Preparing for first hunt

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azquailguy
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Preparing for first hunt

Post by azquailguy » Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:41 pm

I’m expecting to get an eight week old Brittany at the end of September. Im just a guy who wants to hunt, not interested in trialing (yet?) so no need for perfection, just a dog that will help me find birds and hopefully bring them back to me.
Our quail season here runs from October to February, so I’m pretty sure that we won’t have opportunities to go hunt together until the very end of the season, if at all. Then again that’s just an assumption I’m making and I’d like to learn more.
My understanding is that I need a solid recall and gun exposure before I take my dog out to chase wild birds. That’s just what I’ve gotten from my research but if you disagree I’d love to hear other opinions.
Any reason not to bring the puppy out on a leash or check cord when it is just a few months old? I imagine the more birds I can get it on the better. In an ideal world, I’m imagining taking a couple months to bond with the puppy, instill some basic obedience and acclimate it to gunfire, but letting wild birds (gambel’s quail) do most of the training after that.
What do you do with a dog before taking it on its first hunt? What are the markers I can look for and be confident that once my dog hits them it’s ready to go in the field?

molotov_birddogs
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by molotov_birddogs » Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:40 pm

No problem with taking him on a check cord hunting, make sure he doesn't get tangled though. Hunting him under 6 months before he becomes 'rebellious' wouldn't have me two worried about perfect recall. Focus on gun intro and let instincts take over.
I would be careful of shyness on birds or gun at that age because of how impressionable they are that young. Spend the first month bonding and house training. Read your dog if you don't think he's ready I wouldn't push it.

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Garrison
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by Garrison » Tue Jul 05, 2022 9:26 pm

Obviously getting a bit ahead of your skis on this, you don’t have the pup yet. If you want a decent bird dog, than “a first hunt” should be a non event. The dog should have been in the field many many times exposed to everything it is going to encounter prior. It sounds like you have wild birds, that is a very good thing if you and your pup can reliably find them.

There would be a heck of a lot more good dogs on the ground if owners removed their own ambitions and insecurities from the equation and just carried a blank pistol around and let their dogs mature, rather than worrying about the all important tailgate shot. At least for the first year, possibly two.

Garrison
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
- Mark Twain-

azquailguy
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by azquailguy » Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:53 pm

You’re right, I’m probably being too ambitious for not even having a dog yet, but let me rephrase my question. Timing aside, what do you look for in a dog before you’re comfortable bringing it out to chase wild birds?

I don’t plan on keeping pigeons or doing any training with them, just wild birds. I’ve heard the more birds the better and I’m lucky to live in a place where there are a lot. Hoping to get my dog on them as soon as he’s ready, and looking around to see what different people would call “ready”

slistoe
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by slistoe » Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:27 am

"Ready" would be a few days after you get him home. If you have lots of wild birds take him out for little walks where the birds are. The more birds the better doesn't mean only birds gunned over the dog.

mask
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by mask » Wed Jul 06, 2022 10:02 am

Once he is gun broke and will come when called I would take him hunting.

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by gonehuntin' » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:11 pm

Don't neglect yourself. The BEST thing you can do for that new pup is to buy a tested training program you like, develop a solid training program based on it, and FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. Really, other than environmental exposure, this year will be a non started. He'll only be 5-6 months old and not much you can expect from him. He'll be prime to hunt next year.
LIFE WITHOUT BIRD DOGS AND FLY RODS REALLY ISN'T LIFE AT ALL.

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Garrison
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by Garrison » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:29 pm

slistoe wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:27 am
"Ready" would be a few days after you get him home. If you have lots of wild birds take him out for little walks where the birds are. The more birds the better doesn't mean only birds gunned over the dog.
^This^
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
- Mark Twain-

azquailguy
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by azquailguy » Thu Jul 07, 2022 7:36 pm

Thank you all for your responses. I'm gonna plan on the dog not being ready to shoot birds over this year but will hopefully get it on lots of birds without a gun first and let the dog learn that way.

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Garrison
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by Garrison » Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:56 pm

azquailguy wrote:
Thu Jul 07, 2022 7:36 pm
Thank you all for your responses. I'm gonna plan on the dog not being ready to shoot birds over this year but will hopefully get it on lots of birds without a gun first and let the dog learn that way.
Sounds like a solid plan, if you also mix in gonehuntin’s advice. I always make sure the first season or two are theirs, so the rest can be ours. But I understand it is much easier to say and do when you have more than one dog box in your truck.

