Traveling Pointing Dogs

Most cool mornings I work the young dogs on pigeons. I took some pictures of the training grounds, more specifically, of the way I hide the pigeons in the the release traps. I completely cover the release traps with grass so the dog has no chance to see the bird or trap. I don’t want them to sight point in any way.

A strip of grass left to hide pigeons in, for the dogs.

There is a release trap and pigeon there.

Another pigeon here.

The pictures are from a few days ago. Yesterday, during the work out I had hidden the birds in a strip of grass that was surrounded by trees with just a small circle of open grass. The strip of left over grass was only about 7 or 8 yards long. I put a release trap with a pigeon in it on both ends.

I heeled Boss to the highway out front then back to the training grounds after whoaing him on all 3 place boards. I had whoaed him several times before and after the place boards. He’s starting to really understand what “whoa” means.

We had a pretty good breeze from the west when we approached the circle of trees. I heeled him through a break in the trees and whoaed him. We were 20 yards or more from the strip of grass. I took the piggin’ string off and tapped his head. He didn’t move. Usually, when I whoa him his tail is up. I tapped his head again thinking from all of the whoaing up to this point he was just being sticky. He still didn’t move.

I walked out in front of him and noticed that he was breathing the scent in through his mouth. He was on point. I hadn’t brought my stake with me so I tied his check cord to a tree limb. I went back in front kicking the cover. I flushed the farther pigeon. He didn’t move.

He was still 20 yards or farther from the pigeon that was left. I walked through the tall grass kicking the cover. After maybe a minute of me kicking the cover I flushed the second pigeon. He still didn’t move. I stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I untied his check cord and heeled him away. I released him to run. After a couple of laps of the training grounds with me on the 4-wheeler I put him in the kennel.

After reloading the release traps I brought Abby out. Abby and now Josie, too, try to lead me. I do a lot of u turns and left turns when they get too far ahead of me as we are heeling toward the training grounds. The dogs know there are birds and they want to hurry. I don’t take them all the way to the highway. We just cut across the yard and hit all 3 place boards.

Because I led Boss right into the scent cone, I took Abby into the circle of trees from a different break. I whoaed her and took the piggin’ string off. When I tapped her head to release her she went to the strip where I had birds hidden the day before. After she checked it she came in front of me.

Boss on a pigeon.

She was going really fast when she hit the scent cone and slid to a point. I had the stake with me now and I tied her check cord to it. Abby was closer to the birds than Boss had been so I walked both sides of the strip from end to end, kicking the cover. I flushed the farther pigeon and she took a step with the check cord stopping her. I set her back.

After she got the scent of the bird, still in the grass, I started kicking the cover again. I went from end to end on both sides. When I flushed the pigeon she jumped really high trying to catch the bird. I set her back. I walked the strip some more then heeled her away. I ran her a couple of laps with the 4-wheeler then put her in the kennel.

Josie was next. She used to be really good about heeling but now she just wants to lead me to the training grounds. I make lots of turns and sometimes just take really small steps. The young dogs just want to get to the place boards then go to the birds.

Abby on a pigeon.

When she pointed Josie was almost in Abby’s foot prints but then she wanted to take a step. I set her back, whoaed her and tied the check cord to the stake. I walked both sides of the strip of grass and because she had taken a step after going on point, I made her stay on point longer, before flushing a bird.

When I flushed the first pigeon Josie tried to get it but the check cord stopped her. Then she tried to get the other bird still hidden in the grass. I set her back and whoaed her. I stroked her sides and brushed her up. Then I walked up and down the strip on both sides several times. I made her stay on point a long time before I flushed the bird. She tried really hard to catch the bird. I set her back and whoaed her.

I kicked the strip some more then heeled her away. I would have run her off the 4-wheler a couple of laps but she went back to the kennel after one lap. I put her up.

The older 3 dogs don’t always get to work but a lot of times I just run them off the 4-wheeler to get them some exercise. I also work Mann and Sally on retrieving. I cut a hot dog in 18 or 20 slices so they get a sliver each time they retrieve a bumper, correctly.

Josie on a pigeon.

Neither of these dogs really, really like to retrieve but I think they are liking it better since I have been giving them the hot dog slivers. Usually, dogs like what ever they are trained to do. I clean pens twice a day and each dog goes back into their kennel without me saying anything to them, most times.

