Training Of English Setters, 3/18/19

Posted on March 19, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

The ground is getting dryer, so I can run the 4-wheeler without making ruts, while training my English setters. The dogs, during the season, learned some things that I think I should train out of them. When they point wild birds my attention is placed on the birds and the dogs get by with some things. Now, in the off season, we can work on some of those things.

Luke with a pigeon, asleep, right in front of him.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

Mann, on point, with his back legs crossed.

I hid two pigeons, in release traps, on the training grounds. I had another two pigeons, in a bird bag, slung over my shoulder when I heeled Babe out, with an e-collar and GPS collar around her neck. I whoaed her several times as we went toward the front yard. In the front yard, I whoaed her and put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her. As I stroked her the pigeon woke up and flew away. Babe didn’t try to chase. She just watched it fly away.

As we walked around the yard I put the other pigeon to sleep and placed it just a few feet in front of her. I stroked her sides then walked around them, taking pictures. I woke the pigeon. It flew away and she watched without trying to chase.

I hadn’t put a check cord on Babe because she doesn’t hunt like she should, with it on. After her second pigeon, placed in front of her, I turned her loose to hunt. She was on the opposite side of the training grounds for the first pigeon I had hidden. I went on to the back expecting her to be on point at the second. She wasn’t there. I had a GPS collar on her. She was off the training grounds to the west, about 100 yards and still going.

In the yard, Babe knows to come to me when I beep the e-collar. I called her name and beeped the e-collar. She kept going to the west. I called her name, beeped the e-collar and hit the e-collar transmitter on level 2. She kept going.

I called her name, hit the beeper and after a second or two hit the e-collar on level three. She started toward me then went to the south west. I called her name, beeped her with the e-collar. When she didn’t turn toward me I hit the transmitter, on level 4. She came toward me. When she got within about a hundred yards I heard her barking as she went to the west again.



Where she started barking is thick brush and trees. I think deer bed down there. For a young pup chasing deer, or anything, is fun. This time she was moving fast. She slowed at about 900 yards. I beeped her and hit the transmitter on a level 5. She started toward me. This time she came all the way in.

I was standing close to where I had a pigeon hidden. I said, “look in here”. She went on point then moved a few feet and pointed again. I picked her up and set her back. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, then flushed the pigeon. She watched it fly away. I stroked her sides then put the check cord on her and heeled her away.

I heeled her near the other pigeon and she pointed. This time she didn’t try to move. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I heeled her to the retrieving bench.

I have used the retrieving bench a lot with all of my dogs as a loving bench. The last time I worked both pups I placed a piece of a one inch dowel rod in their mouth and made them hold. They both fought pretty hard. I petted Babe then placed the dowel in her mouth holding my hand under her chin. She resisted a little but it was less than the last time. I kept repeating, “hold, hold”. Then when I took it from her I said, “give”. I had her hold it 3 times then set her on the ground.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

I put a long check cord on her and we worked on the “here” command. When she has a check cord on she doesn’t get very far away so I put her on whoa then walked away from her. I beeped the e-collar then called her to me. We did about 10 minutes of whoa and here. I put her back in the kennel.

Mann was next. After reloading the release traps, I put the e-collar on him and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. We went toward the front. I put a pigeon to sleep in front of him. I stroked his sides then walked around him taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and he watched it fly away.

I heeled him across the front yard and started toward the back. I placed another pigeon a few feet in front of him. I walked around him, kicking the ground and flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I heeled him a few feet then released him to hunt.

He was on the opposite side from the first bird as he went down the field. When I got close to the second bird he was on point, standing in the brush. I walked around him taking pictures then flushed the pigeon. He turned to watch it fly away. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

He hit the scent cone on the other pigeon as we went back toward the front. He pointed and I took pictures, then stroked his sides. I walked around him then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

When we got to the retrieving bench I had him jump onto it. I petted him several different places on the bench. I took the dowel rod and placed it in his mouth. This was the second time for him. He fought it but not as much as the first time. After I had him hold three times I put him on the ground and let him run back to the kennel.

