Bumping or Wild Flush

[Deets]

I hunted my pointer for the first time on wild pheasant this weekend. He is steady to release on pigeons. During our hunt he had a few good steady points, mostly when he was working directly in to the wind. There were several instances where he was running hard, and would run right past a bird. He would smell the bird and imediately stop and turn around toward the bird. The bird would flush as he turned toward it never giving him a chance to establish point. This usually happens when he is working in a cross wind. He is a medium ranging dog, so my hunting buddy would got mad when he did this with a rooster. My dog is not creeping until they flush, I think he is just running so fast he gets too close to the bird before he catches the scent. Is my dog really bumping the bird, or is this just a part of hunting wild pheasant with a pointer. I cannot always work my dog directly into the wind, so are there any tips for working a dog against the wind, or in a cross wind?

[Sharon]

Sounds like you have a fine dog. They aren't machines as you know. The wind can make a huge difference. The dog stopped dead and the bird immediately flushed. This is common with wild birds. Tell your friend to be more alert next time and he might get a shot. Until buddy has trained his own dog he shouldn't be saying anything. :roll:

[DonF]

Sounds like your dog is a keeper and you need a new hunting buddy! Dogs don't smell birds if the wind don't get to their nose. They could run right by a bird a foot away and no know it's there on the up wind side. It's the wind that carry's the scent>

[lucky guy]

Sounds like your dog is a keeper and you need a new hunting buddy! Dogs don't smell birds if the wind don't get to their nose. They could run right by a bird a foot away and no know it's there on the up wind side. It's the wind that carry's the scent>

Exactly what I was thinking. Let your buddy hunt with his own dog if it can scent downwind! If your pointer's young he might naturally slow down a little as he gets a little more experience too.

[wems2371]

The wild pheasant around here are track stars...especially in certain types of cover. When we get snow that will help to hold them tighter. They're often running out ahead and will take very little to wild flush. If I judged my dog on how many pheasant we put in the bag each outing, it wouldn't always be good. But I've seen 'em point wild pheasant, so I know they got it in them. When things don't go perfect, I chalk it up to both the dog doing the best they could with the circumstances they were given, and a learning experience for all of us.

I've got a video showing exactly what Don says. When I was afield, I wondered what happened and why my dog missed a bird. When I went home and watched the video, I could see that she passed within 5' of where the bird would erupt from just seconds later. BUT, she was on the upwind side so she didn't stand a chance. You're hunting buddy needs to realize that dogs are not robots, pheasant aren't easy birds to hunt, and stuff just happens sometimes.

Edit:

I uploaded that gopro video. Might have to use the little streaming button thingy to rewind a few times, and fix on where the dog goes through and where the bird comes up. It'd be real easy to think she busted the bird, when instant replay shows she didn't. Big winds that day too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7BUQ2WY_j4

[trueblu]

Sounds like the dog is just fine. Just needs the birds to teach him. Your "buddy" is the reason most of us tell folks with young inexperienced dogs to hunt alone or hunt with a partner who will listen to you, and be PATIENT. He's obviously never had a dog that wasn't experienced with pheasants. Even the best dog can be made to look foolish on them. So, a young dog just needs time and experience. Be assured, the biggest experts are usually the ones without a dog.

[slistoe]

I cannot always work my dog directly into the wind, so are there any tips for working a dog against the wind, or in a cross wind?

The only tip I can give is that the dog needs to learn that the wind is its friend and to pay attention to the wind and work accordingly. It can only learn that from experience and mistakes. Some dogs pick it up rather quickly, others not so much. Some never get it because of the owner they have that does not allow them to learn how to work the wind and birds.

[AzDoggin]

Sounds like your dog is a keeper and you need a new hunting buddy! Dogs don't smell birds if the wind don't get to their nose. They could run right by a bird a foot away and no know it's there on the up wind side. It's the wind that carry's the scent>

+1. Your buddy appears to lack the knowledge of how a hunting dog is made.

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

I have had dogs actually point birds directly behind them almost like they went right over top of the bird but that's hard to say who knows exactly where the bird was at wnhen the dog was on the move.
Sometimes the dog don't swap ends to point but just stops & turns there head to the rear as not to move anymore & flush the bird.If you hunt for long you will see things that just amaze you & try to figure out what just happened.You may have 2 dogs running one points a bird that another dog never even acted like they scented it.Some days one dog has all the finds another day the other dog.That's why when I hear about people talking about how FTrial dogs miss so many birds they just don't understand things are different every brace birds move,scenting conditions change,so many varibles.Don't ever think any dog don't miss birds!!

[birddog1968]

I think if your buddy isn't willing to hunt with you and only shoot pointed birds he probably needs to find someone who owns a lab. Don't let freinds start shooting birds your dogs not got pinned....they'll undo him for you.

[DonF]

I've got a video showing exactly what Don says. When I was afield, I wondered what happened and why my dog missed a bird. When I went home and watched the video, I could see that she passed within 5' of where the bird would erupt from just seconds later. BUT, she was on the upwind side so she didn't stand a chance. You're hunting buddy needs to realize that dogs are not robots, pheasant aren't easy birds to hunt, and stuff just happens sometimes.

Edit:

I uploaded that gopro video. Might have to use the little streaming button thingy to rewind a few times, and fix on where the dog goes through and where the bird comes up. It'd be real easy to think she busted the bird, when instant replay shows she didn't. Big winds that day too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7BUQ2WY_j4

That video was a great example!

[nooblet]

Agreed. Get a new buddy. Hunting is a lot like golf, you can tell a lot about someone after just one round of golf and lord konws you're not there to be all pissed off.

It's part of hunting wild pheasants. They do not react like pet-n-shoot birds. Remember, they are hunted often by yotes. So a dog running up on them will cause them to flush - unlike pen raised birds that have not been hunted by coyotes.

noob

[Deets]

Thanks for all the reassuring responses. I don't think I am ready to give up on my hunting buddy, I just need to get him to change his expectations about hunting wild pheasants with a pointer.

[Bossman27]

Hunting with the wind is challenging for even an experienced dog. The problem being that dogs that use the wind to their advantage will likely range out a bit further so they can push into the wind back towards you, the problem is there is a chance the will bump a bird on their way out. Sometimes it is unavoidable but do everything in your power to at least have a cross wind, even if it means going for a long walk around the field or putting the dog on heal and quietly walking up the fence line.

At the end of the day the birds that flush wild are alive for a reason, they are smart and cagey. Many times no matter what you would have done wouldn't have been able to help, that's why they call it hunting and that's why it is still a thrill.

[lucky guy]

Ben was trained to run a figure 8 pattern around the hunter to help when you're hunting downwind. (I think the trainer said alot of dogs or maybe alot of setters do it pretty naturally.?) Anyway when the dog quarters out a ways and crosses in front of you he'll hit the downwind scent cone. He'll also get a second sniff at anything you might have passed or is crossing behind you when he runs the back half of the figure 8. Still all you can do is reduce the chances of bumping downwind birds, alway gonna happen some.

I think a dog can hear the birds sometimes when he goes by upwind too. Only way I can figure he knows they are there but he definitely picks up some that are upwind as he goes by. Unless it's just the Force!