They heel and whoa when they are told too as well as jump onto or into anything when they are told, “up” or “kennel”. And they act happy to do it. Sally acted happy about the retrieving the last time and Mann is getting better. Maybe they are just happy about the hot dog. What ever works.

I used to give Lady the head of the quail when she brought it to me. She was the best retriever I have ever had. As she got older she thought the head was hers even if another dog retrieved the bird. And she usually got it.

An old structure I saw in Kansas several day s ago. Not sure what it was.

Years ago, Dennis Garrison had a Brittany that he would give the heads. It may have been because he forgot to give her the head a few times but she got to taking the head herself before she brought the bird. It wasn’t long she figured out that she could get a little more if she wanted. She still brought the bird to him but some of the time part of the breast was gone, too.

Remembering the personalities and the quirks of some of the dogs I’ve been around in the past makes having dogs something special. My life would not be complete without dogs to work with.

I would rather work the young dogs as I did a few days ago in Kansas but at home I only have pigeons. It would be nice to have enough wild birds to train a dog on but I don’t have that luxury. I don’t think the dogs really care as long as I’m doing something with them.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I have started working Boss on whoa with the e-collar. I heel him around the yard, push the button on the e-collar on a real low setting, (low 1 or medium 1) then say, “whoa”. After just a few times he will stop before I say, “whoa”, most of the time. After he is stopping reliably I quit the e-collar unless he doesn’t stop when I say, “whoa”.

On this morning as I got to the front yard a friend, Dennis Garrison, saw me walking him and stopped to talk. I had the piggin’ string around Boss’s neck. When Dennis stopped I told Boss to whoa. We talked for maybe 15 minutes and Boss didn’t hop around or tug on the piggin’ string. He just stood still waiting on me. Dennis said, “Boy, that dog is calm”. A well mannered puppy is what I’m after.

Without putting a lot of pressure on Boss I want to get him whoaing really well. That will take lots of repetitions. In Kansas the other day, when Sally pointed a covey of quail Boss didn’t know what she was doing. He ran past her and flushed a couple of birds.

Once I get him whoaing really well I will work him on the backing dog. I ran all of the young dogs with Vince’s short hair and Abby and Josie didn’t back her either. Both of them have been worked on the backing dog but that was their first time seeing a dog with no tail pointing. I will run them with the e-collar on their flanks until I have reliable backers.

After Dennis left I heeled Boss on toward the back whoaing him on all 3 place boards on the way. When we got close to where I had two pigeons hidden just 20 yards apart I turned Boss loose with out the piggin’ string.

Leaving the piggin’ string on makes the dog think you still have some control, maybe. Without the piggin’ string they seem freer. There was very little if any wind and he ran across the top of the first bird, hitting the trap with a foot releasing the pigeon. It only flew about 3 yards and hit the ground. Boss pounced on the bird.

Abby on a pigeon.

He wasn’t hurting the pigeon just mouthing it. I walked up the check cord and the pigeon got away from Boss. He stood pointing, watching the bird run away. I petted him, then worked him toward the second pigeon hidden in the same grass strip. We had almost circled the bird before he smelled it and pointed.

I tied the check cord to a stake in the ground and walked in front of him kicking the grass. After a few seconds I flushed the pigeon. He tried to chase but the check cord stopped him. I set him back, untied the check cord and heeled him away.

I heeled him toward the kennel then released him to run. When I got close to the kennel he wasn’t with me. I got on the 4-wheeler and went to the back. When I got close to the brush on the small hillside I could see the end of the check cord. I got off the 4-wheeler and went into the brush. His check cord was tangled. As I got close I saw some feathers. He had caught the pigeon that had run away from him, earlier. I untangled him and picked up the pigeon. It was wet with slobber but unhurt.

When we got back to the pigeon coop I put the bird in the house and I ran Boss around the house and to the back of the training grounds then back to the kennel.

Josie on a pigeon.

I heeled Josie out, with the e-collars around her neck and flanks, with the piggin’ string. She was dragging the check cord with a half hitch around her flanks. She and Abby are better at whoa because I’ve worked them longer than Boss so I don’t walk them as far. Just across the yard then toward the back after we whoa on all 3 place boards.