I worked all five dogs on these same exercises. If I write about all 5 this will get too long but I want to tell about Tur Bo. He’s a good wild bird dog but around here he’s too smart for his own good. He’s a fun dog who tries to out figure me. He really thinks that his job is to catch these pigeons for me. Well maybe for him.

After reloading the release traps and the bird bag I heeled Tur Bo out with the e-collar around his neck. I took him toward the front of the yard. I put a pigeon to sleep a few feet in front of him. I learned a lesson and didn’t put it as close as last time. (Who’s training who.) As I took pictures and walked around him I saw him lean back. I said, “whoa”. He leaned forward. I took some pictures, held the piggin’ string and flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I stroked his sides then heeled him away.

The next time I put a pigeon to sleep, in front of him, I put it a little closer. I stroked his sides then walked around him kicking the grass. I saw him lean back and said, “whoa”. He leaned forward. I continued to walk around him. Just as I turned, with my back to him, he pounced on the pigeon. I yelled, “whoa” and grabbed the piggin’ string. The pigeon flew away. I set him back. I made him stand for a few seconds while I kicked the ground in front of him. I released him to hunt.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

He pointed both pigeons and stood as they flew away. He still moves his front feet when the pigeons are flushed but he doesn’t try to chase. When we came by the retrieving bench I had him jump onto it.

I walked him back and forth petting him. Then I took seven different retrieving dummies and scattered them in a line away from the retrieving bench. I heeled him by each one and had him retrieve them to me. He enjoys doing this. I put him in the kennel.

I worked Luke and then Sally on these same exercises. Neither of them tried to catch the pigeon that was a sleep in front of them and they pointed their hidden pigeons just fine. I worked Luke on the retrieving dummies as I had Tur Bo. When Sally worked on them I heeled her to the bumper, had her pick it up and carry it back to the retrieving bench where I put it in the box. Most of them she did just fine until we came to the last one. This one she dropped 3 times on the way to the bench. I made her go back and get it.

I enjoy working with these English setters. They all are different. As I get older I get more patience, with these dogs. Even with Babe off my property chasing deer I didn’t get upset. I didn’t have to be anywhere other than right where I was. I knew she would be back. Tur Bo trying to catch the pigeons is not a big deal. I kind of think it’s funny and I’m not going to field trial him. He points wild birds just fine. He knows this is a game.



On this day, training, I walked over 4 miles and never left my place. I worked all 5 dogs and got 9 points. I would have had 10 points but with Sally I released the wrong bird and she only got to point once. I had a good day with my dogs.

Sally with a pigeon, asleep, right in front of her.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Babe with a pigeon, asleep, right in front of her.



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Training English Setters In The Mud, 3/11/19

Posted on March 12, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

We have had a lot of snow and ice, this winter, and the ground is saturated with the melted snow. I have 5 English setters that have hardly been out of their kennels for almost a month. The dogs and I both need some exercise. I, also, have a bunch of pigeons that need to be working.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

Sally with a pigeon 3 feet in front of her.

I put two pigeons, in release traps, out on the training grounds. I had two more pigeons, in a bird bag, hanging on my shoulder. The dogs know what’s going to happen and when I get back to the kennel after putting the birds out, each dog is trying to get me to pick them.

Mann was the first. I put an e-collar on him, snapped a short check cord to his regular collar and heeled him out with the piggin’ string. We went away from the training grounds, toward the highway in front. I whoaed him a few times then whoaed him and put a pigeon to sleep, from the bird bag, and placed it about 3 feet in front of him. I stroked his sides then walked around him kicking my feet. I flushed the pigeon and he didn’t move. Just watched it fly away.

We went across the front of the yard then toward the back. When we got about even with the kennels on the way to the back I whoaed him and placed a pigeon in front of him after putting it to sleep. I took a few pictures then walked around him, kicking the ground. I stroked his sides and told him what a good boy he is. I flushed the pigeon and he watched it fly away, without moving.

