Another Kansas Prairie Chicken Hunt

Posted on October 15, 2021 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

I made another trip to Kansas in search of the wily, elusive, unapproachable prairie chicken. I usually admit that I wouldn’t shoot at one given the chance but now I might. All of the driving and looking at places without firing a shot is getting exhausting. From my house I drove a long way into Kansas. Then spent most of the day driving and looking. The area I was in had large pastures that mostly had cows on them or were grazed down to nothing.

Mann on point.

Sally on point.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I left my house really early (4:15 am) to get to this area before it got too warm to run dogs. I had an area in mind to start my hunt on but drove by another on the way. It looked really good but I drove a few miles to another area. As I drove along the edge of a huge pasture I saw cows on the east side. I went on around to the north side and at first didn’t see any cows. As I eased down the road to make sure no one else was hunting this, I saw more cows. I don’t like to turn my dogs loose close to cows.

Part of the reason for not turning them loose close to cows is Boss will honor them. To him they look like big dogs on point. Last year I had to walk to him and lead him away. Some of the time he would be a quarter mile from me. I had to walk the quarter mile, grab his collar and lead him back away from the cows. After a few yards I could turn him loose but I had to walk the quarter mile back. He’s progressed to where now I can call him away. Sometimes I have to use the tone on his e-collar but he will come. The main reason is the farmer doesn’t want the dogs close to the cows.

As I drove beside one of the walk-in properties a prairie chicken flushed from the CRP. I was sure there were more chickens in the tall grass so I drove to the end and parked. There was a sign for the walk-in that said this property good from November 1 through January 31. There were several in that area that were marked like this. But this one and some others were also bow and arrow or shotgun only. With the red stripes through the place on the atlas it’s hard to tell the color of the area.

We drove on to look at others. One of the large pastures I passed had some cows feeding on a large bale of hay. If the farmers are already feeding hay there isn’t much grass growing in this area. I did see some good looking pastures but they had cattle on them. I also saw some that had been grazed to where there was almost nothing left. This doesn’t bode well for the upcoming quail and pheasant season.

I was about 20 miles from where I had seen the first place and thought it looked good. Since it was getting warmer decided I would go back and turn the dogs out. I drove all the way back to find out it was a November 1 to January 31 place, also. Being color blind and not recognizing the color of the underlying walk-in property, doesn’t make life easier. I drove to another place.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

We had a pretty strong wind from the north north west so I parked on the south east side and turned all 4 dogs (Mann, Abby, Sally and Boss) loose. They all had GPS collars and everyone but Abby had e-collars. I put an older collar on her so she would think she had one. There was a wheat stubble field on the north side and we went in to the wind toward it.

When we got close to the stubble field there was a good brushy fence row that the dogs ran from end to end. As we got close to the end I saw a coyote run from the dogs heading south. We went on to the west side then turned south down a small draw and finally the fence row. We worked back to the truck without seeing a game bird.

The dogs were all thirsty and drank from the bucket full of water I had with me. As I loaded dogs in their boxes Boss went back across the fence and laid down. He hates to ride in the truck. I’ve dealt with this his whole life. When I’m not in a hurry it’s comical. I called him and he raised his head to watch me. I hit the tone on his e-collar and he stood up. He slowly started toward me. Then he forgot where he was going and started down the ditch. I tapped the tone and he meandered toward me. The water bucket was still open so he dipped his muzzle in the bucket without drinking. I hooked a finger in his collar and said, “up” and he jumped onto the tail gate. I took the e-collar and GPS collar off and put him in his box.

It rained Monday but I was able to work Bodie, Boss and Abby last Tuesday. Then it rained again on Wednesday. I took the dogs to Kansas on Thursday and it’s raining again today. Oh well. Life of a dog guy.

Pigeons don’t go back in or I will use them again.

