This was the first time I have hunted Oklahoma on opening weekend. I will write a post about that at a later time but I had to write this one on how to make a dog hunt where you want him to. Luke is six years old and he should have learned this lesson a long time ago.
Luke
Luke
Luke
Luke is a big running dog. When he’s hunting it looks like he’s chasing something but he finds birds. Not only does he point coveys at that speed but he also can find singles. Opening day every one of my favorite places had someone on them before I got there so I hunted places I wasn’t familiar with and a lot of the time someone had just left the property that I hunted.
The second morning a guy flagged me down that was out of gas and I wound up taking him back to Cheyenne from Reydon to fill his gas can. I was late but a small place that I usually find some birds on had no one on it. I turned Lucky and Dolly out first and we found some birds. When they got hot I put them up and turned Luke, Tur Bo and Betsy out.
I usually go just inside the property along side the road to the east. Without fail Luke goes to the east but when I turn south he keeps on going east. This day was no exception. If I continue on to the south he usually gets with me when he runs all of the private property across the road. I decided to fix the problem once and for all. I beeped Luke with the e-collar then called him while I watched his yardage on the GPS. He went on to the east.
I beeped him and called a little louder. He still went on to the east. I beeped him, called his name and hit the shock button on the Sport Dog e-collar on a level 2. He started toward me but when he was about 150 yards out he turned and went on to the east. I turned the e-collar to level 3, beeped him, called his name and hit the shock button. It didn’t turn him.
I turned the e-collar to a level 5. I beeped him, called his name and held the e-collar button down for about 5 seconds. He headed straight for me. He got within about 150 yards and went back east.
His level for training is a 2 and sometimes I have to use a 3 when he’s being obstinate. I’ve only used the top level of 8 when he used to chase deer. When I held it down he would yelp and quit chasing the deer. I decided the only way to get his attention was to use level 8 but just hold it down for a second. I beeped him, called his name and when he didn’t respond I held the transmitter down on 8 for just a second. He started right to me. I thought, “all right.” At about 150 yards he turned back east.
I beeped him, called his name and when he didn’t respond I held the button down on level 8 for about 3 seconds. I never heard a yelp but it was pretty windy. He came right toward me. This time he crossed the road and got right in front of me. We hunted that spot for at least another hour and he stayed right in front of me hunting for me all the way. I thought, “all right, I got his attention.” I was really proud of getting him to hunt in front of me.
We got back to the truck and all 3 dogs were really dry. When I watered them and took the e-collars off to put the dogs in their boxes I found out that I forgot to turn the e-collars on. He didn’t come because of the shock collar. He had hunted all of the country to the east that he wanted.
Luke
Luke pointing a pigeon.
Luke