This morning I did something a little different with the two older, young dogs. Just as we got to the place boards I said, “whoa”. The first time I did this Josie and Abby both tried to get on the place board then whoa. I made them whoa where they heard the word. After the first time they had it figured out. I want them to automatically stop, wherever and whenever, they hear the command.

I whoaed Josie when we got close to the pigeons hidden in the grass strip. I took the piggin’ string off and tapped her head to release her. Josie is usually a little sticky when I first release her but she’s getting better.

Boss on pigeons.

There was a strip of grass before she got to the one the pigeons were in and she had to check it out first. She got the scent of the pigeons when she got close to the other strip and pointed. I took pictures then pushed the stake in the ground behind her and tied the check cord to it. I walked in front of her kicking the tall grass. I flushed the pigeon that was about 20 yards away. She turned her head to watch it but didn’t move her feet.

I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I went back in front kicking the tall grass and flushed the bird she was pointing. She tried to chase but the check cord stopped her. I heeled her away then released her to run. She ran in front of the 4-wheeler a couple of laps around the yard. I put her in the kennel.

Boss.

After putting the e-collars on Abby and heeling her out I attached the check cord to her collar after putting a half hitch around her flanks. Abby thinks she should lead so I take really small steps until she lets me lead. I worked her on all 3 place boards after whoaing her just before she stepped onto them. We went on toward the back.

When we got close to the back I whoaed her and tapped her head to release her. The wind was a little stronger and she caught the scent farther than the other two and pointed. I took pictures then pushed the stake into the ground behind her. I tied the check cord to the stake.

I went in front kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon that was about 20 yards away she flinched but didn’t move. She did turn her head to watch it fly away. I stroked her sides then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the bird she was pointing. She tried to catch it but the check cord stopped her. I set her back then heeled her away. I released her to run. After a couple of laps around the yard I put her in the kennel.

Me and Jim. February in New Mexico.

Since I was letting the young dogs run I ran the others. Sally is a little overweight and she needs the exercise. I ran her first then ran Luke and Mann. Luke heads right back to the kennel after one round but Sally and Mann will keep going.

The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. It will not be long before the season is open. I need to make sure these young dogs are ready. Lots of repetitions should do that.

Thursday morning was supposed to be real cool, even out in central Kansas and it was. I set my alarm for 4:00 am but I woke up about 2:50. I laid there a few minutes and decided I wasn’t going back to sleep so I got up. My plan was to leave the house about 5:00 am. I was going through the toll booth in Kansas before 5:00 am. Nothing like an early start.

Mann on point. I think this is hazy because of the fires in California.

Boss on pigeons.

Josie on pigeons.

I had brought Abby, Josie, Boss, Sally and Mann. All of the dogs need to run and get in shape. The temperature was in the low fifties when we started. It seems cool and it is for this time of year but English setters are at their best at 30 degrees or less. But at least the fifties isn’t in the killer range.

Prairie chicken season opened the fifteenth and this was my first chance to get out. I don’t really want to shoot a prairie chicken but to be on the Kansas walk-in properties you must be hunting. You can’t just run dogs. So I hunt prairie chickens.

I drove west for 3 1/2 hours then started looking at the Kansas Hunting Atlas. I found some properties that looked good on the map and I drove to the first one. As I got close I saw a quail in the road. I stopped the truck and others started joining the one running down the road. I counted them as they ran down the road. Eight quail, maybe nine. There was a small curve in the road and I waited for the birds to round the curve. When they did I got Boss out of his box.

I didn’t put the e-collar or GPS collars on him. I just opened his box and set him on the ground. Boss has never seen a wild quail and that didn’t change on this bunch. I should have pulled on around the corner to see where the birds went before letting Boss out. He smelled where the birds had been but we never came up with them.

I pulled on down the road and put e-collars and GPS collars on Sally and Boss. Both sides of the road were walk-in. We started on the south side where a Pheasants Forever group enhanced the cover. Just as we went in from the road I heard a rooster pheasant cackle and saw it fly out the other side. We walked through the heavy cover, the half mile to where I had seen the covey of quail in the road.

Josie on pigeons.

Sally got birdy but never came up with anything on that side and when we crossed the road she went on point. Before I got to her she started trailing. She moved slowly to the north then went back to hunting. The north side was thinner cover and was better for quail and prairie chickens but we never came up with any. When we got back to the truck I loaded the dogs.