I hid 4 pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds. I had Bodie (the pup called Buck before) on the chain gang close to the training grounds. If I stake him out near the kennels he beats me to the birds. Since I first started putting him on the stake I wait for him to sit before I turn him loose. If he’s jumping around I just wait. I don’t say sit or anything. I just wait. I unsnap the chain and drop it but hold him and pet for a short while. I don’t want him to use the sound of the chain hitting the ground for a release. I want to release him myself.

I have hidden quite a few birds for him and he remembers most of the spots. He checks most of them and before he finds the first bird he sneaks up on some of the spots. He even points some places but I keep walking, without saying anything. He will quit and try to stay in front of me.

There wasn’t much wind but he was a good distance from the first bird when he pointed. I stood, without saying anything, and watched. At his first movement I flushed the pigeon and said, “get that bird, get that bird”. He chased but at his age, 14 weeks, he didn’t chase far. We went on to the neighbor’s side where I had 3 pigeons hidden.

The puppies like the loose pigeons.

On both sides I usually put a bird close to the end but this time it was about 30 yards from the end. Bodie started along the back, slinking. He slowly hunted the back without smelling a bird then started moving faster. When he hit the scent cone he just turned and started toward the pigeon. I flushed it. He went to the release trap then went on.

He was going fast for a young pup as we went back through the training grounds. He hit the scent cone on the next bird and turned toward it. I flushed the pigeon. This is the way wild birds will act. He went to the release trap then went back to hunting.

He was still a good distance from the pigeon when he the scent cone and pointed. I was about 20 yards from him and I didn’t move or say anything. He held this point for about 45 seconds then took one step. I flushed the pigeon. I want him to think any movement on his part and the bird is gone. We went back to the kennel.

I hid 2 pigeons in release traps where I was going to heel the other two dogs. I put one pigeon in between two raised gardens and the other behind a stump. I heeled Boss out, an e-collar around his neck, with the piggin’ string. We went toward the front of my house, across the front then back toward the training grounds. Beside the house I whoaed him and put a pigeon to sleep about 20 feet in front of him.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

The birds have been close enough for me to hold the piggin’ string when I wake the pigeon. With the bird out this far he will have to stay on his own. I kicked the grass close to the pigeon then walked back and stroked his sides. I went back in front and woke the pigeon. I was partially blocking his view and he moved enough to see the bird fly away but he didn’t try to chase. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.

I whoaed him close to the raised gardens but not where he could smell the bird in the release trap. I put another bird to sleep about 15 feet in front of him. I stroked his sides and walked in front kicking the grass. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap. His head came up but he didn’t move. I stroked his sides then kicked close to the pigeon that was asleep in front of him. I woke the pigeon and he watched it fly away.

It was quite a ways to the next bird so I whoaed him a couple of times with no bird before we got close. Then I whoaed him, placed a pigeon about 15 feet ahead of him and stroked his sides. I walked in front kicking the grass and flushed the pigeon in the release trap. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then walked in front kicking the cover. I woke the pigeon and he watched it fly away. I heeled him close to the 4-wheeler. He ran in front of the 4-wheeler to the back then back to the kennel.

Tur Bo, the puppies great grandfather.

I replaced the pigeons in the release traps. I heeled Abby out, an e-collar around her neck, with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her several times before I put a pigeon to sleep in front of her. The bird was about 20 feet in front of her. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the grass. I went back and stroked her sides. I walked back in front, woke the pigeon and had to grab Abby. She wanted to chase. I carried her back and set her up. I kicked in front, again. I stroked her sides and heeled her away.

When we got to the raised gardens I whoaed her. I placed a pigeon about 15 feet in front of her. I stroked her sides then kicked the grass around the pigeon. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and Abby was gone. She chased the pigeon with me holding the button on the transmitter down on low 2. Abby went all the way to the back. She passed the bird in the release trap by the stump and just kept going. I waited until she came back to do anything.

