Gun Dog Forum

This past Saturday I took Rico (6month old ESS) out on his first hunt for the opener of the Youth Pheasant season in PA.

He mostly stayed on my heels. Grass/cover was high and thick. He had one hen flush about 8 feet from him while on the edge of a corn row, I think coincidence not intentional. A co-worker with his 5yr old ESS kept assuring me that he can grow out of the trailing and is young yet.

I kept 2 wings, have been doing drags all week and scent trailing. He seems really into it. Hopefully hunting again Thursday and/or Saturday.

Friends boy ended up with two cockbirds, his first pheasants. Rico had a great time (judging by his goofy smile)

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Did you let your pup smell the dead birds? Better yet did you throw one of the dead birds in the grass for pup to find? Great that you got involved in a youth hunt, we have to bring those kids along.

I let him sniff the dead birds. Wasn't too keen on them at first but wasn't skittish just not interested at first. I did not throw one in the cover. I would have but my friend and his son werent sure if they were mounting one or both birds. Then right before we went out separate ways at the parking area they decided they're only mounting the one, that's how I got the wings for training.

He loves his 10-15 min training sessions with the wings

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Well it's been a few weeks since the youth hunt. Rico has been out quite a few times. He's had more flushes than I can remember, I've missed more birds than I want to admit. But he's hooked. Still working on retrieving, and quartering/zigzagging at times. For his first season he's come miles from where we started.


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Keep getting him out and into birds. Sounds like he's coming along.