With all of the bird seasons over I went back to training dogs on Thursday, March 8th. Tur Bo hasn’t been hunted much this season because of his knee cap re-attachment. The longest time he was on the ground, actually hunting, this year was about an hour and a half. I thought he might need to go back through the training, with pigeons.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
I put three pigeons, about 8 or 10 yards apart, in release traps, on the training grounds. I had three pigeons in a bird bag that I carried with me. I put the Garmin e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks, attached a long check cord to his collar with a half hitch around his flanks and led him out of the kennel with a piggin’ string.
As I heeled him across the yard I whoaed him. I walked out front of him, took a pigeon from the bird bag by the feet and let it flap for a few seconds. I placed the pigeon on the ground on it’s back. The pigeon flipped back over and flew away. I shot the blank pistol. Tur Bo didn’t move.
After going back to him and petting him as I told him what a good boy he was I heeled him away. I whoaed him again and went through the same thing again. They stop when I whoa them but they really perk up when I pull the pigeon from the bag, hold it by the feet and let it flap.
After releasing the second pigeon I petted him, heeled him a few yards then released him to hunt. He runs really well, showing no sign of having a problem with his knee. When I got near the pigeons hidden in the tall weeds I saw Tur Bo go on point. He was standing about 15 yards from the pigeon he was smelling.
I tied the check cord, with just a little slack, to a tree. I went back in front of him, took a pigeon from the bag by the feet, let it flap for a few seconds then let it fly away and shot the blank pistol. Tur Bo’s back feet never move but his front feet sometimes do a little dance. I continued to walk back and forth in front of him then flushed a pigeon from a release trap that was the farthest away from him. I shot the blank pistol. He did his dance but didn’t try to chase.
Sally on quail.
I continued to walk back and forth. I flushed another pigeon that was farther away than the one he was pointing. I shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to walk back and forth kicking the tall weeds. I, finally, flushed the pigeon he was pointing and shot the blank pistol. He did his dance but didn’t move. I went to him and petted him as I told him what a good dog he was. I untied his check cord and led him away. I released him to run on the way back to the kennels.
I reloaded the release traps and put 3 pigeons in my bird bag. I led Sally out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. She was also dragging a check cord that was looped around her flanks. Sally has hunted all season and had done real well but I have allowed her to move as soon as the bird flushes. I, also, hunted her a few days ago where we had 75 chukars and 25 pheasants hidden in a large field of the morning and another 75 chukars and 25 pheasants in the afternoon. She got really good about going to where a bird dropped. I thought she would be chasing the pigeons on the training grounds.
I whoaed her as I walked across the yard. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, held it by the feet so it would flap then placed it on the ground on it’s back. The pigeon flipped over and flew away. I shot the blank pistol and Sally never moved. I petted her telling her what a good girl she is then heeled her away.
I heeled her a short distance then whoaed her again. I pulled another pigeon from the bag, let it flap, released it and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I heeled her away then released her to hunt.
Tur Bo pointing Sally honoring.
When I got close to the pigeons hidden in the tall weeds she was already on point. She had hit the scent cone closer to a pigeon than Tur Bo had. She was about 5 yards from the pigeon. I walked back and forth in front of her after tying her check cord to a tree. I took the last pigeon from the bird bag, let it flap for a few seconds then released it. I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall weeds then flushed a pigeon that was farthest away from her. I shot the blank pistol. She never moved.
I continued to walk back and forth. I flushed the other pigeon that was away from her. I shot the blank pistol and she never moved. As I kicked the tall weeds right in front of her I flushed the pigeon she was pointing and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. After untying the check cord I petted her telling her what a good girl she is then released her to run on the way back to the kennel.
The next morning was a little warmer so I got out about 10:00 am to work dogs again. This time I spread three release traps out in the training grounds with a pigeon in each. I still carried 3 pigeons in the bird bag.
This time I brought Sally out first with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I had hooked the check cord to her collar after running a half hitch around her flanks. I whoaed her a couple of times then released her to hunt. When I got to the first pigeon she was already on point. I walked back and forth in front of her then took a pigeon from the bird bag. I held it by the feet letting it flap for a few seconds then released it. I shot the blank pistol. Sally never moved. I continued to kick the tall weeds then flushed the pigeon from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She never moved.
Luke
I petted her then led her away. I released her to hunt. She went on the wrong side of the middle bird but pointed the pigeon at the very back. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I took a pigeon from the bag, let it flap then released it. I shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. I shot the blank pistol and she never moved. After petting her I led her away.
I released her to hunt. She came close to the middle bird and even almost circled it before finally hitting the scent cone. Working dogs on this property shows me how easy it is for dogs to completely miss birds. On this ground the wind swirls a lot. I’ve seen one dog point all of it’s birds on the east side and the very next dog be either real close or far away but be on the other side. If the dog is on the wrong side of the birds they will totally miss them.
She was buried in the cover when I released the pigeon from the bird bag and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I continued to kick the cover then released the bird from the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She never moved. I released her to hunt on the way back to the kennel.
I brought Tur Bo out next with the e-collars on his neck and flanks pulling a check cord hooked to his collar with a half hitch around his flanks. I whoaed him a couple of times in the yard then released him to hunt. When I got to the training grounds he had gone on by the first two birds and was on point at the very back of the training grounds. I was about a hundred yards from him when I saw him and as I watched he took a step. I flushed the pigeon and yelled, “whoa”. He stopped and looked kind of sheepish, like you saw me. I went to him, picked him up and set him back. I kicked in front of him then led him away. I released him to hunt.
He hit the scent cone on the middle bird and locked up. I walked in front of him kicking the tall weeds. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, let it flap for a few seconds then let it fly away as I shot the blank pistol. He did his dance but didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then took another bird from the bird bag, let it flap for a few seconds then released it. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon in the release trap. He never moved even when I shot the blank pistol. I led him away.
Luke pointing a covey of quail.
I released him to hunt. He pointed the first bird on the training grounds. I had not tied the check cord on the other birds but I did this time. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I took a pigeon from the bird bag, let it flap then released it. I shot the blank pistol and he didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the bird from the release trap. I shot the blank pistol. He did his little dance but didn’t try to chase. His check cord still had a little slack just as it did when I tied it. I petted him then led him away. I released him to hunt on the way back to the kennel.
Both of these dogs are pretty well broke steady to wing and shot on these training grounds, on pigeons. Both of them will move as soon as a quail flushes when I’m hunting. They know this is a game and they know how to play it. They don’t even look the same on point on the pigeons as they do on quail. They both are rigid on pigeons but they are more so on quail. They, also, have a curl in their tail on pigeons but it is straighter on quail.
Well, the dogs know it’s a game and I know it’s a game but it’s still fun to go in your back yard and get a half dozen points in just an hour or so. The dogs enjoy it and so do I.
Sally
Tur Bo
Sally