Traveling Pointing Dogs

Maybe its just me but it seems to be way hotter, early this year, than the years past. I haven’t been working the dogs. When it’s 75 degrees at 7 am it’s hard to get motivated. But this morning was cool and with the strong north west wind it seemed almost cold when I first started. A really nice change.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Abby and Josie have been working on a lot this spring and early summer, when it’s cool enough to work them. I have worked them on heel, whoa, up, fetch and here. I have put several pigeons in a spot and flushed several pigeons, making them stand until I flushed the bird they were pointing. Now for some reason they don’t want to stay on point while I walk in front of them.

They both did want to come to me when they were running loose and I said, “whoa” so I worked them on here from being on whoa. I have a long check cord attached to their collar and after I put them on whoa I say, “here” and tug on the check cord. As soon as they take a few steps I say, “whoa” and hold my hand up like a traffic cop. They are starting to understand this but it’s hard for them. These commands are complete opposites.

This morning I put 4 pigeons in release traps and hid them on the training grounds. I had 2 on my side and 2 on the neighbor’s side. I put 2 pigeons in a bird bag and carried them with me.

I put e-collars around Abby’s neck and flanks and heeled her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string, dragging a long check cord. Just a short distance from the kennel I whoaed her and walked out front of her holding the long check cord. I said, “here” and tugged on the check cord. It’s a good thing I had hold of the check cord. She stopped the first time I whoaed her but the second time she tried to by pass me. She knew there were pigeons hidden on the training grounds.

I heeled her and whoaed her several times and called her to me. When we got close to the first pigeon hidden on the training grounds I heeled her into the scent cone. As soon as she smelled the bird she pointed. I walked around her. The pigeon was hidden on the north fence line and the wind was bringing the scent to her real well. I walked around her again and when I was behind her I took a pigeon from the bird bag and after taking the piggin’ string in my hand I tossed the bird in front of her. She wanted to chase but I stopped her with the piggin’ string. I set her back.

I waited on her to get rigid on the pigeon in the release trap. When her head and tail came up I walked around her again. I stroked her sides and told her she was a good girl. I flushed the pigeon. She wanted to chase but I stopped her with the piggin’ string and set her back. I stroked her sides then heeled her away. After a short distance I decided she would hold her birds so I let her hunt, just dragging the check cord.

Abby

Abby was really running and I was afraid she would get to the next bird before I got close enough to see her but she didn’t. The second bird was in a tall strip of grass near the back of my side. She went down the side across the end and hit the scent cone. She swapped ends and went on point. She was about 75 yards ahead of me and before I got close she took a couple of steps. I flushed the pigeon. I whoaed her as she started to chase. She didn’t want to stop until I held the button on the transmitter down on medium 2. I set her back and stroked her up. I heeled her away.

I heeled her across and toward the back on my neighbor’s side. When we got close to the pigeon at the back she went on point. I stroked her up and walked around her. I took the last pigeon from the bird bag and dropped it in front of her. She wanted to chase but I stopped her with the pigging’ string. I set her back and when she got the smell of the hidden pigeon I stroked her sides. I walked around her again and then taking the piggin’ string in my hand I flushed the pigeon. She wanted to chase but I stopped her. I heeled her away.

Josie.

We had one more bird near the front on this side. I heeled her near it and she went on point. I stroked her sides and walked around her. She was getting the scent really well and I let her stand for quite a while. Finally, I flushed the pigeon and held her with the piggin’ string. She would have chased but as soon as the piggin’ string get’s tight she stops. I heeled her away then let her run back to the kennel.

I brought Josie out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks dragging a long check cord. I worked her on whoa and here before we got to the training grounds but I learned from Abby that they aren’t ready to be turned loose yet.

I heeled Josie near the bird hidden on the north fence line. As soon as she smelled it she went on point. I took some pictures and walked around her. I stroked her sides and walked around her again taking a pigeon from the bird bag and dropping it in front of her. She wanted to chased but I stopped her with the piggin’ string. I walked around her again and released the pigeon in the trap. To keep the young dogs from sight pointing I put grass and limbs on top of the release trap. This trap had a small limb over it and the pigeon didn’t fly when the trap sprang open.

I couldn’t just walk over and get the pigeon flying because Josie would beat me to the trap. I tied the check cord to a small tree that was close behind her. Just as I turned to walk away from the tree the pigeon flew off. Josie tried to chase and the small tree bounced off me a couple times before she decided she couldn’t chase and stood still. I whoaed her and untied her from the tree. I stroked her up and heeled her away.

