Tango

[ZachD]

Well today just wasn't our day ... Started our day looking for pheasants 5 mins in our first spot a rooster flushed in front of us what would be a perfect shot but it was right outside of my range so let him fly. Didn't see anymore in that spot so decided to walk a creek to see if we could jump shoot some ducks no luck. 10 Geese flew above us but we didn't have a heavy enough shot to take them down so they got a pass. Decided to drive to another spot for some pheasants. We were walking a field edge and bam flush something I had pheasant on my mind and thought hen but by the time I realized grouse it was too late. Caught me sleeping on that one. Decided to switch gears and target grouse flushed one more but it was a low flyer and tango was in between me and the bird so no shot. On the way out we walked a field and flushed a hen.

Good day for seeing birds but came home and ordered pizza for dinner.

[ZachD]

Found a bunch of deer ticks too first time this year we ran into them bad

[monstermoose78]

How goes the training zach?

[ZachD]

Training is going good was at the cabin for the fourth and he was non stop go go go did alot of swimming and he was tuckered out when we got home. The fiancees cousin had there Irish setter up there that he gets along with really well as they both have sooooo much energy.

 

He actually goes back to training end of August. Ill be getting married and instead of just boarding him we figured pay a little extra and he gets to to what he loves while we are gone. He will be at Elk river Kennels this time as we are only doing 4 weeks. As Stevenson's training does 8 weeks

[monstermoose78]

Well congrats on getting married Zach!! I look forward to seeing more photos come fall.

[JB18]

Great topic!  I got my first hunting pup in November and i am planning on following your same pattern.  Sent off for training and going to work game farms until grouse opener!  I also took my pup to crooked lake to swim!

[monstermoose78]

12 hours ago, JB18 said:

Great topic!  I got my first hunting pup in November and i am planning on following your same pattern.  Sent off for training and going to work game farms until grouse opener!  I also took my pup to crooked lake to swim!

Let's see your pup

[JB18]

Lets see if this works..

This is her at round lake.   I am not good at remember to take pics.

 

 

[monstermoose78]

Good look pup

[ZachD]

On ‎7‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 4:43 PM, JB18 said:

Great topic!  I got my first hunting pup in November and i am planning on following your same pattern.  Sent off for training and going to work game farms until grouse opener!  I also took my pup to crooked lake to swim!

tango loves going to Crooked lake!

 

Sand pines really works with you well for starting off. I don't know just because they were not busy but the kid stayed out with me and planted one by one until I told him to release them all.

Golden meadows is nice as well. Do the pre buy program (I think if you buy before mid Aug) and the birds are a good price. They will flag all the birds if you want.

 

He still only weighs under 60lbs but I like it that way he is deadly fast and never gets tired

 

Cant wait to see how he does this season want to make a trip to the Dakotas at least once

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

Awese thread! I take our golden/lab mix to Round Lake for training also. This pic is from May when it was chilly. We're having an absolute blast working together. She's a sweet dog, will do anything to please me if she understands. Only thing I have to do before the season is somehow introduce her to gunshots and that's not easy without private land. Watching her barrel through the cattails to find that dummy is awesome. 

[JB18]

On 7/24/2017 at 6:56 PM, monstermoose78 said:

Good look pup

 

 

Thanks!  She is only 40 pounds at 9 months old.  Don't think she will get much bigger.

I was hoping to talk with some people at the game farm next month to see if i can get a great price on a pre-buy program.

 

 I have some pheasant feathers and she goes crazy when she see me grab them.  I need to find a field that the grass is not chest high to plant them or better yet get some game birds and tie the feet off and plant those. 

 

If you drive by Round Lake and see a red Tundra stop in and say hello. I am there most nights when it gets this hot.

 

 

 

 

[ZachD]

7 hours ago, JB18 said:

 

 

Thanks!  She is only 40 pounds at 9 months old.  Don't think she will get much bigger.

I was hoping to talk with some people at the game farm next month to see if i can get a great price on a pre-buy program.

 

 I have some pheasant feathers and she goes crazy when she see me grab them.  I need to find a field that the grass is not chest high to plant them or better yet get some game birds and tie the feet off and plant those. 

 

If you drive by Round Lake and see a red Tundra stop in and say hello. I am there most nights when it gets this hot.

 

 

 

 

Go to the fields off hwy 10 where diamonds used to be and where the boat launch is in Ramsey. I plant feathers and stuff there sometimes there is a variety of tall grass around there.