When she came back close to me I toned her with the e-collar and called her to me. She knew she was in trouble. She stopped about 15 yards from me and waited. I went to her, grabbed the piggin’ string and heeled her back to where she should have stood. I stroked her sides then went in front kicking near the pigeon that was still asleep in the grass. I rolled the bird over and it flew away. Abby took a step and I set her back. I stroked her sides and went back in front kicking the grass. I came back and stroked her sides then heeled her away.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

When we got close to the stump where the other bird, in the release trap, was I put her on whoa, put a bird to sleep in front of her and kicked the grass around it. I went to her and stroked her sides. I went back in front of her kicking the grass and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. She, again, chased. This time I held the transmitter button down on 2 high. She stopped just past where the release traps was.

This time I carried her back, shook her 3 times, set her down and said, “whoa”, once, loudly. I went in front of her kicking around the pigeon lying in the grass. I went to her and stroked her sides then walked in front kicking the grass and rolled the pigeon over. This time when it flew away she didn’t move. I let her run in front of the 4-wheeler before putting her back in the kennel.

The 6 quail from a Kansas quail hunt and the W.R. Pape. Last year. Come on this season.

Abby is a lot like her grandpa, Tur Bo. If anything she is a little more hard headed, which isn’t all bad. I was never able to get Tur Bo to not take a step on his birds. I think Abby will get steady but it’s going to take a lot of birds. She holds her pointed birds until they flush. That’s really all I require on wild birds. This exercise is to make them understand that as long as the bird they are pointing stays put, they must also.

Mann and Luke will stay on point while I shoot another dog’s bird if their bird doesn’t flush. That’s what I’m wanting these two dogs to do, also. With enough birds they will too.

Posted in Dog training, Dogs | Comments Off on Another Kansas Prairie Chicken Hunt

Cool Morning Dog Training, Week Of October 4 through October 9

Posted on October 10, 2021 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

With the mornings being in the sixties, I have been working puppies along with Abby and Boss each morning. Now I only have one puppy to work. I sold Gabe Wednesday morning. I have 6 runs in my kennels and the two puppies had to be in the same run. Buck, the one I renamed Bodie, was more aggressive than Gabe. They needed to be separated so I sold Gabe. I thought that Bodie would be harder to handle but also I thought he would run bigger than Gabe. When I work him on pigeons he gets ahead me by about 40 yards at 14 weeks old. I think he will be a big runner. I like that and a lot of people like closer working dogs.

Bodie pointing a pigeon.

The pigeon close to the release trap.

Abby pointing a pigeon in a tree.

Since Gabe is not here I have been putting 4 pigeons out for Bodie. On mornings, I’m going to work him, I put him on a stake out while I clean pens. That keeps him cleaner for photos. Abby likes to roll him in the dirt or preferably mud when they are turned loose together. That makes for a dirty dog picture.

After cleaning pens and putting the other dogs back in their runs I turn Bodie loose. We walk down close to the training grounds and I put him on a chain gang. Between the time he spends on the stake and the time on the chain gang he learns to give to the lead. When he gets a little bigger I will work him on heel and whoa.

I catch his 4 pigeons and hide them on the training grounds. Sometimes I put 2 birds on my side and 2 on my neighbor’s side but sometimes only one or none on one side or the other. I, also, try to find new places each time to hide the birds. That gets harder each day. There is a limited amount of places to hide the birds and this week I have worked Bodie on 21 pigeons. That is 21 different places to hide birds, so soon I will have to repeat some of the places.

Bodie just turned 14 weeks old Wednesday and he is smart enough to remember and check most of the places where he’s found a bird in the past, as he goes by them. Dogs remember spots. That’s the reason picking a dog up and setting him back works. He knows the spot he was in. Putting him back reminds him that he shouldn’t have moved.

Saturday when I worked Bodie on his birds he pointed the first one for a few seconds but the next two he turned and headed straight for them. All 3 of these birds, I flushed when he moved toward them. The fourth bird he smelled from a good distance and pointed. I was about 40 yards behind him when he went on point and I cut the distance in half before I stopped. I just waited, without saying anything, until he moved. Maybe a full minute. At his first movement I flushed the pigeon.

