# Pheasant hunting/ training help



## Mike_13 (Jun 11, 2007)

Hey all, 
Could use some advice here.... My gf and I have a 7 month old lab/ golden mix. She will retrieve anything with feathers on it. However, she seems to struggle with picking up a scent trail and/ or finding birds. She finds the training dummy with wings on it 9 out of 10 times. 

We had her out pheasant hunting today at grand river and killed 1. She got within 5 ft of the bird and it didn't flush and she didn't seem to notice it or smell it. I ended up flushing it myself. Maybe I goofed and should have waited for her to flush it no matter how long it took? Any suggestions on improving her trailing abilities other than more experience? Or am I just being too impatient? 

I plan on getting her out to a bird farm to keep working with her. Anything I can do in particular to help this problem? 

Thanks for the help.

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## WeekendWarrior (Jan 20, 2008)

Live Birds for training. Make a rabbit hutch keep them in there!!!!!! Big, big help!


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## johnrude (Mar 29, 2009)

pigeons ! lots of them ! clip a wing on a pigeon so it cannot fly and let the dog chase it and let kill 1 or 2. then see how the dog reacts. and go from there.


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## big_fish (Dec 21, 2004)

was your pup down wind from the bird so it was in the scent cone ? the guys are right more live birds .A fellow once told me the difference between a good bird dog and a great bird dog is birds and lots of them .The best looking cover in the world is no good at all if it doesn't have a bird in it Good luck and happy hunting


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

Hello, 

I have always had pointing dogs but trailing is something I always try to build in them! I have been successful using a dead pigeon or pheasant or what have you to leave a scent trail! I keep a bird in the freezer then just randomly take it out and drag it around the yard before I take the pup out to go to the bathroom or whatever. I never leave the bird for the dog to find and I watch for her reaction...if she trails I let her follow the trail out praise her and then just go on much like a hunting situation! It helps them understand that trailing is a good thing! 

Another thing I attribute my dogs trailing success to is cats! You may think I am nuts but I let my dogs chase and hunt down the cats on my parents farm all the time...I even "flush" them out when the point them. They never hurt the cats just for the record! Cats are great bc dogs love them and they can't fly. I have always been of the opinion that dogs will hunt anything in front of there nose so I don't worry that they will lose interest in birds and want to hunt cats and that has never been the case!


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

I second the "down-wind" comment... my yellow lab just instantly started doing it- after I scented a duck dummy and dragged it all over the yard.
After a 4-5 times he started to use the wind and hasn't looked back.

Maybe force your dog to go downwind of your scented dummy- have him walk with you and just stop downwind of it. Give him your command "find the bird" or whatever...

Consistency is the key and making it easy for him to start.... he'll gain confidence quickly and his search skills or desire will sharpen fast.

Enjoy the ride!


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