 

the best pre buy program I have found is at golden meadows. if you put money on an account before aug 26 the prices are  depending on when you go

Aug. 20 - Sept. 4 Sept. 5 - Oct. 2 Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 Nov. 7 - Dec. 4 Dec. 5 - Jan. 1, 2017

COST PER BIRD $16.50 $17.50 $18.50 $19.50 $20.50

[rundrave]

22 hours ago, TNtoMN_HuntFish said:

Love seeing guys out training dogs but you can really do  some serious damage to your dogs neck if it runs hard for a long distance before being stopped suddenly when the check cord is attached to a collar. I would suggest a harness instead that has attachment at the back that you can clip your check cord to. It will also flow off the back and less likely to get tangled up in the legs and belly which can also be dangerous especially when in the water.

 

It doesnt look deep where you are but you never know whats under the water that could snag your check cord. Sorry dont mean to preach but I have seen it first hand where a dog has been seriously injured from this. I know the prey drive and hard charge these dogs have, but you got to keep them safe.

 

good luck

[monstermoose78]

Thanks for the advice Dave 

I dont let Finn fetch on check cord any more. I only used it when he was a pup

[TNtoMN_HuntFish]

19 hours ago, rundrave said:

Love seeing guys out training dogs but you can really do  some serious damage to your dogs neck if it runs hard for a long distance before being stopped suddenly when the check cord is attached to a collar. I would suggest a harness instead that has attachment at the back that you can clip your check cord to. It will also flow off the back and less likely to get tangled up in the legs and belly which can also be dangerous especially when in the water.

 

It doesnt look deep where you are but you never know whats under the water that could snag your check cord. Sorry dont mean to preach but I have seen it first hand where a dog has been seriously injured from this. I know the prey drive and hard charge these dogs have, but you got to keep them safe.

 

good luck

I actually don't have that long leash attatched to me. Its 100' I believe and the only reason I leave it on her is because Round Lake is right by a busy road so if she wants to bolt after a rabbit or something I can quickly grab that leash. Also sometimes she'll grab the dummy and want to swim around with it so I give a few tugs to let her know her job is to bring it to me, not swim in circles. It's just a safety measure because she isn't quite ready for fully off leash training just yet. I almost never actually need to grab it. 

 

Thanks for the advice though, the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt a dog, especially mine. I never throw the dummy past where it's safe to walk so if she did get it wrapped in cattails or something and got stuck I'd quickly get her. 

[rundrave]

I know its not attached to you. But the issue is with it being attached to the dog and if its running full speed and it gets caught on something. The injuries can occur when its a sudden stop and the collar around the neck is pulled hard from the weight of the dog.

 

Sounds like to you need to get back to the basics with the check cord and get back to sit, stay and come. You can work her with the check cord in a hallway at home with the doors closed, then move to a larger  grassy area etc. Keep the sessions short and praise, praise and praise some more when she comes back when called.

 

You never want to give a command you cant enforce and that's where the check cord comes in handy. We have all been there before. But if your not confident with her in the water next to a road you need to go back and revisit those commands and how to enforce them until she is ready. its just not worth risking injury.

 

You have to make the retrieving fun and if she doesn't bring it back your done for that session, and then she doesn't get to retrieve. Let her see you put the dummy away and then start another session at a later time. Praise, praise and praise when she does it correctly.

 

Dogs will pick up on your body language frustrations etc.  Just takes lots of reps and keep them short and be positive and she will get there.

[monstermoose78]

How is tango @ZachD

[ZachD]

He is doing good. He is going to be 3 in September. Hoping for some cool weather to do some training with him to get him ready for this years pheasant season 

[gimruis]

Reading this thread brings back some memories when I trained my dog years ago.  She's 6 now and this season will be her 7th hunting season.  I remember the first time I took her out with some other dogs on opening day of pheasant season she was CLUELESS (even after a month of professional training).  The second time I took her without other dogs and she figured out what we were looking for.  Sometimes I think its better for a young dog to learn without distractions (like other dogs) around.  Those game farms can do wonders to train a young do too because they guarantee success and introduce the dog to a ton of birds.

Edited August 9, 2018 by gimruis

[PRO-V]

Reminds me of the first time I took my Springer pheasant hunting. Had only hunted grouse. She looked at me like what the heck are we doing in the middle of this field and wanted to head for the woods. After 50 yards she scented a pheasant and flushed it, I shot and she retrieved it. Then it was game on for the rest of the day.

[monstermoose78]

Zach doing any duck hunting