When to introduce pheasant?

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Hondo
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When to introduce pheasant?

Post by Hondo » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:19 pm

I'm hoping to get some advice on when to introduce my nearly 8 month old female lab to pheasant. She has been introduced to pigeon, quail, and chukar during her training. She has not gone hunting yet.

I would like to take her to a pheasant hunting club, so that she can get out in the field and look for pheasant. The pheasant club allows dog training in the afternoon. However, they do not plant any pheasant unless I want to pay for the birds. My intention is not to go hunting. I just want to take her out in the field and hopefully have her find some pheasants that got away from other hunters.

My concern is that I take her and she is not ready for a larger bird like a pheasant.

Hondo

BigShooter
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by BigShooter » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:24 pm

Under these circumstances she'll be fine. Take her out.
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daniel77
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by daniel77 » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:40 pm

I might be concerned about a "meaner" bird like a pheasant, but larger shouldn't be an issue. Down here, labs routinely retrieve a bunch of ducks and probably some geese before they are a year old. I had a roommate in college who had a male pup who started duck season @6 months and did a jam up good job that year.
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gonehuntin'
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by gonehuntin' » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:03 am

I judge it by how much bird desire a dog has. If they bore in on a bird and hit them going 90mph, they're ready for a pheasant. If they run to a bird and tentatively pick it up, better hold off.

Next time you're around an old pheasant dog, look at his muzzle. A pheasant can flat tear a dog up and many a pup has been ruined by an encounter too early with pheasant or goose.
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BigShooter
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by BigShooter » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:43 am

From what you said, you're going to be training, not shooting. Dogs can get spurred during retrieves of wounded birds but quickly learn to manipulate a feisty, wounded bird so they can grab it from the back. After hundreds and hundreds of pheasant retrieves you'd be hard pressed to find any scars on my eight year old's muzzle.

You might talk to the club manager and find out if he thinks the birds they put out would rather fight than run or fly away. Thinking about it though, the dog might get into cripples that you would be unlikely to come across in a normal wild bird hunting scenario. I typically take 5 1/2 to 6 mo. old GSPs wild pheasant hunting and have yet to encounter a problem.

As far as I'm concerned it's just common sense when training a young dog to observe the dog closely, knowing when to quit or alter tactics. Encounters with birds make a bird dog. As you know it's especially important to get them appropriate exposure when they are young. You've already worked your dog on birds and have gauged its desire. Only you know your dog. If you feel it's ready, most likely it is.
Mark

Willows Back In The Saddle
Tall Pines Hits The Spot
Tall Pines Queen Eleanor
Bo Dixie's Rocky
TALL PINES MOONBEAM

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Sprig
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by Sprig » Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:12 pm

gonehuntin' wrote:I judge it by how much bird desire a dog has. If they bore in on a bird and hit them going 90mph, they're ready for a pheasant. If they run to a bird and tentatively pick it up, better hold off.

Next time you're around an old pheasant dog, look at his muzzle. A pheasant can flat tear a dog up and many a pup has been ruined by an encounter too early with pheasant or goose.
+1

outdrs111
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by outdrs111 » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:26 pm

My concern would be a young dog have a bad encounter. It's one thing for a mature and bold dog to have a bad encounter, but the younger ones, especially if they're not really bold and confident, could be an issue.

Only you know how the pup is doing with the birds you've introduced. only you know how bold and confident she is.

If nothing else, I would be prone to checkcording her in and hold her back on the flush to see the reaction. You will never do any harm by taking it slow, but you sure can create problems by too fast.

SeniorCoot
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Re: When to introduce pheasant?

Post by SeniorCoot » Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:47 am

I take all my pups out about 6 mos and first intro them to a dead bird in grass- then throw one for them- then tape wings on hen and let him watch it run away- then let him catch it and bring it back- works well- and Money is WELL spent-$40 -50 ain't nada when you think of time you have invested- i then let them hunt birds-usually hens till they get used to them as cock might peck and make dog shy-by 9 mos my boys are all hunting wild birds etc.

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