This was a young bird and it tried to light in the tree right above it but it missed the limb. I couldn’t see the bird after it tried to light the first time but I could hear it. It tried to light 3 or 4 times but finally lit on the ground close to the trap. Gabe had caught a pigeon that did the same thing a few days before. Bodie had run toward the release trap when I flushed the pigeon. Now when he saw the bird on the ground he pointed again. I just stood and watched.

Boss with a pigeon asleep in front of him.

It was a stand off. The pigeon was watching Bodie and he was pointing the pigeon. Neither moved for about 30 seconds then the pigeon tried to walk a way. Bodie wasn’t going to allow that. He was after it. It finally flew away. But that was really good for him.

He’s a little shy around the 4-wheeler and I’m going to need to follow him on it when he gets a little older. So I have him follow as I ride it to pick up the release traps. That only works for a short distance, so far. He follows for a while then goes back to the kennel area. He should get over this.

When I put him in his kennel I decided to see if he would try to retrieve. For this I start them with a paint roller cover. They are light, cheap and puppies seem to like them. I went into his run and tossed the roller cover to the other end of the run. He ran to it, grabbed it and tried to get by me to go in his house. I petted him until he dropped it. I tossed it again. This time he didn’t try to come toward me. As he played with the roller cover the end went under the fence separating him from Abby, his mother. Abby pulled the cover to her side and jumped onto her house.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I had done this with her when she was a puppy but hadn’t kept going with it. I went over to her side and she gave me the roller cover. I tossed it for her and she grabbed it and jumped onto her house. Before I could reach for the roller cover she dropped it. I tossed it again. Abby retrieved again. I may start working with her each day on retrieving.

I have been working Abby and Boss on heel, whoa and being steady on a bird they can see. I heel them to my front yard across the front then back toward the training grounds. I whoa them occasionally as we walk along. I have 3 pigeons in a bird bag on my shoulder. I put them each on whoa and put a pigeon to sleep on the ground about 3 feet in front of them. This is one of the few times I brush their tails up. I stroke their sides, brush their tails up and tell them what a good dog they are.

I walk around the pigeon kicking the cover. I go back and stroke them some more telling them what good dogs they are. I hold the piggin’ string while I wake the pigeon with my foot by turning it over. Some of these pigeons are young birds that when I roll them over just walk around or just stand and watch the dog. That is good for the training we are doing. Before they can walk too far I throw my hat at them. Then they fly. A few don’t go very far but the dog has to stand.

Friday and Saturday, for Abby and Boss both, I hid a pigeon behind a stump in a release trap. I heeled them close to the stump, whoaed them and put a pigeon to sleep on the east side of the stump. The pigeon in the release trap was on the west side where they couldn’t see it and the wind was wrong for them to smell it. I walked around the pigeon I had put to sleep, came back and stroked them then flushed the pigeon from the release trap.

Abby with a pigeon asleep in front of her.

The Dogtra release traps are very quiet. For me, it was like the pigeon just flushed off the ground. Both dogs reared back but didn’t try to chase. After just a couple of seconds their attention was back on the pigeon that was asleep in front of them. This really makes the dogs understand that if the bird they are pointing doesn’t move they don’t move. I walked around the pigeon again before rolling it over. After it flew away I walked in front of them again kicking the grass.

I have worked Boss and Abby a lot on heel and whoa. I walked them around the yard for several weeks heeling and whoaing them every few feet. Then we spent about a month on the whoa post. The knew what whoa meant before we started doing this exercise. Are they perfect? No. But they do pretty well. Because of all the work before they will get this pretty quickly. Next week I will incorporate a blank pistol into the exercise.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Right now I’m holding the piggin’ string when I flush the pigeon. I don’t think either dog has ever tried to move. When I shoot the blank pistol I want to be farther from them so I will try a couple of days of being out front of the dogs when I flush the bird. If they don’t chase I will start shooting the blank pistol and saying, “whoa”. Usually, the dogs anticipate the whoa coming after I shoot. They get to where if they are running and I shoot they will stop. It’s just like when I yell, “whoa”.

