range, what do you prefer?

[setterguy]

Just looking to get a feel on what everyone is looking for in thier dog as far as range goes. Obviously this will all depend on breed or flusher / pointer, but there are bound to be different styles desired whithin each style. I would also like to hear if it matters what kind of bird your chasing, grouse vs. pheasants vs. sharpies ect.. Personally I like to see the dogs get out there, I have no problem with my dogs being 75yds away in the grouse woods, or even more when hunting open country chasing sharpies or quail. I figure that I will most likely find birds that are 20 yards in front of me on my own, and if my dog is 50 yards to my right and does kick up a bird, thats a bird that we wouldn't have found anyway if she hunted closer. Its been my own personal experience that I have bagged more birds by letting my dog get out there and cover as much ground as possible. I'm sure others see it differently. Anxious to hear your thoughts on this.

[dogsNroosters]

I prefer a dog that works close. Mostly I hunt by myself or with one other person. I also use a flushing dog. I would have a different opinion if hunting over a pointer or setter. I like to keep the dog within 20 yards in front of me in the woods or scrub when going after grouse and quail. Too much to get in the way if the birds start flushing wild. In open ground, I will let the dog get a little further out, but I would rather have the dog quartering and covering a lot of ground that way rather than being 75 yards out in front of me. Just my two cents.

[gspman]

Great topic! There's really no correct answer. Kind of a personal taste thing. I've seen pointing dogs that wouldn't get 10yds from the gun and I've seen some that were little specs out in the distance. I suppose flushers would be limited to 20-30 yds and in.

Personally, I like one that get's out there a little bit. How far would depend on a lot of variables for me. How trustworthy my dog is when out on a wide cast, the type of species being hunted, and the cover to a degree, how the birds are behaving, and the list goes on.

For pheasants, if a dog points way out there (150+ yds), most likely if there's still a bird there when you arrive it'll be a hen. Most cock pheasants that are worth their feathers will usually high tail it out of there flying or running after a short period of time. 100 yds and in is a more comfortable limit for me and I'd usually prefer my dog within 75 yds. However, if I'm in a giant hunting area with more open cover and fewer birds then I'd want that dog to reach out further. We need to cover ground and move on.

For grouse (and I'm no expert here), it seems to me that somewhere within bell range (whatever that is) is the limit. Having watched a coverdog trial this spring seems to lend some support to this for me anyway. Some folks claim that if a grouse dog is further away from you it'll have a better chance of pinning a grouse. Not sure if that's true or not but the folks that make this claim are grouse trialers so I assume they know what they are talking about. If I can hear my dog's bell clearly and it's going in my direction and checking in on a regular basis then I think I'm okay with the range. But I'm still an inexperienced grouser and my opinion could change completely with more experience.

My old dog was too independent and a little black hearted so I got a little nervous whenever she got out past 80-100 yds. Plus she'd take perverse pleasure in flushing a bird occasionally if she was getting frustrated and thought I couldn't see her.

My current pup handles better than my old one ever did, although based on our grouse excursion a couple weeks ago Setterguy may beg to differ 8^). So I think I'll be more comfortable letting her get out there as long as she proves to be trustworthy and honest with her bird work as she matures. If she turns out how I think she will then I'll probably just let her rock and roll and adjust from there based on what's happening during the day.

gspman

[ReelTimes]

Thats an interesting question. I have historically had labs and they have usually pushed me quite a bit in terms of keeping up. Mine have been quick workers that would go out 20-40 yards (20 if I moved quick too). I mostly pheasant hunt now and now have an english cocker spanial. Kind of like a miniature springer. Great flushing dog, great nose, and for me best of all works hard at distances of 15-20 yards. He has been a real joy to hunt with as he works the cover so thoroughly and allows me to easily keep up. He has put up many birds within 5-10 yards as birds have circled behind me. The only negative is that he doesn't hunt as well with other dogs.....as the other dogs get out in front much more, although I can't tell you how many times he has put up birds other dogs have missed.

[Wild Willie]

Ultimately within shotgun range at the flush. Flushers most definitely always within shotgun range. Good pointing dogs should be allowed to range depending on cover type, species of bird being pursued and how the birds are holding. The long range goal for me and my pointing dog is to develop a intuitive ability to recognize how far we can be separated from each other dependent solely on visual contact. I'm hopeful this goal will be achieved by the time my pup reaches three years of age with lots of field experience. If I can't see him and he can't see me then he is too far. Folks that own good pointers and keep them too close in are not actualizing their dogs full potential. It would be like owning a Lamborgini and using it only to run down to the local convenience store to pick up a gallon of milk.