I heeled him a few feet then whoaed him. I tapped his head and sent him to hunt. When I hid the pigeons the wind was out of the north. By the time we got down to where I had hidden the birds the wind had changed to the south east. He knew the birds were there and he covered everything. I had hidden one of the birds on the north fence line thinking a north wind would blow the scent to him. When the wind changed it made it hard for him. He was pretty close when he finally smelled the bird but he slammed into a point. I stroked his sides then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I tapped his head and sent him on.



He had been close to the second bird a couple of times but before I got near it he hit the scent cone and locked up. He was standing in the cover, on the north west side, where the south east wind could bring the scent to him. I took some pictures then walked around the pigeon kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and watched Mann. He never moved except for his head. I went to him and stroked his sides. I tapped his head and he went to hunting.

I took him by the retrieving bench. After petting him for a while I put a retrieving dummy in his mouth and said, “hold”. When I put it in his mouth we had a small rodeo for a few minutes. Finally, he quit fighting and held the dummy. I changed to a smaller retrieving dummy and placed it in his mouth. He fought for just a few seconds. We went through this 3 times and I put him on the ground. I let him run until we got back to the kennel.

I put the e-collar on Babe but she got an extra collar. She has been finding her birds then going to the west and staying gone for a while. She may be chasing deer or turkeys or just getting in a few extra miles. I put a GPS collar on her in addition to the e-collar. I heeled her toward the front. I whoaed her several times then whoaed her and put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her. I took pictures then walked around her, kicking the ground. I flushed the pigeon and she stood and watched it fly away. I heeled her away.

When we came back close to the kennel I whoaed her and put another pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her. I took pictures then walked around her kicking the cover. I woke the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I heeled her a few feet then released her to hunt.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

Since Mann had trouble locating the pigeons (the wind had changed) I had moved them where the dogs could smell them easier. Babe pointed the first one and I took pictures. I walked in front of her after stroking her sides and telling her what a good girl she is. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I stroked her sides and released her to hunt.

We were close to the back when she pointed. She decided to go see what was to the west of my property before finding the other bird. I watched her on the GPS. When she got about a hundred yards off my place I beeped her collar and called her name. According to the GPS she kept going away from me. I beeped her collar, called her name and held the button on the e-collar down on level 2. She kept going.

I waited, watching her distance on the GPS. She was still going away from me. I turned the e-collar to level 3. I beeped her e-collar, called her name and held the transmitter button down on level 3. She was having a good time. She kept going. I turned the e-collar to level 4. I beeped her e-collar, called her name and held the button on the transmitter down on level 4 for a couple of seconds. She came toward me. She acted happy to see me.

I had moved close to the second bird. When she came close I said, “look in here”. She went in front of me and went on point. I stroked her sides after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I stroked her and released her to hunt.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

She went off my place to the south, this time. When she got about 200 yards from me I beeped her, called her name and held the transmitter down, on level 2, for a couple of seconds. She kept going. I beeped her, called her name and held the button on the transmitter down, on level 3. She came to me.

I put her on the retrieving bench and walked her back and forth, petting her. I put a retrieving bumper in her mouth telling her to hold. She fought but didn’t fight it like Mann did. I had her hold it 3 times then let her run back to the kennel.

All of the dogs had been in their pens since the last hunt in Oklahoma. I decided to work them all. I put the e-collar on Sally, hooked the check cord to her collar and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I heeled her toward the highway in front whoaing her ever once in a while. I’ve put a pigeon to sleep in front of her before but not real close. I put a pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of her.

I watched her pretty close. I took some pictures and walked around her. I flushed the pigeon. She stood and watched it fly away. I heeled her toward the back, whoaing her occasionally.

When we got close to the kennel I put another pigeon to sleep in front of her. I stroked her sides and walked around her after taking some pictures. I flushed the pigeon and she stood, watching it fly away. I heeled her a few feet then released her to hunt.

Sally pointing a pigeon.

I saw Sally go on point through some brush. She was about 150 yards in front of me. She has always been real staunch. As I went toward her I saw her move up a couple of steps. I wasn’t ready for that but I took the release in my hand to be ready. I saw her turn her head to see where I was and she moved another step closer to the bird. I flushed the pigeon and yelled, “what did you do? Whoa”. She didn’t chase. I set her back where she was originally, stroked her and released her to hunt.