Boss.

When we got to the pigeon hidden in the back she pointed. I took pictures and walked around her. I dropped the last pigeon from the bird bag in front of her. She would have chased but I held her with the piggin’ string. I set her back and stroked her sides. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and held her with the piggin’ string. I whoaed her and walked in front of her kicking the cover. I went to her and heeled her away.

I heeled her to the next 2 birds and she pointed them just fine. On each of them she would have chased if I hadn’t stopped her with the piggin’ string. They aren’t fighting the piggin’ string much at all. It won’t be long until they quit wanting to chase, I hope. I let her run back to the kennel.

Boss is 15 weeks old and I’ve worked him a few times with my Dogtra release traps. They make almost no noise but I only have two of them. I had worked Abby and Josie with the DT release traps that make quite a bit of noise. I wanted to put Boss on a few more birds so I just left the DT traps out and reloaded them.

There is a pigeon hidden in that pile of grass.

I don’t have any restraint on Boss. I just open his kennel and we go to the training grounds. Boss has learned that there are sometimes birds hidden out here so he starts hunting. It’s funny to watch him sneak up on a place that I’ve had a bird for him before. I try to change each time I work him.

He made a real pretty point at a place where I had hidden a bird in the past but I encouraged him to move on. As I walked on around the clump that he was pointing he started around the edge. I was videoing him with my phone. He hit the scent cone and slid to a point. He was a long way from the bird so when he started toward the pigeon I just kept videoing. When he got within about 15 feet of the release trap he went back on point. He held the point for 30 seconds or so then moved a foot. I flushed the pigeon and he chased. I put that video on my face book page as well as Hunting With English Setters.

I started videoing him when he got close to the next pigeon. This pigeon was hidden in some tall grass in a grove of walnut trees. As he wound his way through the trees he went behind one but didn’t come out the other side. I moved around and he was on point. I stood behind him for about 30 seconds then moved up even with him. I was off to his left about 20 feet. He didn’t move so I moved a short distance in front of him and waited for him to move. When he moved a foot I flushed the pigeon.

Boss.

This is the first time he’s had more than 2 birds. I expected him to not hunt as we went over to the neighbor’s side but he didn’t slow down. We went toward the back and he got a little smell a long way from the bird. I saw his head go up and he made a straight line to the bird. He went on point 40 feet from the pigeon. I took pictures and moved up about even with him. When he moved a foot I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance.

He was going with the strong wind and was close when he hit the scent cone on the 4th bird. I think he was just going to readjust a little but when he moved I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. I took him back to the kennel.

Josie.

Up until today when he went on point I didn’t move. I didn’t say anything or try to touch him. These puppies, especially at his age, have a lot to think about and they don’t need someone yelling “whoa” or trying to get in front of them to kick the cover. I usually flush the bird at their first movement after they go on point. They aren’t fast enough to chase very far so the only enjoyment they get out of the bird is to point it. If they figure out that their movement is what causes the bird to flush they will hold for a longer and longer period of time.

All I need is more of these cool mornings to work all of these young dogs.

I haven’t really acclimated to the summer heat yet. I’m going to have to get out a lot earlier in the mornings to train the young dogs. Yesterday morning it was 75 degrees at 7 am. No matter how early I start that is too hot. Not only is it hard on the dogs but it’s also hard on the pigeons.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Josie pointing with 4 pigeons, in release traps, in one spot.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I have seen a couple of different people posting tips for bird hunters and thought maybe I would post a few. I have been hunting birds for a lot of years but I still learn something new each year if not each hunt.

The first tip I have is when a dog goes on point don’t tip toe in looking at the ground. In the first place if you start tip toeing in the dog will want to help you flush the bird. If you walk in aggressively the dog will rear back a little expecting the bird to flush.

When I’m working my dogs at home, when they are holding their birds well, I sometimes pick up a stick and beat the cover in front of them. They learn to hold even with me acting crazy.

I usually look about 3 or 4 feet high in front of the dog when I walk in to flush. This way I catch the bird flushing out of my peripheral vision. This, on the skeet field, seems to slow the clay pigeon down and gives me more time to get on the bird. I hit few birds that I see on the ground.

When a covey flushes it’s hard to control yourself. Especially if it’s a big covey and close. The sky is full of birds and anywhere you shoot should bring down a bird. Not so. You need to pick out one bird. But don’t just look at the bird look at it’s head. If you really concentrate on the head of the bird that’s where your shot should go.