I have never expected perfection on their whoaing on the sound of the blank pistol but if I field trialed I would absolutely work on this. Just another whoa command without having to say anything.

Posted in Dog training | Comments Off on Cool Morning Dog Training, Week Of October 4 through October 9

More Dog Training, 10/5/21

Posted on October 5, 2021 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

Cool weather is finally here and I can not only work the puppies but do a little with Abby and Boss. I’ve let Abby and Boss chase but now I will try to steady them. I really don’t care whether they are steady to wing and shot, on wild birds, when I hunt but it seems to me that they are steadier on wild birds if I really steady them on pigeons.

Buck pointing a pigeon.

Gabe pointing a pigeon.

One of the puppies, I’m not sure which.

I put the puppies on stake outs while I clean all of the pens then take them to the chain gang close to the training grounds. If I turn them loose from the stakes near the kennels they beat me to the training grounds, when I have birds out. They are getting faster and I don’t want to run.

I put three pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. One on my side and two on my neighbor’s side. I try to place one at the fence row at the very back on both sides. I hope the puppies will think that if they always run the very end of the field they will find a bird. I’ve had dogs that I had to walk to the end. They would quit before running the last several yards of a draw if I didn’t walk with them.

I turned Gabe out first. Until they find their first bird they slink around checking each place I have hidden a bird before. We went to the back and when he hit the scent cone he pointed for just a second or two. When he moved I flushed the pigeon. The pigeon didn’t even try to fly. It went up and landed right beside the trap. Gabe was going toward the trap and he was after the pigeon. It ran for a few feet but Gabe caught him.

He held the pigeon trying to get a grip on it. After a few seconds he picked the bird up and started away from me. I called him and ran away, slowly. He followed still holding the pigeon. I stopped and he evaded me. I ran away from him again calling him. This time I waited until he was closer, before trying to catch him. I petted him until he dropped the pigeon. I grabbed the pigeon and set it on a limb on a tree as we went toward the neighbor’s side. It wasn’t hurt.

Now that he caught that pigeon he will not point for a while, probably. We went to the back on the neighbor’s side and when he hit the scent cone he went straight to the pigeon. When I saw his head come up and he turned toward the bird I flushed it. He didn’t chase but went to the trap. I called him away. We went on up the field.

When we got to the next bird he flash pointed but went straight toward the trap. I flushed the pigeon. He didn’t chase. I took him back to the chain gang.

I reloaded the release traps and turned Buck loose. He, too, was slinking around until we got to the back. He hit the scent cone and pointed. I was still 35 yards from him. I just stopped and took pictures. He stayed on point but he looked back over his shoulder to see what I was doing. When he saw I wasn’t moving he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He went to the trap then went back to hunting.

We checked out the end of my side then went to the neighbor’s side. At the very back he hit the scent cone but didn’t point. He just went toward the trap and I flushed the pigeon. He’s too young to chase much. We went toward the front.

When he got close to the next pigeon he pointed. He was about 10 yards in front of me when he pointed. I stopped and watched him without saying anything. I didn’t even move. He held his point and his only movement was turning his head to look at me. After about 30 seconds he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He watched the bird fly away. We went to the chain gang and I turned Gabe loose to play with Buck, for a while.

What I try to do with these puppies is what we used to do with wild birds. Wild birds will not allow a dog to get too close so they learn to point when they first hit the scent cone. If they point at the first hint of a scent the bird will flush if they move even a foot. That is what I try to do with the release traps. That keeps them from getting too close and what I hope they understand is any movement on their part, the bird flushes. They are too young to chase very far so all the fun they get from this is the pointing.

Boss with a pigeon asleep in front of him.

I have worked Abby and Boss a lot on whoa. I started them on “heel” and “whoa”. After a lot of this I worked them on the whoa post. Now Abby hasn’t done much other than be the mother to the puppies. Boss spent 2 months in South Dakota but I don’t think there were many birds. So now I’m going to put them through some drills that will make them more steady.

