On Sunday the 31st of August I bought some quail to work the dogs on. They were a lot younger than I thought they would be so I put them in one of the pigeon coops. The pigeons stay away from them and there is plenty of food and water for both. After working the dogs on the first of September I left the entry to the coop open for the pigeons, I had used, to return. The opening has bobs hanging down to keep the pigeons from getting out but they can get back in.
I went to clean kennels and feed later that afternoon. I saw that the dogs were all excited and running from one end of their kennel to the other. Then I saw a quail on the ground just outside the kennel area. I have a large pen around my kennels that I turn the dogs into while I clean kennels. I turned the dogs into the big pen and they went on point. I had 2 or 3 dogs pointing and a couple backing then they would move and point again. I checked the pigeon coop and out of 15 quail only 7 were left. I checked to see how they were getting out and determined that they were going between the hanging bobs on the re-entry gate.
I went to the shed and got my dip net to catch the quail. I caught a couple but I was driving the quail farther away from the coop so I put 4 quail in a wire quail call back pen and left it near the coop. I came back about dark and there were 10 quail in the call back box. I had all of them back.
Blaze
Blaze
Now I have one pigeon coop I can’t leave open for the pigeons to return to until I get a place for the quail. So that leaves me with only enough pigeons to work 2 dogs on 2 pigeons. I have kept quail with my pigeons before and never had this problem.
I hid 2 pigeons on the training ground and brought Blaze out with the e-collars on her neck and flanks. I whoaed her, started the 4-wheeler, waited about 15 seconds then released her with an okay. I had hidden both birds near the end of the training grounds so the dogs would have to hunt the first part then finally find them. This teaches them to trust their nose. If they find birds in the same places each time they will start pointing spots instead of using their nose.
Blaze slid to a point on the first bird. I walked in front of her after taking pictures. Since there was only 2 birds for each dog I kicked the cover more than usual before flushing the pigeon. She never moved even when I shot the blank pistol. I continued to kick the cover then stroked her sides and told her what a good girl she is. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay.
My neighbor, Dave, had mowed a new strip giving us some edge where I had never hid a pigeon before. She was running down the new edge and caught the scent and whirled into a point. Then she tried to either get closer or straighten her body but she took a step and I flushed the pigeon. She stopped to flush. I picked her up and set her back then kicked in front of her. I shot the blank pistol then kicked in front of her some more. I made her stay, on point, as I sat on the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay. She hunted back to the kennel.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
My dog houses are inside the runs in my kennels and I have the dogs get on their house to put the e-collars on their neck and flanks. Tur Bo can hardly contain himself when I enter his kennel. He jumps on his house then off and back on before I can get in. Then he gets on and wiggles all over until I touch his head with my hand. As soon as I touch him he settles down and he is calm while I put the e-collars on his neck and flanks.
I whoaed him near the 4-wheeler, started it and after about 15 seconds released him with an okay. He hunted through the first part then into the middle part and went on point. Either he has a really good nose or it takes very little scent for him to point. He is nearly always farther from the pigeons than any of my other dogs. I want to believe he has a better nose. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and his front feet danced a little but his back feet didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol and he took a couple of steps. I held the button on the e-collar transmitter down, on level 4, picked him up and set him back. When his feet touched the ground I released the button. I kicked in front of him and made him stand while I wrote on my note pad and started the 4-wheeler then released him with an okay.
He was running the new edge when he hit the scent cone on the pigeon hidden in the tall weeds. The pigeon was behind him and he almost screwed himself into the ground. He was crouched down with his belly almost touching the ground and his body bent looking behind. By the time I got off the 4-wheeler and got the camera out he had stood up but he was still bent in a U looking behind his self. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon he took a couple of steps then stopped. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 4, on the e-collar on his flanks and set him back. When his feet touched the ground I released the button. I kicked in front of him and he never moved when I shot the blank pistol. He hunted back to the kennel.
I’m going to build something for the quail so I can continue to work Luke, too. Also, I like having more chances for the dogs to point. When they stop to flush, they learn to point at the first scent. It’s more fun, for them, to point than to stop to flush. When they point the scent is coming to them and that’s what they are bred to do, point. When they have to stop to flush the scent is waning. I make them stand for a good while on a stop to flush. That is just my opinion but it’s worth what you paid for it.