Traveling Pointing Dogs

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo

Luke

Monday morning was cool for this time of year and I needed to go work on some feeders I have out on a friend’s farm. I loaded Blaze, Tur Bo, Luke, 6 pigeons and my 4-wheeler on the trailer and the truck. Training dogs takes lots of equipment.

When I got to the farm I put some release traps, pigeons, and I dropped a battery for a feeder in the bag of milo on the 4-wheeler. To reach the feeders I back the 4-wheeler under it and stand on the back of the 4-wheeler. The first feeder had some moldy grain in it that would not come out when the feeder ran. I backed under the feeder, unwired it and cleaned the bad grain out. I hung it back in the tree dropping the lid in the process. I filled the feeder with milo and crawled down for the lid. I put the lid on and got down again.

I went just a little way and put out a pigeon in a release trap. I got back on the 4-wheeler and didn’t see the battery I needed for the next feeder. I could see my tracks through the grass and I followed real slow checking for the battery. I didn’t see it on the ground. I couldn’t remember taking it out of the sack of milo. I backed under the feeder, crawled onto the back of the 4-wheeler, removed the lid without dropping it this time and dug through the milo. Sure enough I found the battery. I get more exercise than I would if I had a good mind.

I replaced the battery in the other feeder without incident and hid another pigeon in a release trap. I put the GPS collar and the e-collars on Tur Bo and turned him loose. I turn the dogs loose in an open grass field but head across it to a heavily treed fence row. The dogs hit the fence row and start down it. There are clumps of Johnson grass that pull the dogs off the fence line. Tur Bo came off just before he got to the first pigeon so we continued on toward the second bird.

We went over the hill to the east. He was 150 yards ahead of me as I turned the corner to start down another hedge row and I saw Tur Bo’s front feet stop and his back end slide around as he went on point. He straightened up with a high head and tail. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move other than he watched the pigeon fly away. I led him away and released him.

We made a big circle then went back up the fence row toward the first pigeon. He was moving pretty fast when he hit the scent cone on the next pigeon but he didn’t whirl around on this one. He was about 20 feet from this bird and when I flushed it came out low right over his head. He grabbed at it without moving his feet. I shot the blank pistol and led him away. We ran the fence row to the end then back to the truck.

I put the GPS and e-collars on Luke and released him. He hit the fence row but pulled off into the tall Johnson grass just before the first bird. He was sill in the tall grass when he spun around and went on point. He was a long way from the pigeon but there was no doubt on what he was pointing. I walked to the pigeon and checked the GPS. The GPS said he was 59 feet from the bird. If I had of guessed the distance I would have said it was farther. I flushed the pigeon and it flew out low and toward Luke. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I led him away and released him.

We went over the hill to the east and turned down a hedge row. He was closer to the next pigeon when he pointed. I went in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away and released him. We circled around and I put him on two more tree rows before we got back to the truck.

I put the GPS and e-collars on Blaze and turned her loose. She hit the fence row but when she pointed the first pigeon she was inside the fence row. I couldn’t see her and had to check the GPS to see where she was. It showed her on point close to the pigeon. When I saw her she was pointing toward the pigeon but there was a lot of weeds between her and the bird. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I had to fight my way through the brush and weeds to tap her on the head to release her.

We went over the hill to the east. When I turned the corner on the hedge row that the pigeon was hidden in she was already on point. I rode to her. I wanted to prolong the point so I walked back and forth in front of her then crossed to her rear then back to the front. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I led her away. We finished going down the hedge row then circled back. I put her on a couple more edges on the way back to the truck.

This is the first time I’ve been able to run my dogs off of a 4-wheeler other than here at my house. I don’t have much room here but on my friends farm there are a lot of edges I can run them on. It gives my dogs more exercise and it’s a lot easier on me. I could get used to training dogs this way.

Tur Bo on the whoa board.

Blaze

Luke was pointing a covey of quail. Just as I took this picture he took a step and went back on point. I wanted to show the red duct tape on his tail.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon

Luke pointing a pigeon.

It has been extremely hot and I haven’t been able to do any dog training until Friday morning. We, finally, got a little break. I did some yard work with the dogs early then decided to fill the feeders that I have out on a friends farm. I took Tur Bo, Blaze and some pigeons with me.

I worked on my feeders and hid some pigeons in release traps as I passed good cover. I had 3 release traps with me. I put the GPS and e-collars on Blaze. We hit a fence line and started down it toward the first pigeon. I thought she had missed the first bird but when she got on the south east side of it she whirled into a point. She was a good 15 yards from it but there was no doubt she had the scent. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flew right over her head and she swapped ends to watch it fly away. I led her away, whoaed her and released her when I was back on the 4-wheeler.