I put 3 pigeons in a bird bag, put an e-collar around Abby’s neck, hooked a check cord to her collar and heeled her out of the kennel. I started toward the front of my yard. We heeled for several yards then I hit the e-collar transmitter on low 2 and said, “whoa”. Neither of these dogs have been whoaed with the e-collar around their neck but they have learned how to turn the e-collar off on other commands so after a couple of times she stopped before I could say, “whoa”.

We went through the front yard and turned back toward the back. I whoaed her, took a pigeon from the bird bag, put it to sleep and placed it about 4 feet in front of her. This is really hard for Abby. If a pigeon comes out of a release trap and doesn’t fly away quickly she will catch it. I held the piggin’ string but with slack in it. She was intense but didn’t try to move. I stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I held on tightly to the piggin’ string and stepped in front and rolled the pigeon over. When it flew away she wanted to chase but I stopped her with the piggin’ string. I styled her a little then heeled her away.

Boss’s pigeon that just watched us instead of flying away.

I whoaed her several times with no birds then whoaed her, placed a sleeping pigeon about 3 or 4 feet in front of her. I stroked her sides then walked around the pigeon kicking the cover. I went around the pigeon and around Abby. I stroked her sides and woke the pigeon. She tried to chase again but not as hard. I styled her up and stroked her sides. I heeled her away.

I whoaed her and placed the third pigeon in front of her. I stroked her sides. I walked around the pigeon and around Abby too. I held the piggin’ string and woke the pigeon. When I rolled it over with my foot it just stood. It watched Abby and me for a few seconds then started walking away. This was really hard on Abby but occasionally a wild bird may run away in an area where she can see them. I threw my hat but it didn’t scare the bird. Finally it flew away. Abby wanted to chase but I held her with the piggin’ string. I heeled her a little way then whoaed her. I took the piggin’ string and check cord off and let her run for a while.

I put three more pigeons in the bird bag and put the e-collar and check cord on Boss. I heeled him toward the front yard. As I heeled him along I hit the button on the transmitter on low 2 and then said, “whoa”. He was whoaing but not a quickly as I thought he should. But I gave him several tries before I went to a higher level. Then it dawned on me. The transmitter was still on the black collar that I used on Abby. I had left it on her as a bark collar. He had the red collar on. When I got the transmitter on the right collar he got a lot faster on his whoas.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

After we went to the front yard and across then started toward the back I put a pigeon to sleep in front of him. Boss was closer to being steady than Abby. I held the piggin’ string and rolled his pigeon over. The pigeon rolled but didn’t even try to stand. It just lay on it’s side looking at us. Boss and I stood for a minute or longer waiting for the bird to do something. But it just stared at us with the one eye we could see. I rolled it over again and it flew away. Boss tried to follow but I held him.

We went on with a few whoas before I whoaed him and placed another pigeon in front of him. I thought the pigeon was asleep that I placed in front of Boss but as I stepped back to him the pigeon flew away. Boss turned to watch but he really didn’t try to chase. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.

The last bird was placed in front of him and I walked a circle around Boss and the pigeon, kicking the cover. I held the piggin’ string and woke the pigeon. It flew away. Boss watched but didn’t try to follow. I heeled him a little way then released him to run.

As he went to the back he pointed the bird that Gabe had caught. I had set it on a limb. It wasn’t far off the ground and he smelled it. I went to him and just took a step in front of him and the pigeon had had enough. The pigeon coop was to the east but that pigeon flew to the west. I thought maybe he wouldn’t come back but he did, later.

Boss pointing a pigeon in a tree.

I really enjoy working with young dogs. All of the time I put in teaching them the whoa command is paying off on this new exercise. Later I will shoot the blank pistol when I flush the pigeon and say, “whoa”. After a while they will automatically whoa when they hear the blank pistol. Someone said that each thing they learn is like a link in a chain. This is just another link in the chain.

