets to the bird and it flies off 10 yards. She heads after it. This time it gets up into the wind and is gone. She watches it,looks at me. Recalls nicely as I called her back.
Tell her good girl and kennel her up.

Get the male and head out. He runs around the empty first trap. Checks it out and moves on. 2nd bird is planted about 5 yards north of a telephone pole.Poles run along edge of the field. He gets birdy and points. I give a soft whoa and walk past him. We are 15 yards from the pole. I keep a eye on him and release #2. Nothing happens so I try again. I push the beeper,it works. Trap wont release. I walk up. We are at the wrong pole. He is pointing the bird that was about 125 yards away. The bird I just released !

We go on ahead and yes the trap #2 is empty. Next trap is at the next pole so I am not going to screw up again. He has scent but keeps working until he is only 40 yards out then goes staunch. I release that bird it goes up into the wind and is gone. He is steady eyeballing the bird. I tell him good job and release him. He heads on up the ditch hoping to find another bird. I let him go out a 150 yards and when he glances back at me I give the come signal and he recalls.

Seems I am always releasing the wrong bird, or at the wrong time. Spend a 1/3 my time trying to straighten myself out! Oh well like they say playing basketball, no blood no foul.

[DonF]

I plant the traps in order, have a number on each trap. Closest to me get @1, next #2 and last one is #3. I do that because like yourself I've popped the wrong bird! At each trap on the brush up high as I can, I leave a close pin I've painted florescent orange.

[Featherfinder]

I don't use traps "in that way". Typically I am addressing an issue if I have to introduce equipment/launchers.
That said, I have been exactly where you are on occasion so don't feel bad. The level of frustration in the fact that you/I - the superior beings - can botch things up SO badly drives me absolutely crazy at that time. Then, 15 minutes later you think, "Wow...if I had only videoed that whole disaster! Just think of the humor I could bring into so many peoples lives!?! I'm betting they'd laugh so hard they'd wet themselves! I could name it, "What NOT to Do, you #$?!#!^?!!"
Seemed like anything BUT funny at the time but I can't lie. Afterwards, just replaying how numerous the mishaps can be quite funny. It's only strange if your spouse sees the frustration and then 15 minutes later you've got this silly smile on your face.
She must think I'm losing it. I've got news for her. I went to the dogs a LONG time ago.

[setterpoint]

been there done that we all have had a few mishaps in training, i know its agravating wanting ever thing to go just as we planed it but never does
look at it this way when your out hunting do the wild birds sit perfect and everthing works out fine, the ansewer is no
wild birds run off they flush way out in front of the dog, so the dog found the trap with no bird ,there going to run into this in real hunting where theres scent but no bird, it is more of a big deal to you than the dog bet they still had a good time being out and seeing a few birds
things will go better the next time

[marysburg]

Don't feel bad, we have ALL done the "Ooops, wrong button." drill. I finally put little coloured stick-on dots beside the launcher numbers on the transmitter, and then put corresponding coloured flag tape on the antenna and foliage at each of the traps. It really helped a lot, but I still screw it up sometimes.

[RatDog]

I was at the trainers yesterday picking up my dog. Wanted to see what the e collar feels like so took it off of my dog and held it to my neck. Had the trainer shock the collar. Couldn’t feel anything and he kept working the intensity up until we got to like 4 or 5 before realizing he was hitting the wrong collar and it was on another dog Sh*t happens, cliche but it’s true. Sounds like you’re putting forth an honest effort.

Also, kind of reflects real life. I know when I’m hunting it’s a rare and special moment when everything lines up like it’s supposed to. I spend quite a bit of my time messing around looking for the teats on a bull it seems. You and the dog will have to adjust together, on the fly, to all sorts of situations is what I’m saying I guess.

I would just act like you meant to do it and carry on and use some of the tips people have suggested about labeling, flagging where the bird is, etc. to set yourself up for success. Keep fighting the good fight!


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[averageguy]

I was at the trainers yesterday picking up my dog. Wanted to see what the e collar feels like so took it off of my dog and held it to my neck. Had the trainer shock the collar. Couldn’t feel anything and he kept working the intensity up until we got to like 4 or 5 before realizing he was hitting the wrong collar and it was on another dog Sh*t happens, cliche but it’s true. Sounds like you’re putting forth an honest effort.

Also, kind of reflects real life. I know when I’m hunting it’s a rare and special moment when everything lines up like it’s supposed to. I spend quite a bit of my time messing around looking for the teats on a bull it seems. You and the dog will have to adjust together, on the fly, to all sorts of situations is what I’m saying I guess.

I would just act like you meant to do it and carry on and use some of the tips people have suggested about labeling, flagging where the bird is, etc. to set yourself up for success. Keep fighting the good fight!


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I was at a rattlesnake avoidance training last summer. Standing talking to a buddy's 10 year old Son as he was holding one of their EPs on a check cord. Suddenly the dog yelped and nipped the kid. The handler working a dog on the snake had the ecollar transmitter turned to the wrong dog and had just shocked the Kid's dog at max level. Some mistakes are funny. That one not so much.

Weimdogman,

I gotta believe any and all who have used multiple remote launchers have released the wrong bird. I did it a couple of weeks ago myself.

[weimdogman]

I do have the 3 traps #. I do use something to mark where the traps are. Iwas using the telephone pole just forgot which one. Couldnt believe dog was pointing from that distance.

Tonight I worked that male on 3 pigeons in launchers. He wasnt on a check cord and a shifting wind allowed him to get right on top of 1 before I could release it but all in all it was a good run.

My friend had worked some quail earlier and encouraged me to hunt the back high corner and see if my dog could find a bird that his dogs pointed , he flushed it , and it flew to that area.

Well Delio far prefers pointing quail to those stinky pigeons.

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[weimdogman]

So here is 1 of those things that you just cant control.
Dog is 50 yards in front of me and on point. I walk in and flush the bird. Dog is steady to flush until the bird flies right into his face. I said whoa and he swung around to watch the bird fly off.

Now I know I can eventually train whoa and have birds fly up from under him and or at him, but we arent Ready for that now