Bird release without a launcher.

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K9luke
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Bird release without a launcher.

Post by K9luke » Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:16 pm

When you begin introducing birds (pigeons) to your dog and before you start shooting them. What is the best way to do it without using a laucher?
Most times I use a harness. Later in training and under certain conditions I dizzy the bird and place it without a harness. What methods work best in your opinion?

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Don
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by Don » Sun Dec 19, 2010 10:52 pm

I would dizzy the birds if I didn't have a remote launcher. I would never be without a remote again though!
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moonshinekennel
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by moonshinekennel » Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:10 am

i have had success using a baby sock as a hood attached to a length of kite string. just pull the string and the bird will flush. the more you expose your pigeons to this game the more the better theyu flush. don't dizzy the bird..
Dale

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K9luke
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by K9luke » Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:51 am

Thanks for the comments and advice. I like the sounds of that baby sock method. I will try it this weekend !
I have been thinking about buying a launcher but never used one before. I'd hate to spend the money on something I may not use for whatever reason.

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britspan
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by britspan » Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:57 pm

K9luke wrote:Thanks for the comments and advice. I like the sounds of that baby sock method. I will try it this weekend !
I have been thinking about buying a launcher but never used one before. I'd hate to spend the money on something I may not use for whatever reason.
Just saw this post, and I do not have a bird launcher either. I was wondering if you tried it and how it worked out for you?

RayGubernat
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by RayGubernat » Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:39 am

Pigeons are great because they will not sit on the ground and will not stay on the ground and, once airborne, will not land on the ground. They are also a PIA for the exact same reasons.

I would NOT dizzy the pigeon or use a harness when training a young dog. Too much danger of the dog catching the bird, IMO.

I have used the baby sock and it works. I have used manual lunchers with a long cord and that works too. Manual launchers can be had for a fraction of the price of remote launchers. LCS sells a device that looks a bit like an inverted vegetable strainer which you can step on to release the pigeon. Expensive, but it works also.

Paul Long describes a pigeon holder in his book that works also. It is basically a small wooden sled with a wire mesh dome center. You put the pigeon in the dome area and when the dog points, you grab the cord and pull the sled over the pigeon causing it to take to the air.

If you have a youngster that likes to dive in, you can make a ring of 4 ft. hog wire and put the bird in the center of the wire ring. That will stop pretty much any dog and the bird is sure to fly up and away from the dog.

RayG

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ezzy333
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by ezzy333 » Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:47 am

I have many times just put the birds on the other side of a woven wire fence.

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K9luke
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by K9luke » Sun Jan 23, 2011 12:06 pm

I did try the sock method and it worked good but I still had to make the bird fly. I recently started using locked wing birds without a harness. The thing I like about locked wing birds is the fact that there is no other scent, I use gloves when handling the birds.
I have had a few of them fly just a few feet and land back on the ground though.
3 manual launchers are in my near future !!

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AzDoggin
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by AzDoggin » Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:28 pm

This is probably similar to the device Ray described, but for $30 it would be easy enough to make. http://cgi.ebay.com/Tip-Up-Bird-Release ... 23096e90b0

Edit: same design as the LCS releaser: http://www.lcsupply.com/index.php?page= ... &x=16&y=10

Image

Ben Garcia shows one that is similar to this one, but has a weight on top and a wire loop that a rope attaches to. From a distance, you just pull up on the rope which tips up the cage and releases the bird. Again, something you could make. Garcia's was made out of extruded steel, with what looked like a piece of 1/2 inch by 2 inch by about 8 inch steel bar welded to the top, with the loop welded to it. The advantage of all the mesh designs is the air flow around the bird, as well as lack of mechanism that could scare pup.

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dubbs
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Re: Bird release without a launcher.

Post by dubbs » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:19 pm

You could also build your own manual launcher. I'm a broke college student so I can't afford to buy a remote launcher right now. I got really bored at home over Christmas break and thought about building my own. I looked around online and found an example of a homemade launcher.

I used materials I found laying around our shop at home. The only thing I had to buy were the springs and the aluminum arms. Total I probably spent $12 dollars. It took me a few days to build, mostly because I didn't have all the supplies readily available. If you had all the materials ready this could be a project that takes a couple hours to a full day, depending on your woodworking and engineering skills (I'm majoring in civil engineering).

My advice if you decide to give this project a shot is to really think about what you are going to do before you do it. I wasted some time by messing up a couple times. The hardest part is attaching the screen material to the aluminum arms, its just awkward to work with. Choosing the right strength of the springs is tough too. You will just have to buy a couple different strengths and return the ones that don't work.

My only concern about the launcher is that it's a little loud. I think this is because my springs are a little strong.

Over spring break I'm going to modify it to a remote release. My dad has some radio controlled airplane servos laying around that I'm going to rig up to release the bird remotely.

Here is the link to the launcher I copied.
http://birddoginfo.homestead.com/launcher.html

I used 1/8" x 3/4'" aluminum flat bar for the arms. Two 3 ft. pieces should be plenty.
Instead of the screen material I cut up an old decoy bag.

If you have some free time and a few materials, it's worth a shot trying to save a little money. I'll try to have my dad take some pics of mine and post them on here tomorrow.

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