I guided at a shooting preserve for a while and saw a lot of people that thought the bird could out fly the shot. I’ve seen people try to walk in with their left foot in front for several steps. I don’t know if this feels as awkward as it looks or not. Some people raised their gun to their shoulder and walked in this way. I even had one guy with a hammer gun have the hammer back, until I saw him.

If you are shooting shotgun shells that are at or near 1200 feet per second this is about 800 miles per hour. There’s no bird that I know of that can fly that fast.

Josie on whoa with me pulling on the check cord.

The best thing you can do for your shooting is practice mounting your gun to get a consistent gun mount. I kept one of my heavier guns in my bedroom for a long time and would mount it 50 times of the night and 50 times when I got up of the morning. I used the corners of the room and where the wall and ceiling comes together. I shoot right handed and I would always bring the gun up starting with the left hand moving the barrel along the ceiling line and the right bringing the butt to my shoulder. The left hand should move first. I tried to move the barrel down the line where the ceiling and wall came together. I shouldn’t have to say this but make sure your gun is empty.

Michael McIntosh has a great trilogy of books about gun mount and shooting in general. The books are Shotguns & Shooting, More Shotguns & Shooting and Shotguns & Shooting Three. I have read each more than once and will reread them over again, I’m sure.

Today I gave the dogs what I call their prison hair cuts. Sometimes I call them their Bubba hair cuts. After I’m through they look like Bubba in the next cell at the prison gave them their haircuts. But it has to be cooler for them.

Abby

So far this year Sally’s hair hasn’t got real long except on her ears. After I cut everyone else’s hair I put her on the bench and tried to cut the hair on her ears. I can do anything I want with her except cut the hair on her ears. She even tried to bite the clippers.

After trying on the bench, I had set up, I sat in the door of the shed with her head between my legs. Nothing worked. She pulled away.

Next week should be a little cooler of the night, so if I will start early, I may be able to work dogs. Until next time. God Bless.

Between my neighbor’s side and mine, I mow over 5 acres. With all of the rain it grows like crazy and is muddy every where. I’ve been stuck several times this year. But with all of this I still get out for a few minutes and work dogs. Mainly, Abby, Josie and Boss. Occasionally, I work Mann and Sally on retrieving.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Josie on whoa with me pulling on the check cord.

Abby on whoa.

I have been working Abby and Josie on honoring, heeling, whoaing and some retrieving. I’ve put them on the retrieving bench, place boards and whoa barrels. I had, also, worked them on 4 pigeons close together. I made them stay on point until I flushed the last bird. A few days ago, between rain showers, I decided that after heeling and whoaing them I needed to just let them point some pigeons. Both of them had been holding their birds pretty well before I started what I consider steady drills.

They had done well on the steadiness drills so I was expecting them to really do well on some pigeons hid in the tall grass. I put two pigeons out on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds. I brought Josie out wearing the e-collars around her neck and flanks, dragging a long check cord. I heeled her toward the back whoaing her a few times. When we crossed the creek on my side I turned her loose to run.

Josie is not sure that I’m really going to let her run, for a few seconds she still heels. After a few seconds she runs, hunting. We went to the back on my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. We went to the back and when she hit the scent cone she pointed. Josie always looks good on point. Before I could get close she ran in, to grab the pigeon. I should have been but I wasn’t prepared. I thought she would let me walk in front.

I set her back and said, “whoa”. She stood breathing in the smell of the pigeon. I stroked her sides and walked in front of her. I flushed the pigeon and she didn’t move. I heeled her a short distance then tapped her head, to release her. She started checking all of the cover.

Josie hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and slammed into a point. She didn’t let me even get close. She jumped in to catch the bird. I whoaed her. When I whoaed her she came to me and stopped at my side like when I was heeling her. I stroked her sides then flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I let her run until we got back to the kennels.

I reloaded the release traps and led Abby out with the e-collars around her neck and flanks. She was dragging a long check cord. Abby has always been steadier than Josie. I knew she would let me walk in front of her. I whoaed her a few times as we went toward the back. When we crossed the creek I turned her loose. Abby goes hard from the instant I release her.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Abby checked out my side then crossed to the neighbor’s side. When she hit the scent cone on the first pigeon her front feet quit moving and her back feet slid to a stop. I started pulling the camera out to get a picture and she ran in. I whoaed her as the check cord tangled and stopped her. I moved her back, stroked her sides and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t try to move. I heeled her away. I tapped her head and she went back to hunting.