She pointed the next bird and I waited. She didn’t move. I took pictures then stroked her sides. I flushed the pigeon and she watched it fly away. I released her to hunt.

I put her on the retrieving bench to remind her that she knows how to retrieve. I placed 3 retrieving dummies on the other end of the bench and had her retrieve them. The first time I sent her she came back without a dummy. I sent her again and held the transmitter button down on level 2. She ran down the bench, grabbed a bumper and came back. She did the other 2 without stimulation. I had her do 3 more. She did them like she should have on the first 3. I let her run back to the kennel.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps and brought Tur Bo out. Tur Bo is a free spirit. He’s too smart for his own good, I think. I have to really watch him. He doesn’t move on wild birds but he knows he can catch some of these pigeons. He’s really fast at whatever he does. I heeled him toward the highway. I put a pigeon to sleep about 3 feet in front of him. I held the piggin’ string for a few seconds but he was standing real well. I took some pictures then walked around him. I flushed the pigeon and he watched it fly away. I heeled him away.

I was feeling pretty good about him. I put another pigeon to sleep and placed it about 3 feet in front of him. I took pictures then walked around him. I was watching him pretty close. When I was several feet away I saw him rear back. I yelled, “whoa” and started to him. About the time I got a hold of the piggin’ string he pounced. I was too late to stop him but when I pulled back on the piggin’ string the pigeon flew away. He knew he had messed up. He laid down. I had to stand him up and set him back. It wasn’t easy but I got the job done. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

He was about a 150 yards ahead of me when he went on point. I had the release in my hand but as I watched him, through some brush, he never moved. I stroked his sides when I got there then took some pictures. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon. He turned to watch it fly away. I stroked him then released him to hunt.

Another shot of Babe with a pigeon right in front of her.

He pointed the second bird. I was 50 yards from him and didn’t get in a hurry to get to him. He didn’t move. I stroked him then released the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I let him run until we got to the retrieving bench.

I petted him then had him retrieve 3 bumpers two times then set him on the ground. I let him run back to the kennel.

Luke will be 9 years old in a few weeks and I know I’ve never put him on whoa and placed a pigeon real close to him. It wouldn’t be fair to work all of the dogs except him so I brought him out. I heeled him toward the highway. I whoaed him and he looked kind of disgusted. Like he was saying, “I’m too old for these games”. So the next time I whoaed him I placed a pigeon, I had put to sleep, in front of him. He liked that better. I took some pictures, walked around him and flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away.

The next time I whoaed him he had a little style. When I put the pigeon in front of him he got rigid and raised his tail. I took some pictures then flushed the pigeon. He watched it fly away. I released him to hunt.

He thought I had more pigeons in the bird bag and didn’t want to get away from me. I laid the bag on the retrieving bench. He went to hunting. He pointed both of his birds and held them until I flushed them, as he always does.



I put him on the retrieving bench and petted him. I didn’t even try to get him to retrieve anything. At his age, he’s paid his dues. I let him run back to the kennel.

I enjoyed getting the dogs out. I was able to be with my dogs, go in my backyard and get 10 points. Not as good as hunting wild birds but almost. The Lord has blessed me. I have a great life.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

Tur Bo with a pigeon 3 feet in front of him.

Babe with a close pigeon.



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The English Setters In My Kennel

Posted on March 4, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

There is still snow on the ground and single digit temperatures, so I can’t (won’t) work the English setters in my kennel. I’m going to list each dog and tell a little about them and about it’s strengths and weaknesses. Mainly, what I will be doing is showing you how kennel blind I am.

Luke pointing a single.

Luke, at nearly 9 years old, is the oldest dog I have in my kennel. His sire was a grandson of Hick’s Rising Sun on the top and his dam was a granddaughter to Tekoa Mountain Sunrise. So he is line bred Tekoa Mountain blood line.