Posted in Dogs | Comments Off on More Dog Training, 10/5/21

More Puppy Training

Posted on October 2, 2021 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

It has been cool of the mornings but warms quickly. It does give me time to put some birds out for Gabe and Buck. Last week I hid pigeons in tip up release traps but this week I changed to release traps. Before hiding birds in the electronic traps I put the puppies on stake outs and released some birds, some from my hand and some from the Dogtra releases, real close to them to get them used to the sound of the traps. The didn’t act like they even heard the trap.

The release trap close to the puppies.

After I released them I let them smell the trap.

The puppies like the loose pigeons.

When I put the pigeons in the tip up releases I let the puppies jump in on the birds. This week I started flushing the pigeon as soon as I could tell they smelled the bird, if they didn’t stop and point. Letting them catch a few pigeons built their desire up. Now I want them to think that any movement on their part flushes the bird. We used to train on wild birds but now I have to use pigeons. That is what a wild bird would do.

Monday I had the puppies staked out near the kennel and rode the 4-wheeler down and hid the pigeons then came back and released Buck first. He took off to the training grounds and I didn’t really want him to get to the first bird before I could flush it so I ran. I gave up running many years ago but on this morning I had to run for each puppy. Since that first morning, I take the puppies to a chain gang that is closer, to the training grounds.

I have left long strips of grass to hide birds in on my side and on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds. Lucky for me when I got to where Buck was, he was waiting for me. We went on down the grass strip. I have been hiding the birds in tip ups in this grass so the puppies search them really well.

Buck hit the first scent cone and wheeled around, starting toward the pigeon. I flushed it and he stopped. I encouraged him to chase but he didn’t follow it very far. We went on down the next strip and again he wheeled toward the bird. This time he stopped for a moment. When he moved I flushed the pigeon. They were just 13 weeks old yesterday, so they can’t chase much but they do get excited about the pigeons.

I always go all the way to the back on each side to keep the puppies, I hope, from quitting a cast before they cover the end of the property. We turned and went to the neighbor’s side. As we came up the edge of a strip of grass he hit the scent cone and went toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He followed a few feet. I took him back to his stake.

I replaced the pigeons in the release traps and released Gabe to hunt. Again I had to run to keep close. I almost said to keep up but I didn’t keep up, I just stayed close. Gabe went down the grass strip but he was slinking most of the way. Sometimes they do this until they learn to trust their nose.

Another picture of the puppies on their stakes.

He was going slow when he hit the scent cone and he stopped. I watched him until he moved then flushed the pigeon. We went on down the grass strip until he smelled the next bird. He whirled around and started to the bird and I flushed it. He chased a few feet. After we checked out the very end of my side we went to the neighbor’s side.

When he hit the scent cone on the next bird he pointed. His tail was quivering but he wasn’t moving his feet. I had the transmitter on the wrong number to release this bird when he moved a few feet and went back on point. I changed the transmitter then waited for him to move again. This time when he moved I flushed the pigeon. I wish I never made mistakes but I do. Most of the time the dogs make good bird dogs despite my training. Good blood shows.

I worked both dogs two more days on birds hidden in exactly the same places. I wanted the puppies to anticipate there being a bird in the grass strip in the same place. This caused them to be real cautious but it also caused them to point. Not every time but some of the time. After they found the first bird each time they ran good, without the slinking that they did before they found the first.

Thursday morning I moved the release traps to edges of the clumps of brush. I will only use the strips of grass occasionally now. I also moved the puppies to a chain gang near the training grounds so I didn’t have to run to watch them on their first bird. Actually I moved them to the chain gang on Tuesday. I don’t want to run, ever.

Puppies chained to a stake.

Gabe is quieter on the chain gang than Buck is so I more often turn him loose first. Not always but more often. On Thursday morning I turned Buck loose first. Buck just knew where the birds were and headed for the grass strip. He pointed the place where I had hidden birds 3 mornings in a row. I walked on by him. He jumped into the grass strip then came on with me.

I walked him around a clump of brush that had a pigeon hidden in the edge. As he came through the scent cone he wheeled around and started for the pigeon. I flushed the pigeon but it hit a limb and dropped right beside the trap. Buck was a few yards from the pigeon and he rushed toward it. The pigeon flew away with him following for a short distance. We went on toward the next bird.