She was too far ahead of me for me to see her go on point but I knew where the bird was. I went toward it and saw her on point. Just as I saw her she jumped in and turned the release trap over. When I whoaed her she came to me. I caught her and set her back. I turned the release trap and flushed the pigeon. She didn’t move. I let her run back to the kennel.

After thinking about these young dogs, I knew that I had never whoaed them other than right by my side. Both of them wanted to come to me when I whoaed them on birds.I needed to start whoaing them when they weren’t right at my side.

There is a release trap with a pigeon hidden there.

This morning I put the e-collars on Abby and let her drag a long check cord. They have been dragging the check cord for a long time but I have never used it. I heeled her toward the front with the piggin’ string. Several times I whoaed her just like we had been doing. She was perfect on the whoa command. As we started toward the back I whoaed her and pulled the check cord out to the very end. I softly tugged on the check cord while I said, “whoa’.

When I said, “whoa” and tugged she pulled back. I gave her some slack in the check cord then said, “here”. I had to tug on the check cord to get her moving. When she had taken a couple of steps I held the transmitter down on low 2 on the flank collar and said, “whoa”. She wasn’t sure but she stopped. I let her stand for a few seconds then called her to me.

We went on to the back with me whoaing her every few yards but I only whoaed her 4 times as she was coming to me. A couple of times I stopped her more than one time as she came toward me. These are opposite commands and it puts a lot of stress on the dog. I don’t like to do it very many times until they really understand both commands.

Josie watching a pigeon fly away.

After we got to the very back of my side and started back I turned her loose to run. All dogs need some happy times. She ran back to the kennel.

I heeled Josie toward the front. She too had the e-collars on her neck and flanks and was dragging the long check cord. I got her used to whoaing before I whoaed her and called her to me. When I first called her to me, off whoa, she wanted to go past me. I had to run my hand down the check cord fast to pull her to me.

I started kneeling down as I called her to me and really making a big deal out of petting her. Before we got to the back she was trying to crawl in my lap when she came to me. A forty pound dog in your lap when you’re kneeling down is a load. She figured the here command out quick. Twice I stopped her a couple of times as she came to me. I let her happy time on the way back to the kennel.

I hid a couple of pigeons, in release traps, in the brush on the training grounds for Boss. He’s just over 13 weeks old and is holding on his birds pretty good. I’ve been putting them in grass strips for him but the last couple of times I’ve put them along the brushy edges. I hide the traps really well. I don’t want him sight pointing.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I had never put a bird on the neighbor’s side for Boss until the day I put the birds out for Abby and Josie. On that day I walked Boss to the back on my side then we crossed to the neighbor’s side. The wind was swirling at the back and he went on point as soon as he hit the scent cone but it looked like he lost the smell. He took a step and I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

He found the next bird but got too close and I flushed it. This morning after working Abby and Josie I put 2 pigeons out for Boss. I had hidden one in the edge of some brush and as Boss ran the edge of the brush he ran by the bird. He smelled the bird and slammed into a point. I took a couple of pictures with my camera then pulled my phone out and videoed him for 30 seconds. I shut the video off and just watched him. About 15 seconds later he took a step and I flushed the pigeon. The bird came out right over his head and he chased. We went on toward the back.

Abby on the barrel with pigeons in front of her.

I had hidden the other bird on the back fence and he was 20 yards away when he pointed. I took a picture but he decided to get a little closer and I flushed the bird. He chased a short distance and we went back to the kennel.

Boss knows he’s faster than I am. When we get close to his kennel he stays away from me. All of these puppies really liked for me to throw the older dogs food into the grass for them to find. I have started to get some of the adult food and hold it in my hand as I stand inside his kennel. He acts like I’m not really out smarting him. He just really wants that food. Dogs are fun to try to figure out.

A lot of the puppy training is just watching them learn about their world. I have a small creek that crosses my land and the first few times I took the litter to the back, the creek for them was a big deal. For me it’s only a step to cross but for the puppies just seeing the water and the ditch was concerning for them. After a few times of crossing it was no big deal. Getting puppies used to most things is just that easy.

Boss, at 12 weeks, pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

Boss pointing a pigeon.

I have been putting 2 pigeons out, each time I work Abby and Josie, for Boss. I use the Dogtra release traps because they make a lot less noise than the DT traps. I don’t think the noise would bother him now but it may have when I first started. I have left strips of grass un-mowed, where I hide the pigeons. It’s fun to watch Boss check every place I’ve ever hidden birds for him before. These aren’t dumb animals. He checks them all.