Luke’s worst trait is, he runs too big. His best trait is, he runs until he finds birds. He doesn’t always stay on the same place I have permission to hunt but when he goes on point he will be there until the birds move.

Two years ago Don Hansen and I were hunting near Emporia Kansas. I checked the GPS and Luke was on point about 800 yards away. As we started to him Sally and one of Don’s dogs pointed. Because they were closer we went to them. We shot on a covey of quail and the dogs found a couple of singles that we shot. We started back toward Luke and Sally pointed a couple more singles that we shot at.



Finally, after a long period of time we got close to Luke, who was still on point. When we got within about 35 yards of him he moved up about 20 yards and went back on point. He had a covey of quail.

This past season, Vince Dye and I were hunting in Iowa. Luke got a way ahead of us. When I noticed the GPS he was over 500 yards away on point. Since he was ahead of us I never said anything to Vince until we needed to turn. At that point he was still over a quarter of a mile from us. When we found him, he was still on point. I went in front of him and a rooster pheasant flushed. I dropped it.

He’s hard to keep close but if he did stay close he wouldn’t find near as many birds as he does now.

Tur Bo on point.

Tur Bo is the next oldest dog at 5 years old. Tur Bo is a son of Shadow Oak Bo and Dolly. Dolly was the smartest dog I’ve ever owned. Tur Bo lost all of 2017-2018 season to rehab. I think, he jumped on his house and run his leg through the chain link. When he pulled it out he tore his knee cap loose. Dr. Becker at Independence Animal Hospital reattached it. He stayed in a cage in my basement for about 2 months. I let him out 4 or 5 times a day but only on a leash. When his knee healed I was afraid to run him for very long. Sometimes I took him but only ran him for 30 minutes.

He’s been hunted this season like all the rest. Sometimes he was rested but sometimes he hunted all day. Dr. Becker’s repair is perfect. One time I saw him favor that leg and he only carried it for a couple of steps. May have picked up some mud or a sticker. It was enough to scare me, though.

Tur Bo is dual registered and I ran him in an AKC hunt test, when he was about a year old. I had worked him a lot on pigeons and taken a lot of pictures. In the hunt test he only had to point one quail to qualify. After he qualified I decided I wanted a picture of him. When he swung by I raised the camera and he styled up for the picture. The judge laughed and said, “that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a dog pose for a picture”.

Tur Bo stays in closer than Luke. Most dogs do. He will hunt out to 400 yards but he covers all of the objectives. He stays to the front but is more left to right. He checks in but if I don’t see him for a little while I check the GPS. If he goes on point he will hold as long as the birds do.

Sally on point.

Sally will be three in June. She seems older because she started so young. I took her to Oklahoma for her first hunt when she was about 7 months old. I didn’t use her first thing but when I turned her out before noon she just started pointing quail. A covey flushed in front of the dogs and I saw close to where they came down. I had two other dogs down with her but she made 3 points on singles and let me walk in front of her. She had been worked on pigeons a lot and it transferred to quail, just fine.

After the season last year we got the opportunity to guide some guys that bought a bunch of birds. I think they bought 150 chukars and pheasants. The owner of the game farm put out 75 in the morning and 75 in the afternoon. I had Sally and Dolly with me. They were supposed to have some more dogs but they didn’t show up. Dolly was old and I only hunted her until noon. Afternoon the owner of the game farm loaned us two dogs but Sally more than held her own. That was really good for her.

Once I started hunting her I decided to run her all day so she would learn to pace herself instead of running like Luke does. It seems to have worked. She hunts most of the time under 300 yards but right to left, left to right. She’s a pleasure to hunt with.

Mann on point.

Mann is another dog that started early. He was born in April of 2018. I took him a lot this year and he pointed several times. He’s still trying to find his range but mostly he’s 300 yards or less. He too, has been hunted all day long unless he was too tired. I think this makes them pace themselves instead of running out of the country.