We drove around some, checking properties. I found one I wanted to hunt. I turned Abby, Josie and Mann out with e-collars and GPS collars. I had parked near a wheat stubble field that was not part of the walk-in property. My plan was to go down the fence row to the end of the stubble field then turn back to the east. We were going south with the light wind and when we turned east we would have a cross wind.

All 3 dogs were running good. When I got near the end of the stubble field the GPS vibrated. It showed Mann on point about 350 yards to the west. Mann was near a huge pond but it was away from the way I wanted to go. I went to Mann. When I got to him he moved up and went back on point, then he moved up again. After another time he went back to hunting. Something had run out on him.

Boss is learning whoa.

This huge pond or lake had several draws running into it. As we continued Mann wound up on the other side. I called him and he started toward me but hit a water filled draw. He waded in a short distance but backed out. The dam was a long way to the north. I called Mann several times and he would try to come to me but he would either hit the lake or a water filled draw.

I don’t know how many times he tried to get to me but a lot. I just kept walking and calling him. I thought sooner or later he would swim across. After several aborted trips I saw him going a long way south and around all of the water. He was really happy when he popped over a hill and saw me just a few yards ahead of him. But for a dog to go the opposite way, to where he wants to go, to get around an obstacle, shows brains.

We hunted back to the road and along the road toward the truck. A couple of hunters, From Oklahoma, were driving past and stopped to talk. They had hunted the place I was on the day before and had killed some chickens on it. When I told them I probably wouldn’t shoot a chicken if I had the chance they seemed surprised. I told them they weren’t fit to eat and they said, “they aren’t very good but we eat them”.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

We were probably on this place about an hour and a half and that was long enough for Mann. He had hurt his leg the week before when I was planning to go to Nebraska. I had stayed home because of it and was worried that he had some serious problems with his leg. In that hour and a half he had covered lots of ground and this morning, a day later, his leg is fine. That’s a big load off my mind.

I drove until I saw a small pasture with a wind mill, working, on it. I turned Sally and Boss out. The pasture had been grazed but not over grazed. There was a lot of rag weed but probably more important there were loads of grass hoppers. When we circled the wind mill there was no water around it.

We continued through the pasture and saw a pond dam. When we got to it there was water in the pond. As we came around the pond 4 doves came out of a small tree. Two flew to the north but two came by me. Boss was about 40 yards from me and I had never shot around him before.

Boss.

Before I finish this I must say how I have introduced him to gunfire before this day. From the time he was 3 weeks old until he was 10 weeks old he heard the Gun Conditioning CD from Master’s Voice at least twice a day. There is a gun range just a little way from my house with a trail near that I walk him down when there are a lot of shooters. The closest we can get to the range is 800 yards. Also, I live about a half mile from where Lake City Army Ammunition tests there shells. He has heard a lot of gun shots.

As the doves came by I shot and watched Boss. He didn’t even act like he heard the gun go off. I called Sally in to hunt dead. Boss came in too. Sally found the dove and picked it up, then dropped it. I told her to fetch and she grabbed it and dropped it in my hand. I let Boss smell the bird.

It seemed like he hunted harder after smelling the dove. We went on around to a small tree line but before I got to it Sally was on point a hundred yards to the east. When I got close I took the camera from my pocket but before I could get a picture Boss ran in front of her and two quail flushed. I’m not sure Boss saw Sally but none the less he flushed the quail.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Sally moved 3 or 4 yards and pointed again. Before I could even take a step 8 or 10 more quail flushed. Some of the quail seemed small so we didn’t follow them. As many grass hoppers as there were in that field they won’t be small for long.

We hunted on back to the truck where I loaded the dogs. The temperature was in the upper 70’s according the truck. Too hot for the dogs so I drove by some other places before heading home.

I wound up driving about 500 miles and walked a long way without seeing a prairie chicken but I counted it as a successful day. I saw 2 coveys of quail and had some dog work. The young dogs learned to run the country, cross some ditches and creeks and stay in front of me. Abby and Josie did real well at staying with me but more important staying in front of me. When the weather cools down I will be back.

I missed some really cool days in Nebraska because Mann started carrying a foot a few days before we were to leave. I took him to the vet and they couldn’t find any damage. Maybe, just a pulled muscle. After it warmed back up, and he finished the pills that were prescribed, Mann quit favoring the leg. As of this morning prairie chicken season in Kansas is open.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I must confess, I really don’t want to shoot a prairie chicken. But to use the Walk-in properties in Kansas you must be hunting. They don’t allow you to just run dogs so I use the early prairie chicken season to run the dogs and to see where the quail are. I do carry a gun and look like I’m hunting.

