Won't pick up woodcock
- lawoodcocker
- Rank: Junior Hunter
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:40 am
- Location: Slidell, La.
Won't pick up woodcock
Today, after doing some live quail work with my 12 week old llewellin setter and a buddies gsp, I tossed a frozen quail for both dogs to fetch. Both made nice retrieves. We then threw a frozen woodcock. Neither dog picked it up. I understand that this is common. How would we overcome this? Woodcock is what we hunt 90% of the time here in La.
- gonehuntin'
- GDF Junkie
- Posts: 4868
- Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:38 pm
- Location: NE WI.
Re: Won't pick up woodcock
Hunt him through his first year and dont worry about it. If it's still a problem after this season, ff him over the winter.lawoodcocker wrote:Today, after doing some live quail work with my 12 week old llewellin setter and a buddies gsp, I tossed a frozen quail for both dogs to fetch. Both made nice retrieves. We then threw a frozen woodcock. Neither dog picked it up. I understand that this is common. How would we overcome this? Woodcock is what we hunt 90% of the time here in La.
LIFE WITHOUT BIRD DOGS AND FLY RODS REALLY ISN'T LIFE AT ALL.
- nowicki2005
- Rank: Senior Hunter
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:06 am
- Location: Portland, MI
Re: Won't pick up woodcock
I would force fetch him over the summer. As it sounds like you already know, dogs tend to not like retrieving woodcock because of the feathers or something, similar to a dove in terms of like.
- Ruffshooter
- GDF Junkie
- Posts: 2946
- Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 7:28 pm
- Location: Maine
Re: Won't pick up woodcock
Some times they like the fresh woodcock. Sometimes they never want to retrieve them no mater what. FF will fix it regardless, as stated.
The best part of training is seeing the light come on in your little prot'eg'e.
Rick
Rick