Gun Dog Forum

I am asking the vet chukar hunters how do you and your dogs recover after a 5 to 6 hour hunt in the hills.
I and my pups try to stay in shape all year. I am lucky to live near hills and birds. Lately I have been feeling soar after the hunts. We usually hunt for about 5 to 6 hours.
We hunt hard and hunt where no one will hunt. Part of my endurance plan includes a prework out drink. I drink it at about 2 1/2 hours into the hunt. On the end of the hunt I take a whey protein shake to recover. I just wanted to know if there is somethings I can do to recover faster. I also feed my pups the heads,necks,gizzards,livers,hearths,lungs and kidneys of the birds to help them. Is there anything else I can do for my pups.

Here's some picks of my latest hunt. Man I am so soar as I write this.
Good thing for beer.
Thank you

If you have any pictures to share please do so.

Merry Christmas.

























Pups recovery snacks on the left and my pot pie on the right.

Nice looking day. Looks like you have done your homework. For all the people I talk to, you are the only one in this state shooting those devil birds.

This is how my dog recovers.

Looks like you're doing alright. We've been hitting the hills hard here too. I've always been a fan if the 'ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' philosophy. I trained for a marathon to get in shape for chukar season As far as recovery, the pup has some sore feet so a day or two off is usually in order for her, as for myself a couple ibuprofen, ice where it needs it, and a hot tub if you can find one. Enjoy the solitude out there. The country those birds live in is good for the soul (but the knees hate it)!

Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing the pictures!

Google Riblose. Recovery goes in this order, 1 big shot of whiskey followed by a glass Riblose then the whey protein drink. The order is critical because their absorption rates. Besides that, you don't wanna dilute The whiskey.

Great photo's ! Thanks for sharing.

Merry Christmas.

I do have a bachelors in exercise science, but im not an expert....but here goes....

For you I would take a post hunt protein shake, or just eat a high protein meal (chukar and quail would work nicely) also make sure to get some good complex carbs too. During the hunt I would take something to restore glycogen levels (simple carbs) and maybe a pre workout drink like Amino Energy from O.N. its got aminos and some caffine.

Also stretching is key to recovery, as well as preparing before the season (cardio, resistance training). I've already started cardio for elk and chukars.

As for the dogs Im currently looking into feeding a raw diet during hunting season.


BTW your pics always makes me day dream about chukar hunting. Love the Yildiz and the scenery..

ultracarry wrote:Nice looking day. Looks like you have done your homework. For all the people I talk to, you are the only one in this state shooting those devil birds.

The only reason I am finding birds is that I am hiking at elevations of 8000 to 9000 ft . That is were the green up is. I have gone to my honey holes and no birds. I have explore more new country this season and have been rewarded with Mountain Quail . With the resent snow I have seen more birds than I thought were around. I am glad to see coveys of 20 to 25 birds.

Thank you for your help.

Do you cook the innards for your dogs or will they take them raw?

My dog doesn't seem to like livers/hearts etc.

if you are still feeling sore your muscles are still starving for more. You may want to up your protien shake or add another stop with some chocolate milk in there as well.

Or do the whey shake before you hunt then chocolate milk after.

As for my dogs I try to make sure they have the food they need to stay in great shape plus a little extra. I also like to add a little extra glucosamine to their diet and a protein/energy bar halfway through my hunts.

Do your dogs eat the head, beak and all?

Nice pics. It looks like that rocky terrain would be rough on ankles and knees. We were in Northern NH one day this year and got into a hillside of rocks. My ankles were not the same for weeks.

By the way, that is a beautiful shotgun.

m2244 wrote:
Nice pics. It looks like that rocky terrain would be rough on ankles and knees. We were in Northern NH one day this year and got into a hillside of rocks. My ankles were not the same for weeks after

The terrain in the pictures is deceptively mild. It's what you have to hike up to get to the ridge tops that is the killer on the body. Once on the ridge tops it's almost like walking in a park, almost!

Those moutain quail are awesome looking, they are huge! I always depend heavily on ibuprofen to get rid of the soreness and heavy squats in the gym and lots of cardio. A pro tainer once told me to give my dogs a few pieces of white bread to help them recover not sure if it works ive never really tried it.

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:Google Riblose. Recovery goes in this order, 1 big shot of whiskey followed by a glass Riblose then the whey protein drink. The order is critical because their absorption rates. Besides that, you don't wanna dilute The whiskey.

Can I take two shots of whiskey instead of one and will still work

Thank you every one for your advise and comments.
please share some of your pics

As for your recovery I don't know. I play on the varsity basketball team and after a hard practice I just hope I'm sore the next day. If I'm not then I didn't go hard enough. But for your dog I'd recommend Retreive Tri-Nutrition Bars. They help with recovery and muscle growth as well as some other things. I think they work really good, especially on my lab.

Nothing is better than being in shape for the hunt.

I am 68 years old and hunt chukar daily during the months of Oct, Nov and Dec. I weigh 160 pounds and go to the gym 3 days a week when not chasing birds. My diet all year is to prepare me for bird season. I am in better shape now than I was 10 years ago.

Because I only have one pointing dog, GSP, I only run him on the ground two to two and half hours a day. In that period of time he will run 15 to 17 miles and point maybe 6-8 coveys.

Days of rest come with the weather.

If I had more dogs I would alternate dogs and hunt longer days.

I supplement the dry dog food with calves liver and chopped broccoli which is extra protein and carbohydrates.

reba wrote:Nothing is better than being in shape for the hunt.

I am 68 years old and hunt chukar daily during the months of Oct, Nov and Dec. I weigh 160 pounds and go to the gym 3 days a week when not chasing birds. My diet all year is to prepare me for bird season. I am in better shape now than I was 10 years ago.

Because I only have one pointing dog, GSP, I only run him on the ground two to two and half hours a day. In that period of time he will run 15 to 17 miles and point maybe 6-8 coveys.

Days of rest come with the weather.

If I had more dogs I would alternate dogs and hunt longer days.

I supplement the dry dog food with calves liver and chopped broccoli which is extra protein and carbohydrates.

Reba do you need someone to help you with those 6-8 coveys per day? I will volunteer to help.

Chukar?

Could be a mixed bag of chukar, huns and a few quail.

One day towards the end of November my dogs couldn't do wrong and I couldn't miss. Me and the dogs bagged four chukar, three huns and two quai, all within a 40 acre patch of ground in the middle of no where.

untracarry: Anyone over in your area have GSP puppies on the ground? I'm over on the coast near Morro Bay

Even if you are in great shape, If you are hunting chukar, you will get sore!!!

I would think you should rotate the dogs. 5-6 hours, day after day is an awful lot of wear and tear.

We got into some huge coveys of chukar in ID last week, they were in what can only be described as treacherous conditions. Think snow covered basalt scree/boulders/cliffs. We killed a bunch of birds in this heck hole, made it out safely then my wife heard a "pop" in her ankle in some of the mildest terrain. She was a trooper as we were 3 rugged miles from the truck. Turns out it was an "avulsion fracture" where the ligament pulls a piece of bone off as it tears. Walking boot for 4-8 weeks.

I have always wondered when something was going to happen, thank goodness it was not while huning alone....