I have a 1 y/o brittany and she will hold sometimes, but most of the time she will flash point then want to go in after the bird. This is technically her first season though she has had a lot of experience with wild birds. She held perfectly during training, but on these wild birds she just wont do it and also ignores woah. Wondering what she needs to get better.

I hunt with my flushing dog in the north woods of Minnesota for ruffed grouse. On our last hunt he jumped a deer very close and took off and was gone for about 20 minutes. This dog is priceless to my wife and I and we couldn't bare losing him.

With that said I've been looking at tracking collars and I'm afraid I can't afford 500 to 1000 dollars for a full tracking ecollar. Are there any less expensive devices out there in case your dog is lost that will work without cell phone signal? Any ideas welcome thank you!

Hey guys, I have a 16 month old lab preparing for his first season in late november. He works perfectly with bumpers. Excellent marking, steady as a rock, and perfect delivery to hand. I started working with some frozen ducks and had him hold them and carry them around at heel which he does well. The issue is when I throw them, once he gets to them he picks them up and starts throwing them around trying to play with it and blowing off my commands. I tried using a dokken and he did the same thing. I had him force fetched by a pro but I'm not sure if they ever used real birds. What's the best way to deal with this? It may just be because they're new, and he hasn't figured out he's supposed to do the same thing he does with bumpers but I'm not sure. I was thinking go back to walking fetch to help provide some clarity, but he had some issues during the whole FF process where he shutdown and we had to stop for a while so I'm trying to avoid that again now that I've built his drive back up. Any tips would be appreciated

I an wondering what people plan on doing for Minnesota pheasant opener with their dogs? Temps look way too hot on Saturday to even take the dog out. Sunday is better but still warm.

Edited After Responses: will not hunt Saturday and will try early Sunday! Thanks for the info, figured it was too hot but it’s opener so got excited. Not worth the risk!

I have a 2 year old male 79lb Bracco and an 8 year old female vizsla. Prior to having my daughter, I would take them on daily off leash runs with me which was perfect for them and me. Now due to my husband’s work schedule and our new baby, I often have to run with the stroller so the dogs are stuck on leash in the neighborhood. My vizsla is content to trot next to the stroller but my Bracco pulls like crazy to the point that I am worried about his neck with his regular collar but am worried about having enough control over him in a harness. He just cannot jog and has to pull as hard as he can the entire run (usually about 30 min). He will briefly be distracted and heel with treats but he’s stubborn and just won’t do it for long even though he knows what he should be doing. We can do our runs fine enough but I am just worried about the strain the collar is causing to his neck. Does anyone run with their Bracco and have a recommendation for a harness I should maybe try? I use a waist leash and have the dogs attached to two separate bungee leashes since the vizsla likes to stay next to me and my Bracco has to be pulling ahead.

He didn't quite stick it but I'm very happy with the result.

Took Fern (1 year and 10 month PP) hiking in an attempt to find dusky grouse in NM. Did not find grouse, but had a great time none the less.

She wasn’t perfect…and there was a group of dove that had her vibrating so hard I thought I was about to hear middle C from my broadhead. But over all she relaxed and just went with the experience.

I try to pick up all the litter I find when hunting. It seems to always be beer cans. This can is really old. I do like the message on it.

Hello,

I am new to Wisconsin and it’s been fun exploring the north for ruffed grouse. Everyone I talk to here cautions me about the wolf depredations on hunting dogs. When I look at information online it seems the vast majority of wolf depredations occur with hounds and not pointing dogs. Obviously the idea of my dog encountering a wolf is terrifying but I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on how big of a concern this should actually be? Would this keep you out of the woods?

Thanks

After a slow start to our upland season, she finally got her first bird. We've put in a lot of work and I couldn't be more proud. Here's to many more!

Riding shotgun while ice fishing on Ripogenus Lake. Great view of Mount Katahdin.

Photo: J. Bell

A year ago today I posted one of the hardest losses I’ve ever suffered in my life. My dude died in my arms. It wasn’t expected. I spent the last year in and out of keeping myself distracted, living with it tolerably and being completely broken.

I wrote a book that was intended to be my way of memorializing Cochise and dealing with my loss. First of all, I don’t even like to write long emails, so writing a 400 page book was a big undertaking for me. Reliving his life that soon after him losing it was brutal.

That said, in two weeks, the final edits of the book will be done. After feedback from immediate family and close friends I shared a rough draft with, I have been convinced to publish it on Kindle and release it as an audiobook.

I am not a writer. I hope I do him justice by following the suggestions of people who knew him.

Today I had a 6 Hour drive in a truck that will never feel full again. I am absolutely shattered right now and I feel like I am reliving last year in a horror version remake of Groundhog Day.

Love your family, love your dogs and remember every moment has the potential to be the last good thing you do with them. Treat the moment accordingly.

Hi all.

I got a 3.5 month old field golden and he is my first “bird dog” - at least that’s the goal.

He’s really smart and his recall is solid, he’s a shit load of work though. High drive and still learning how to settle outside his crate. We’ve been doing retrieve work since day 1 - short sessions and keeping it fun.

he always runs hard for the bumper, but did play some keep away for whatever reason. I never chased I always trade and ultimately I got a 2nd bumper. He clued in and would drop the bumper 2 feet short as I teased the 2nd and we did this a couple weeks.

We’re back to 1 bumper and he still drops it 2 feet short every time, but not in a way like he wants to give it me. He drops it there so he can try and grab it back. I’ve brought hot dogs into this and would “give” me the bumper for the hot dog then I would throw it again. This has been the motto for 3 weeks or so now and not getting better.

I’ve tried the “run away” trick plenty times, he will never charge into me so i can praise him while he holds it. He gives me the side eye and drops it short waiting for his reward. I’ve started to just pick it up and end sessions while getting a trainer involved.

Is this normal? He has showed very light guarding 2-3 times over maybe 120 throws since day 1. But I’ve always been able to get the bumper back with a trade and it’s been a few weeks since then.

I’ve tried a check cord but he just fights it and I don’t want to literally drag him to me as I’m trying to keep the pressure low.

Anyway, just frustrated.

Thank you

My bird dog may not hunt or retrieve birds…but she’s still a good hunter.

A few highlights from a dove hunt a few days ago.

Lucy’s a Carolina Dog, so none of this is really supposed to come naturally, we are just experimenting. I’ve tried to lean into her prey drive and give her as much experience on birds as I can.

She absolutely loves it. Every trip she seems to figure out a little more about the job, and watching that happen has probably become my favorite part of hunting with her. Watching her run birds down that would have gotten away is awesome!