was avid duck hunter until a series of strokes elminated my ability to use waders/hip boots - now, after 33 yrs of teaching, i am in my 15th year of guiding pheasant hunters at a preserve in WI plus a yearly trip to SD- using two field champions, 2 QAA labradors plus other highly bred trial labradors as guide dogs - retired life behind highly skilled dogs does not get any better
50% upland - 45% waterfowl... 5% geese & those are just the dumb ones that fly too low... Vizsla, best dang dog I ever had! in between dogs this season. In the batters box is a Brittany & possible Boykin (my wife has mentioned several times she likes them)...
It would be interesting to add another vote column...which is "don't hunt birds". I know there have been threads before about what percentage of field trial dogs also hunt. As gooser said earlier, I too have been chastised for hunting my trial dog....ie, "you will ruin that dog hunting it, especially on pheasants." Anyway, I hunt virtually everything that flies, with a dog that I also run in trials. It seems to me the dog knows the difference and still will run lazer lines on a blind in a trial after a season of quartering hunting pheasants.
First year duck/goose hunter here. actually didn't go out goose hunting at all so I guess just first year duck hunter.
got one hen turkey under my belt in the 3 years I've been hunting them. missed a tom this spring. ran/crawled/belly crawled about 200 yards in an open field after two toms messing with a hen. the field was real hilly and they were on the other side of the hill. belly crawled to within 30 yards only to shoot over one of the tom's. looking back, I never looked down the barrel of the gun but just but the bead on him instead. would have been the perfect ending but I screwed up!
Started with a Springer then added a lab, now I have a GSP (8), a Gordon Setter (6), & a Springer (1.5). I started hunting Pheasants & doves and a jumping potholes for ducks, then got the pointers and started Sharptail hunting, now I field hunt ducks and geese (75%) and set up on some transitions sloughs (25%), Sharptail, Doves & Pheasants. I hunted just about every weekend this year from the middle of August and will have to quit on the 6th of January when the pheasant season ends. We hunted ducks and geese in 18 degree snow filled fields this year laying out with white tyvek suits on using some blanket blinds. My 1.5 year old springer was retrieving in the slush one morning. My 16 year old loves to duck hunt, I would rather pheasant hunt. I would like to hunt some flooded timber one day though.
Went on my first bird hunt this year! I had a blast. I will be getting a good pair of waders and going again next year. This year happened to be a duck hunt but I would love to try hunting other birds.
I duck hunt most of the time with some Canada's mixed in when i have the opportunity "Been great geese this year".. I spend a week in SD every year after the cacklers.. Usualy dove hunt 2 or 3 times a year. So my lab i broken down as follows.
Dove-3%
Pheasant-7%
Goose- 10%
Duck- 40%
Momas Boy Lap Dog- 200%
Ok i need a bit more on that.......... Do you use the dog to bust up the birds in order to seperate the birds? "seen it on TV"
Im so curious now... I dont know what you are doing but i want to go see this.... I will be Cal. in early 2013 so get your turkey dog ready... ;-) JK !!!!!! Cant wait to hear this though
Nah, no dogs for us when out turkey hunting. The OP just said that this was a quick hunting survey, right (nothing about hunting with/without dogs)? Either way, the dogs usually go on these trips with us. If heading out for turkeys, they stay at the cabin.
Getting ready to head to the goose pit now though the Specklebellies around here tend to keep banker's hours. Best time to hunt them is between 9am and 2pm.
This season it has been very slow with ducks but great with geese!
We hunt because our dogs were bred to hunt. Field trials and hunt tests are what we do to fill the gap in between seasons and keep us and our dogs active in the outdoors year round. Does hunting them mess than up? No not at all, they know the difference.
I start out with Dove on Sept.1st.Then it's on to Teal then Ducks.Shortly after the geese start flying.After all that it's time to put the hog dogs on the ground and start all over.
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