Gun Dog Forum

My 3 year old Brit is rock solid on quail but busts / knocks woodcock? He's does stands still once they hit the air but it seems like he loves to watch them fly. He's holding much better each time we go out but he refuses to let me walk in on woodcock . Anyone ever have this problem with different game birds?

This may sound strange, but woodcock so indeed smell very different from most of the rest of the gamebirds a dog will be expected to find and point.

I have had adult dogs that simply did not point a woodcock...until I kicked one up myself and shot it. Once they saw that it was a bird that I was interested in and not just another "stink"bird to be ignored, they started pointing them just fine.

I suspect that it may have gotten into the dog's head that it does not need to stop and point something that smells the way a woodcock smells.

If you are shooting woodcock that the dog busts, you may well be encouraging that perception in the dog's mind.

I personally would insist that the dog stop and stand, same as it does on quail or anything else. When it runs though a woodcock, I would whoa the dog, physically pick it up, set it back, stroke it up and make it stand there. I would not shoot at a bird the dog did not point. If it persists on runngin through birds, on about the third one, I would simply snap a lead on the dog, put it at heel and walk out of the field. Dog would go in the box and stay there for at least an hour, maybe even done for the day.

Betcha the dog connects the dots pretty quickly and figures out if it does it their way, there is "no joy", but if it does it your way, it gets to continue to hunt.

RayG

When it comes to woodcock it looks like the bird isn't going anywhere.
They hold until you practically step on them. Maybe the dogs wonders if they are even breathing so moves in.

None of my three dogs ever pointed a timberdoodle. And none would ever pick up a dead one.

He is great now! After about 4 trips and 25-30 bird contacts he settled down. He's a woodcock machine now.

I don't know the first thing about woodcock. But what you said sounds like your coming in a bit to close to him. If that it, you got a strange bird for your dog and walking by him to close is probably pulling him. Come in farther to the side where you can keep a good eye on him. In any case, it will probably work itself out on it's own. If you remember back when you first put him on quail I bet pretty close to the same thing happened, unless of course you trained on quail.

I tend to agree with Ray on this topic. Woodcock are a weird bird. Have you ever eaten one? I shot one that I flushed then had my dog retrieve it after throwing it for her. She figured it out after that.

The dog was not running through them , he pointed them hard but would break when I walked in which he does not do on quail. By the end of season he was handling them very well. Running birds he had some trouble with but he figured them out. I would never shot a bird that wasn't handled properly. I have eaten a good many of them. Thanks for the tips

Living water wrote:The dog was not running through them , he pointed them hard but would break when I walked in which he does not do on quail. By the end of season he was handling them very well. Running birds he had some trouble with but he figured them out. I would never shot a bird that wasn't handled properly. I have eaten a good many of them. Thanks for the tips

Glad it worked out, treat it the same as any other time he breaks though.