She went to the east over the hill. I had hidden a pigeon down a hedge row the last time we were here and she ran that hedge row. This time there was no pigeon in it. I rode down to the end and then back out. I called Blaze but she had crossed into the next field. I hit the tone on the e-collar that was around her neck and in a couple of minutes she was in front of me again. It was pretty cool sitting on the 4-wheeler but Blaze was really hot. She pointed the second pigeon and I flushed it and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I had another pigeon out but we went back to the truck.

I carry a water jug in the truck and after she got a drink I wet her back, chest and head. After she cooled down some I put her in the dog box.

I reloaded the release trap in the closest trap and picked up the trap that was the farthest away. I put the collars on Tur Bo and released him. He went down the hedge row and passed the pigeon. On the south east side he hit the scent cone, whirled around and pointed. According to the GPS he was 57 feet from the release trap. I walked around kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I led him away then released him to hunt.

I saw 3 doves flush ahead of him out of some bare ground next to some tall weeds. When he hit the spot where they had flushed from he pointed. I got off the 4-wheeler and grabbed a pigeon from the box on the back. When I walked in front of him he softened up. I tapped his head. He moved a few feet and pointed again. This time when I went in front of him he stayed rigid. I dropped the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away and released him.

I had a pigeon in a release trap that I had put out for Blaze but I didn’t run her in that area. We hit the tree line and took it around a bare field. Tur Bo went on point but he was right on top of the pigeon. There was very little wind blowing and it wasn’t right for the bird he pointed. I set him back a few feet then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away and released him.

He ran the edges of a tree line on the way back to the truck. I wet him down after watering him. It felt a lot cooler for me but it was still pretty warm for the dogs. After the temperature being almost 100 degrees it feels really good to be in the low 70’s but that’s still too hot for the dogs. It’s hard to wait on the weather to cool down.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Luke

Tur Bo

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Blaze pointing a pigeon.

Another cool morning for dog training. I loaded Blaze, Tur Bo, Luke and 6 pigeons in the truck along with the 4-wheeler and went to my friends 100 acre place to train. There was a heavy dew and almost no wind.

I hid the first pigeon, in a release trap, on a fence row, not far from the truck. The second was to the east and over the hill. The second pigeon was about 500 yards from where I turned the dogs loose.

Tur Bo had caught a bird the last training session so I worked him first. I had 2 young pigeons, in the release traps, to tempt him with. I put the e-collars and GPS collars on him and whoaed him in front of the 4-wheeler. I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. Just before we got to the first pigeon he came off the fence row to check a small clump of cover. He missed the pigeon and we went on to the next.

I have run my dogs off a 4-wheeler before but not on this large of an area. Tur Bo, really all of my dogs, check back real well but when I’m on a 4-wheeler they turn to check back and I’m right there. He started hitting the edge and speeding up.

As we came over the hill he hit another hedge row and started down it. I had hid the pigeon in a small clump just off the hedge row. He was on the hedge row when he got the scent and whirled to his left, on point. I took some pictures and went in front of him, kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon it fluttered up through the saplings and lit in a nearby tree. He watched it without moving.

I led him away and whoaed him. I released him after I got on the 4-wheeler. I put him on some fence rows and hedge rows before going back to the first pigeon, hid in the fence row. This time he was on the fence row as he got the scent of the pigeon. He pointed. I took more pictures and went in front of him, kicking the cover. When I flushed the bird it hit a limb as it fluttered up. Normally, this is when he grabs the pigeon. He didn’t move. Again, the pigeon lit in the tree right above the release trap. I led him away, whoaed him then released him after I got on the 4-wheeler. He hunted back to the truck.

I brought Luke out next. We started down the fence row and he ran past the pigeon and whirled around. He took about 2 steps and established point. I took pictures and walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. I led him away and released him.

We went over the hill and he went down the hedge row. The clump that the second pigeon was hidden in was at the end of the hedge row on the east with a clump of trees on the north. There was not much wind blowing and the dogs had to be pretty close, I thought. Not Luke, he was about 15 yards off the pigeon. I took pictures and walked in front of him. He didn’t move when I flushed the bird. I led him away.

I put him on a couple of edges to the south of where I had parked the truck. I had parked about 150 yards east of the road but Luke is so fast, I was afraid he was nearing the road, so I called him back.