Early in the season we had hunted a couple of days in Nebraska and on the way home I stopped in Kansas. My phone rang just as I got out of the truck so I sat back down and answered the call. After the call I put the e-collars and GPS collars on Tur Bo, then Dolly. While I was putting them on Mann I looked and Dolly was on point. Just as I saw her a single quail flushed from in front of her.

I must have stopped the truck almost on top of a covey. I had several points from Dolly and Tur Bo on singles then we went around a harvested corn field. There was pasture on the west side of the corn field and as we went along the corn field Mann pointed. He was out in the pasture, looking into a small bush. When I got to him he never moved. I kicked the bush and a covey of quail flushed. They flew straight away for a ways then one turned to my right. My favorite shot. Just as I started to pull the trigger another bird lined up with the one I was shooting at. They both dropped. I saw it coming but it amazed me and I never fired the other barrel.

I’ve killed two with one shot several times before but it’s been a while. Some times the dogs find them that you don’t know you have hit. But I saw this one coming and was so amazed that I never shot the other barrel. Those two quail were within 2 feet of each other. We followed up on the singles and he pointed two more times.

Late in the season we were in south central Kansas. I had Luke and Sally out with Mann. Luke got disoriented and was lost to me. Sally and Mann were covering the country pretty well so I kept going. Sally and Mann are both white and orange. On the ground they look alike. I thought both dogs were ahead of me in the rolling hills. I checked the GPS and I had walked about a hundred yards ahead of Mann. He was on point behind me.

On the way back to him I called Sally. When I got to him he was pointing into a small plum thicket. I walked up and saw the covey run out the other side of the plum thicket and flush. They never got 5 feet off the ground. I shot through the plum thicket but it was a frustration shot.

We looked for the singles with no luck. Just a half mile away another covey flushed in front of the dogs. They were so far ahead of them, they never saw or heard them. I could only tell the direction that they had flown but we headed in that direction. As we came up a hill Mann pointed on the flat ridge. I took about 2 steps toward him and a single quail flushed. It dropped when I shot. Mann picked it up and dropped it in my hand.

Sally may be the best I’ve ever owned and Mann may be better than her. Time will tell.

Babe pointing a pigeon.

Babe is a litter mate to Mann. She may make a good bird dog but she’s not as mature as he is. When I work her on pigeons she wants to move. She doesn’t want to flush the pigeon she wants to circle it. Not just once, but move, then move a little more, then a little more.

Lucky, who turned out to be an excellent bird dog did the same thing. Only he just moved once and I would pick him up and set him back. He quit moving. When I pick her up she cowers. I had to use something different.



On her I heel and whoa her. I carry a bag of pigeons and I whoa her and throw a pigeon. After she got used to stopping when I threw a pigeon I put the bird to sleep and laid it right in front of her. I stroke her sides telling her what a good girl she is. Then I wake the pigeon and let it fly away. She has to stay without moving. This has got her to stay on point some of the time but occasionally she wants to move. We’ll work through this. Her and Mann are both really young.

These are the English setters I have to work with. It’s a long time until next season and if the weather ever warms up and dries out I will start working them on pigeons. It’s pretty nice to go in the back yard and get a dozen points. And I can do that often when the weather allows.

Another shot of Babe with a pigeon right in front of her.

Mann on pigeons.

Sally on wild quail.



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End Of Quail Season Reminiscences

Posted on February 27, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

Sitting in the house where I can only think about quail season. I still have snow on the ground and when it’s warm enough to work dogs it’s too wet and muddy. I waded through the mud to put some dog food in the shed. I just watched the weather forecast and they are predicting freezing rain tonight and snow with low single digit temperatures over the weekend. Well below average temperatures through the first half of March. Makes me want to shoot that dang ground hog.

Babe with a pigeon in front of her.

Mann on pigeons.

A couple of quail and a 16 gauge AYA.

The dogs and I were able to hunt 5 different states this year. We hunted Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma. I’m still hoping to go farther west next year. It was my plan to hunt Nevada this year but it seemed every time we started planning, something came up. Maybe next year will be the time.

Hunting different types of cover was really good for the dogs and especially good for the young dogs. Mann came into his own and was able to find quite a few quail, hunting with dogs that had a lot more experience.