Sometimes when he goes on point he stands for long time. The first couple of points I finally flushed the pigeon. One of the first points I recorded he was on point for over two minutes and I went ahead and flushed the bird. He hadn’t moved. Other times he moves after just a few seconds. I don’t say anything to him or try to walk in front. I just stand and watch.

The last time I worked him on birds I hid them on the neighbor’s side of the training grounds. As we walked down my side before crossing to the neighbor’s side Boss checked each place I had ever hidden a bird for him. I had never even walked him on the neighbor’s side. When I went through the break in the cover he stayed in front of me and went right along. He was on the wrong side of the first pigeon but he got a little scent and pointed. About 5 seconds later he wanted to move to get better scent. I flushed the pigeon.

He’s not old enough or fast enough to chase very far. I had hidden another pigeon in a strip of grass close to the first one. He was on the down wind side and pointed for a longer time on the next bird. I took a picture then when he moved I flushed the pigeon. He chased a short distance. We went back to the kennel.

When we got close to the kennel he didn’t want to quit. He wouldn’t come near me. I got on the 4-wheeler and started toward the back of the training grounds. He got in front and started to run. I followed on the 4-wheeler. After a few seconds he got behind the 4-wheeler and I sped up. I rode to the back, started back toward the kennels then crossed to the neighbor’s side and rode to the back. When we got back to the kennel Boss’s tongue was hanging out and he was ready for me to catch him. I put him in the kennel.

I had worked Abby and Josie, two days in a row on 4 birds in one spot with me flushing them one at a time and them having to stand. Tuesday they both had performed really well. Neither had done more than just flinch when the birds were flushed. I thought they were ready to run on their own and that they would point and hold without me doing anything.

Abby

Wednesday, I put the 4 pigeons in release traps out on the neighbor’s side. I have been heeling the pups into the area of the pigeons and when the young dog smells the bird they go on point. I then flush the other three birds and save the pigeon they are pointing and make it the last to flush. I worked Abby first.

When she hit the scent cone she pointed. I dropped my end of the piggin’ string and walked around her taking pictures. Two of the birds that she wasn’t pointing were in front of her but several yards past the pigeon she was pointing. I flushed the first one and she took a step. I set her back and waited for her to smell the bird she was pointing. She got rigid.

I stroked her sides and walked around her. I flushed the second bird and she didn’t move. I continued to walk around her and flushed a pigeon that was well off to her left. She spun around and wanted to go after it. I set her back. She got rigid when she regained the scent of the pigeon she had originally pointed.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

I let her stand for quite a while and made sure that I walked between her and the pigeon she was pointing. When I flushed the pigeon she tried to chase. I was holding the piggin’ string and stopped her. I set her back and stroked her sides. I took the piggin’ string off and tapped her head. She ran back to the kennel.

Josie too had been real good on her birds Tuesday. I reloaded the release traps and brought Josie out. I thought maybe Abby hadn’t been getting strong scent where she had stopped so I took Josie in a slightly different place. She didn’t get the smell on that bird at all. But it wasn’t far to the next bird. As we walked by Josie went on point. She was getting a strong scent, I think.

I walked around her taking pictures. I walked between her and the bird she was pointing. I flushed a pigeon she wasn’t pointing and she took a couple of steps. I set her back. When she got rigid again I walked around her.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Each time I go between them and the bird they are pointing just to get them used to me being between them and their bird. I then go back and hold onto the piggin’ string but I don’t have it tight. I flushed a pigeon that was well off to her right and she wheeled around. I set her back.

After I set her back I stroked her sides. When she got rigid I walked around her. I flushed a pigeon that was in front of her but past the one she was pointing. She took a step. I set her back. When she got rigid I flushed the bird she was pointing. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides, took the piggin’ string off and let her run back to the kennel.

Josie beat me back to the kennel area. There were some pigeons sitting on the roof of their house. When Josie got close one of them, a young pigeon, flew just a short distance and landed in the yard. Josie was right there when it landed and she caught the bird.

Josie watching a pigeon fly away.

The pigeon got away several times but didn’t get air born before Josie would catch it again. I was at least 50 yards away when she first caught the pigeon and I didn’t get in a hurry to get there. I called her to see if she would bring me the bird but no luck. When I got to her I petted her. She held the pigeon to the ground but let it go several times. After a couple of minutes I picked the pigeon up. It was wet but not hurt. I put it back in the pigeon coop and put Josie in her kennel. That evening the pigeon was dry and doing fine.

It’s only May so I have a long time before bird season to get these two young dogs steadied up. And then there’s Boss to work on too. Even with out the Corona virus pandemic, my life would not be a lot different.