Luke pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Most of these posts are about the same but that is the way dog training is. You do the same thing over and over until it is second nature for the dog to do it. I’m trying to get the dogs to run the edges of tree lines, fence rows and hedge rows so I hide the pigeons along the edge.
I hid 2 pigeons for each of the dogs. I turned Luke loose first. I had a feeder hanging in a tree not far from where I had hidden the first pigeon. When he came close to the feeder he slowed but went on. I thought he was too far off the first pigeon but when he got close he slid to a stop. When he pointed his tail was level with his back but it slowly started coming up. I sat on the 4-wheeler until his tail quit rising then took pictures and walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon came out low and flew by him then over the hill to the west without ever getting very high. He turned his head but didn’t move his feet. I led him away and released him. He wanted to follow the pigeon that had flown over the hill real low but the 4-wheeler was heading over the hill to the east and he came back in front of me.
We went on over the hill to the east and he was really moving. When I hit the hedge row running back north he was 150 yards ahead of me. At the very end was a patch of cover that he circled and I caught up. As he came around the end he went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon fluttered over his head and lit on the 4-wheeler. He never moved. The pigeon was wet but otherwise normal. I caught it and put it back in the box on the 4-wheeler. I led him away and released him. We ran a couple more edges on the way back to the truck.
Tur Bo and I hit the fence row and started down it. He turned at the end and started to the south along a tree row. He hit the scent of the pigeon and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him. The pigeon was in some horse weeds about head high and when I flushed the pigeon Tur Bo caught it. The bird never got above the weeds. This was an older bird that usually flies really well. I carried him back and when I said, “give” he dropped it in my hand. I made him stand for a while, led him away and released him.
We went over the hill to the east and hit the hedge row that runs north. He went to the end and went on point. I went in front, after taking pictures, kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and it went over the top of him and fluttered down about 10 yards behind him. He turned his head but didn’t move. I went to catch the pigeon and it flew about 20 yards and landed again. As I got close to it it flew into a tree about another 20 yards away. I went back to Tur Bo and led him away. I turned the 4-wheeler around and got him headed away from the pigeon before I released him. We ran a couple of edges before getting back to the truck.
Blaze was next. We went down the fence row and she went into the woods where the fence row hit the trees. I have a feeder with milo in it and a quail call near at this junction. I couldn’t see her but watching the GPS I saw her go on point. When I got inside the woods she was on point. I kicked the cover in front of her and nothing happened. I tapped her head and she moved up and went back on point. She pointed 3 or 4 times but she was never really rigid. I think some quail or turkeys had been around the feeder but had moved on.
She went on to the south and pointed the pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move but the pigeon only flew into a tree right above where it was hidden. I led her away and released her.
She went to the east and ran to the very end of the hedge row and went into the cover at the end. She was deep in the cover when she smelled the pigeon and pointed. I took pictures then walked in front kicking the tall weeds. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. The pigeon fluttered out and lit on the 4-wheeler. That was the second bird to light on the 4-wheeler. I caught the pigeon and put it in the box. I led her away and released her. We ran some edges on the way back to the truck.
I don’t know what was happening to the pigeons. Of the 6 pigeons not a one had flown well. Both of Tur Bo’s birds were older pigeons. I had bands on both of them. Sometimes I have one or two young birds that don’t fly well but never before have I had all six.
Usually, most of the pigeons are home before I get loaded up and drive back but yesterday a day after I used the pigeons the land owner, Kory, called and said, “are you missing a pigeon? There is one sitting on the ground in front of me.” I told him what problems I had with the pigeons. He didn’t think it could fly very well but then it flew away. If it was one of mine it may just be slow coming home. It may have decided it wasn’t worth it. The dogs like the pigeons really well but I don’t think the feeling is mutual.
Luke
Tur Bo watching a pigeon fly away.
Blaze