Today, 9/15/20, was opening morning of prairie chicken season and I had an appointment with a dentist. I did pick up a Kansas Fall & Spring Hunting Atlas from Cabela’s. Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty warm but I’m going to try to go Thursday.

Now for the training of the young dogs. I took Mann to a road that is about a half mile from a shooting range to see if the shots bothered him. The closest we can get to the shooting is 800 yards. He didn’t even seem to hear the shots but before I turned him loose I whoaed him several times. He acted surprised that I expected him to whoa at a different place. After a few times he whoaed just fine but I decided I needed to work on this a lot more.

So Monday morning I put the e-collars around Mann’s neck and flanks. This time they were turned on. I heeled him out of the kennel, dragging a long check cord. I had put two pigeons in the release traps and hid them in a strip of tall grass. I had mowed a lane, about 8 feet wide, through the strip of grass to walk through. I put a release trap on each side of the lane.

I heeled Mann toward the front then across the front and back to the training grounds. I whoaed him every few feet and walked out in front of him. On this place he understands whoa real well. As we started to the back I started holding the e-collar button down on low 1 then saying, “whoa”. He never seemed to feel the e-collar so I moved to medium 1. As we got to the back he was slowing when I hit the e-collar but he never stopped before I could say, “whoa”.

As I heeled him through the lane in the grass strip he smelled the pigeons and pointed. The wind was out of the north east and he turned toward the pigeon on the north side. I placed a stake in the ground behind him and tied the check cord to it. He had a half hitch around his flanks from the check cord.

Mann after one of his pigeons has flown.

I whoaed him one time and walked in front kicking the cover. I went back and stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I went back in front of him and flushed the pigeon that was south of him. He tried to chase but the check cord stopped him. I set him back. I waited for him to catch the scent of the bird that was still in front of him.

When he got rigid again, I walked back in front of him kicking the cover. The check cord had slack in it. I kicked for several seconds then flushed the bird he was pointing. He moved but not as much as before. I set him back then heeled him away. I let him happy time back to the kennel.

I put the e-collars on Abby and hooked the check cord to her collar with a half hitch around her flanks. She and Josie are farther along on whoa than Mann is. I just heeled her across the yard to a place board. Abby really thinks she is in charge and wants to lead instead of heel. I make a lot of u turns and a few left turns so she has to walk beside me.

I worked her on all 3 place boards then heeled her on to the back. As we went between the pigeons that were hidden in the tall grass she turned to the bird on the north side and pointed. She was too close to the stake so I pulled it out and placed it behind her. I tied the check cord to it and walked in front of her kicking the grass. In a few seconds I flushed the pigeon that was south of her. She whirled around to watch the pigeon fly away.

Abby watching a pigeon fly away.

I waited until she turned back to the pigeon on the north of her. When she got rigid I walked in front of her kicking the grass. After a few seconds I flushed the pigeon and it flew right over the top of her just a few feet high. She jumped as high as she could and just barely missed the bird. I set her back. I untied the check cord and heeled her away. I let her happy time back to the kennel.

Usually Josie is better at heeling than the other two but on this day she knew there were pigeons out and she wanted to get to them. I did several turns and some u turns. It took a little time but she finally let me be in control. I worked her on all 3 place boards then we went toward the back.

When we came between the two pigeons I saw her get some scent but she didn’t point. We walked on for a short distance then turned and went back. This time she turned to the pigeon on the north and pointed when she got the scent. Again I moved the stake and tied the check cord to it. I walked back and forth kicking the grass then flushed the pigeon south of her. She tried to chase but the check cord stopped her.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

I set her back and waited for her to figure out there was still a bird in front of her. When she got rigid I walked in front of her kicking the cover. After a few seconds I flushed the second pigeon. She tightened the check cord but didn’t try to chase real hard. I set her back then heeled her away. I let her run back to the kennel.

As a wild bird hunter I’m not interested in having them steady to wing and shot but if I get them steady on these pigeons I believe they will be steadier on wild birds. They will get used to me flushing the birds instead of them running them up, I hope.