Blaze
Tur Bo
Luke
I enjoyed working the young dogs, on the pigeons, on Monday. On Tuesday, I figured out how to work each dog on 5 pigeons. I hid 2 pigeons in release traps. One on my neighbors side and one on my side of the training grounds. I put the e-collars on Tur Bo’s neck and flanks. I threw a pigeon in front of him and said whoa as I heeled him toward the training ground. He stopped and watched the pigeon fly away.
I heeled him to the edge of the training grounds and stopped him with a whoa. Throwing the pigeon in front of him had fired him up but he’s usually fired up, anyway. I released him and when I got to the first pigeon he was on point. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon. He watched the pigeon fly away and I shot the blank pistol. When I shot his front feet moved. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon that was hidden in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He moved forward about a step. I set him back, stroked his sides and led him away. I released him to hunt.
I had hidden the next pigeon inside the brush on my side of the training grounds. Tur Bo knew the bird was in the cover but he couldn’t figure out where without going into the brush. He went on point and I walked back and forth kicking the cover. I dropped a pigeon but he didn’t pay any attention until I shot the blank pistol. He took a step. I set him back and continued to kick the cover. When I flushed the pigeon in the release trap it hit a limb and fluttered before flying away. When the pigeon hit the limb Tur Bo moved toward it but stopped on my whoa. I set him back. I stroked his sides then released him. He hunted back to the kennel.
When I went back to the pigeon coop some of the first pigeons had returned so I was able to get 5 more for the next dog. I reloaded the release traps and put the e-collars on Blaze. I released her to hunt near the training grounds and she was on point when I got to the first pigeon. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and flushed the pigeon from the release trap. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides and led her away. I released her to hunt.
She was running really fast when she hit the scent cone on the next pigeon and slid into a point. I walked in front of her kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. She still didn’t move. I stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is, then released her.
We started to the very back of the training grounds and when she came close to me I threw a pigeon in front of her and said whoa. She stopped. Throwing a pigeon in front of the dogs when they are hunting, and whoaing them, teaches them to stop to flush. She hunted back to the kennel.
When I checked the pigeon coop there were not enough pigeons to work Luke. The pigeons get pretty smart. They learn not to come back very fast or I will use them again. I had a couple of guns that needed cleaning so I put the 4-wheeler up and went in the house. When I came back in about an hour the pigeons were all back. I put 5 in a bird bag and reloaded the release traps.
I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him close to the training grounds. I released him and when I got to the first pigeon he was on point. The training grounds are so wet that the 4-wheeler makes ruts so I have limited the use of it to just putting out the pigeons. By the time I walk the 100 yards or so to the first pigeon all of the dogs have pointed. I walked in front of Luke kicking the cover, dropped a pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he was then led him away. I released him to hunt.
Luke crossed to my side and went on point. I walked in front of him and dropped a pigeon. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I continued to walk in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I went to him and stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he was. I released him to hunt.
We started to the back of the property and when he came close to me I threw a pigeon in front of him and said whoa. He stopped. I stroked his sides, tapped his head and he went back to hunting. We went back to the kennel.
Blaze and Luke are steady to wing and shot on pigeons. I need to get some quail and get them steady on them. Because all of my dogs have been hunted on quail and pheasants and I haven’t required them to be steady to shot, I need to work them on quail in a controlled setting. Then I may get them steady to wing and shot. Quail, this time of year are hard to get so I will continue to work the dogs on pigeons. The dogs and I enjoy this game.