The next bird was near the back, along an edge. As we got close he was away from the edge so we went on to the back. As we came back close to the pigeon he hit the scent cone but went straight toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped and watched it fly away. We went to the neighbor’s side.

We walked to the back and started back toward the front. Buck hit the scent cone on the pigeon but again went straight toward it. I flushed the pigeon. I try not to wait to see what will happen. If I flush the bird each time he will soon be more cautious and point. I hope. We went back to the chain gang.

Abby, the mom, watching the puppies play.

I reloaded the traps and turned Gabe loose. He did exactly like Buck. He started sneaking up on the place where I had hidden the bird 3 mornings in a row. I kept walking. He got in front of me after running through where the bird had been hidden. We came around a clump of brush and he hit the scent cone. He stopped with a nice point for about 3 seconds and moved toward the bird. I flushed the pigeon. He stopped and watched the bird fly away.

We went on toward the back. As we went by the scent cone he was checking the grass strip out where I had hidden birds before. We went to the back then turned back toward the front. As we came down the edge he hit the scent cone and went toward the pigeon. I flushed the bird. He chased a short distance. We went to the neighbor’s side.

When we got close to the next bird he didn’t give much indication that he smelled it. He was in the brush getting close to the bird so I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went to the chain gang and I turned Buck loose to run with Gabe.

I rode the 4-wheeler to pick up the release traps. Buck is usually more bold than Gabe but with the 4-wheeler he isn’t. Gabe ran right in front of the 4-wheeler while Buck followed behind. They stayed that way all the way back to the kennel.

Mann the sire.

Today was the second day with the pigeons hidden in new places in the release traps. I put one pigeon on my side and 2 on the neighbor’s side. I turned Gabe loose from the chain gang first. Now they have more spots to check. Even puppies this young know each spot I have hidden birds for them before.

Gabe didn’t go slinking very long. He started checking the area. When we got where I had hidden the first bird he was on the wrong side of the field. We went on to the back, checked the end and came back. When we started over to the neighbor’s side he smelled the pigeon but wasn’t sure where it was. He started into the clump that held the bird and I flushed it. It was pretty thick and the pigeon came back to the ground. As Gabe went through the clump the bird flew away. He was right behind it for a few feet. We went on to the neighbor’s side.

We went to the back and circled the end. As we started along the edge he hit the scent cone and went toward the pigeon. I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went on toward the front.

We got close to the front where the last bird was hidden. He started around the edge of the brush and smelled the pigeon. He moved toward it and I flushed it. He watched it fly away. We went back to the chain gang.

Tur Bo, the puppies great grandfather.

I reloaded the release traps and turned Buck loose. Buck smelled the first bird and went into the clump of brush toward it. I flushed the pigeon. He was in the clump and didn’t follow. We went on to the back, circled the end and went across to the neighbor’s side.

Buck went toward the back and when he hit the scent cone pointed. He didn’t stand long and when he took a step I flushed the pigeon. It hit the ground right beside the trap and Buck went after it. The pigeon ran a few feet then flew away with Buck chasing for a few feet. We went on toward the front.

Buck was about 35 yards ahead of me when he hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and pointed. I stopped, got my phone out and started videoing him. I didn’t try to get closer or say anything. I had the transmitter ready to flush the pigeon. He stayed on point for 15 seconds or so before he took a step. I flushed the pigeon. He went to the trap. We went to the chain gang and I released Gabe. They ran until we got back to the kennel.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I hide these pigeons and the puppies hunt for them. When they point I don’t try to get close to the puppy or say anything. Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing to do but it’s exactly what the puppies need. They don’t need someone hollering “whoa” or brushing their tail up. Their mother and father put the tail where it’s going to be. The puppy has to figure out what is going on. They can’t chase very far so the only fun they get is pointing. I want them to think that any movement on their part will cause the bird to fly. They will learn to point for a longer period of time as they are worked on pigeons.

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