Blaze was next. She just weaned her pups and is still too skinny but she wants to hunt. She is all business when I turn her loose. She went down the hedge row and hit the scent cone of the first pigeon. Her tail was twelve o’clock and her rear was quivering when I got off the 4-wheeler. I took pictures and walked in front of her. She didn’t move when I flushed the pigeon. I led her away and we went on down the fence row then over the hill.

When she pointed the second pigeon she was buried in the clump that the pigeon was hidden in. I walked around her taking pictures. I kicked the cover and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I led her away.

She stayed in front of me really well on the edges. When I got back close to the road she came off the edge just like I wanted her to and came back in front of the 4-wheeler. When I stopped at the truck she came back to me.

I have run my dogs off the 4-wheeler here at home but I don’t have enough room to make them run a long way between birds. After just a couple of times running the dogs on a larger property they are learning that they don’t have to check in so often. This should keep them from looping back to check in so often. Watching dogs learn is what makes dog training fun.

Blaze buried in the cover.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo after the pigeon had flown.

Sallie my new pup.

Luke

Tur Bo

We have had over a week of extremely hot weather. Each morning at daylight it has been in the upper 70’s to low 80’s. I haven’t done any dog training since the fifteenth of July.

I did go to Omaha and pick up my stud fee puppy. I got a 7 week old female setter out of Tur Bo and a Tekoa Mountain female. I wouldn’t have taken her from her litter so early except I had the 2 pups from Blaze’s litter, that were 4 days younger, to put her with. The mother of the puppy has Tekoa Mountain Sunrise on both sides. Hick’s Rising Sun is her my pups Great Grandfather. I had a Rising Sun grandson that was a really good bird dog. I’m expecting good things from her.

I took Blaze, Tur Bo, Luke and 6 pigeons to the 100 acre farm that is just a couple of miles from my home. I took my 4-wheeler and hid the pigeons, in release traps, a long way from the truck. The first was 300 yards and the second was 505 yards from the truck.

I put the e-collars and the GPS on Luke. I got on the 4-wheeler and released him to hunt. The truck was just a few yards from a tree lined fence row. Luke hit the fence row and took it to the east. When he came by the first pigeon he was on the wrong side to catch the scent. We went on toward the second. When I got to the second bird Luke was no where in sight. I checked the GPS and it showed him on point.

I started looking for him but couldn’t see him. I went to the pigeon and the GPS said he was 60 feet to the north east on point. I went through a thicket without finding him. I came back and started watching the GPS and finally found him. He was on point inside the thicket. I went in front of him thinking maybe he was pointing wild birds but wasn’t able to flush anything. I released him and he moved about 10 feet closer to the pigeon and went on point again. This time he was on the edge of the thicket. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move.

I took him by one of the feeders I have out on this farm then back toward the first pigeon I had hidden. This time he was closer and he whirled to a point. I took some pictures then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. He hunted back to the truck.

I replaced the pigeons and turned Tur Bo loose. He was quite away from the first pigeon when he came by it so we continued on toward the second. When I came around the corner he was on point about 30 feet from the pigeon. I took pictures and walked in front of him kicking the cover. He didn’t move when I flushed the pigeon. I led him away and released him to hunt.

We made a big circle then went toward the first pigeon. When he hit the scent cone he slammed into a point. I took pictures and walked in front of him kicking the tall weeds. I flushed the pigeon and he caught it. I saw him start to move and yelled, “whoa”, and hit the button on the flank e-collar but once he starts to move nothing will stop him. I picked him up but his collar and the flank collar and set him back. He dropped the pigeon as I was carrying him back and it flew away. I kicked the cover in front of him then went to the 4-wheeler for another pigeon. I put it to sleep just a few feet in front of him. I said, “whoa” one time and the pigeon woke up on it’s own. He didn’t move as it flew away. I released him and we hunted back to the truck.

I only had one pigeon left so I picked up the closest release trap and reloaded the farther one. I turned Blaze loose. She nosed around where the first bird had been hidden but went back to hunting. She was quite away ahead of me when she pointed her bird. She was almost in the same place that Tur Bo had been when he pointed. I went in front of her kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she never moved. I led her away and released her. We hunted back to the truck.

This is the first time I have had a place where I can spread the birds out and really make the dogs hunt for them. At my place I only have 3 or 4 acres to hide the birds in. On this place I have probably 60 of the 100 acres that I can hide birds.

With me riding the 4-wheeler, the dogs don’t have to check back so often and I can spread the birds out farther. I started roading the dogs yesterday. Between the roading and them running farther in search of the pigeons they should get in better shape for the upcoming season.

Blaze

Luke

Tur Bo