Mann and Babe both have been worked on the backing dog. All of the dogs honor but the first time Mann saw a German short haired pointer on point he didn’t honor. I waited on him thinking he would honor but when he didn’t I whoaed him. He stopped then turned his head and saw Sally honoring the short hair and he honored Sally.

Mann really has the backing down, most of the time. Once in Iowa the GPS showed him on point about a 150 yards from me. I had to go up a hill and around some brush piles to get close. When I saw him he was honoring a white log. He was steady enough that I was able to walk 20 yards ahead of him before figuring out he was backing the log.

Another time in Oklahoma he was lost from me. With the GPS I knew where he was but the wind was blowing pretty hard and he wasn’t hearing me call him. He got close a couple of times then went away from me. A little later he was on point according to the GPS. I started to him and saw a herd of cows close to where he was. They were standing still so I knew he was honoring the cows. When I got him away from the cows he was happy to stay with me.



I have hunted Kansas for years but there is still areas I haven’t hunted. This year, after seeing people begging for peoples favorite spots on Facebook, I drove 3 hours from my house, to a spot I had never hunted before, just to see if I could find quail. And I had some good hunts.

All of the walk-in properties aren’t good hunting for quail but if you hunt the ones that look good and you walk far enough you can find quail. The key may be walking far enough. If you drive by every place and think they look terrible and never turn the dogs loose, you won’t find quail. It has always taken lots of walking and now you have to go farther, in my opinion.

I like to hunt a property different than most people. If the place is really deep most people go to the back. I like to go around the edges on these. If there is food plot or grain field near where I park, I like to hunt an edge and come back through the food plot from the other direction. Sometimes this seems to confuse the birds. The birds have been used to running to the end of the food plot and then flying when the hunters get close. With me coming at a different direction they may hold instead of running.

Tur Bo on point.

In Iowa, we mainly hunted state owned land. Most of these and a lot of the walk-in areas we hunted had food plots with good cover around the edges. Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska were much the same. This taught the young dogs to run the edges and to check objectives.

Oklahoma was totally different. Both areas I hunted were just huge fields of cover. There is a lot of short shinnery oak and plum thickets that cover the whole place. Sandy Sanders WMA is 20 some thousand acres with, a highway on one side and a gravel road on the other, and a few cross fences. There were huge canyons that ran through the area.

To hunt this area dogs have to run. It wasn’t unusual, when I had 3 dogs hunting, to have one south of me, one east and one west. The plum thickets have thorns and the shinnery is really thick. Everything is hard on dogs and boots. The one day I hunted there this year the App on my phone showed 10.5 miles and 70 floors climbed. It’s also hard on old men.

The next day Jim Smith and I hunted Black Kettle National Grasslands. Black Kettle is flatter without the big canyons but it has more shinnery oak. One of the places we hunted was 320 acres and it was almost covered with shinnery oak.

We were almost to the back of this place and the east side was completely covered with shinnery oak from where we were to the north side a half mile away. Just about the time I was going to tell Jim that I had just read a study that said quail wouldn’t use a thicket over 5 acres in size the dogs went on point. When we got close a nice covey of quail flushed about 40 yards in front of the dogs. They flew straight ahead into more of the same shinnery oak patch. So much for that study. They must have hit the ground and ran. We never came up with any of the singles.

We saw quail on this trip, at both Sandy Sanders and Black Kettle, but they were really wild. They ran and flushed well out in front of the dogs. It got too warm for the dogs and Jim had a long drive home so we quit early but we still walked 9.5 miles. But on Black Kettle there was only 7 floors climbed. Much flatter country.



I had a good quail season but I’m worried about the quail surviving in northern Missouri, southern Iowa, southern Nebraska and northern Kansas. I still have snow on the ground and last night and this morning, we are getting freezing rain on top of that. The weather forecasters are predicting snow this weekend with single digit temperatures. The winter that doesn’t quit.

Sandy Sanders. Notice the difference in floors climbed.

Miles walked on Black Kettle.

Mann is really intense.



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