Garrison
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
- Mark Twain-

azquailguy
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by azquailguy » Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:33 am

gonehuntin' wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:11 pm
Don't neglect yourself. The BEST thing you can do for that new pup is to buy a tested training program you like, develop a solid training program based on it, and FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. Really, other than environmental exposure, this year will be a non started. He'll only be 5-6 months old and not much you can expect from him. He'll be prime to hunt next year.
Any suggestions for a solid training plan? Ideally one that doesn’t require pigeons

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Garrison
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by Garrison » Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:52 am

azquailguy wrote:
Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:33 am
gonehuntin' wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:11 pm
Don't neglect yourself. The BEST thing you can do for that new pup is to buy a tested training program you like, develop a solid training program based on it, and FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. Really, other than environmental exposure, this year will be a non started. He'll only be 5-6 months old and not much you can expect from him. He'll be prime to hunt next year.
Any suggestions for a solid training plan? Ideally one that doesn’t require pigeons
There are many, excellent programs. Many have a lot of overlap or come from the same line of thinking. I train predominantly on wild birds and using Mo Lindley’s style as a guide has worked for me. He utilizes pigeons and launchers to act as close to wild as possible, so the transition to this training style and wild birds is pretty natural. Don’t discard the use of pigeons completely, because it can slow down progress. With pigeons you can control situations and work much more efficiently. But, if you are not in a hurry and you can locate wild birds reliably it is possible and it is hard to screw it up. “Training with Mo” is a good book to have, even if you decide to go in another direction. I have taken something from every book I have read. Good to start boning up on the knowledge, but if you can find a trainer or a successful amateur to work with, it makes things much easier. Below is sort of an abridged version of the book so you can get an idea. Many others which have been proven to get results to choose from as well, but for a starter I think this is pretty easy to digest.

Garrison

https://www.reecekennels.com/Forms/Stea ... _Style.pdf
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
- Mark Twain-

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Sharon
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by Sharon » Fri Jul 08, 2022 12:36 pm

gonehuntin' wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:11 pm
Don't neglect yourself. The BEST thing you can do for that new pup is to buy a tested training program you like, develop a solid training program based on it, and FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. Really, other than environmental exposure, this year will be a non started. He'll only be 5-6 months old and not much you can expect from him. He'll be prime to hunt next year.
x2 ( highlighted by me.)

suggestion: https://www.gundogsupply.com/perfect-st ... -5dvd.html

PS Save money for a GPS unit.
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

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BlessedGirl
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by BlessedGirl » Fri Jul 08, 2022 5:40 pm

Garrison wrote:
Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:52 am
azquailguy wrote:
Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:33 am
gonehuntin' wrote:
Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:11 pm
Don't neglect yourself. The BEST thing you can do for that new pup is to buy a tested training program you like, develop a solid training program based on it, and FOLLOW YOUR PLAN. Really, other than environmental exposure, this year will be a non started. He'll only be 5-6 months old and not much you can expect from him. He'll be prime to hunt next year.
Any suggestions for a solid training plan? Ideally one that doesn’t require pigeons
There are many, excellent programs. Many have a lot of overlap or come from the same line of thinking. I train predominantly on wild birds and using Mo Lindley’s style as a guide has worked for me. He utilizes pigeons and launchers to act as close to wild as possible, so the transition to this training style and wild birds is pretty natural. Don’t discard the use of pigeons completely, because it can slow down progress. With pigeons you can control situations and work much more efficiently. But, if you are not in a hurry and you can locate wild birds reliably it is possible and it is hard to screw it up. “Training with Mo” is a good book to have, even if you decide to go in another direction. I have taken something from every book I have read. Good to start boning up on the knowledge, but if you can find a trainer or a successful amateur to work with, it makes things much easier. Below is sort of an abridged version of the book so you can get an idea. Many others which have been proven to get results to choose from as well, but for a starter I think this is pretty easy to digest.

Garrison

https://www.reecekennels.com/Forms/Stea ... _Style.pdf
As a first-timer, I looked into several book recommendations and found that Training with Mo made the most sense to me and is easy to follow. You might want to check it out.
"Heaven isn't for good people. Heaven is for forgiven people."

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DonF
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Re: Preparing for first hunt

Post by DonF » Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:15 pm

azquailguy wrote:
Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:41 pm
I’m expecting to get an eight week old Brittany at the end of September. Im just a guy who wants to hunt, not interested in trialing (yet?) so no need for perfection, just a dog that will help me find birds and hopefully bring them back to me.
Our quail season here runs from October to February, so I’m pretty sure that we won’t have opportunities to go hunt together until the very end of the season, if at all. Then again that’s just an assumption I’m making and I’d like to learn more.
My understanding is that I need a solid recall and gun exposure before I take my dog out to chase wild birds. That’s just what I’ve gotten from my research but if you disagree I’d love to hear other opinions.
Any reason not to bring the puppy out on a leash or check cord when it is just a few months old? I imagine the more birds I can get it on the better. In an ideal world, I’m imagining taking a couple months to bond with the puppy, instill some basic obedience and acclimate it to gunfire, but letting wild birds (gambel’s quail) do most of the training after that.
What do you do with a dog before taking it on its first hunt? What are the markers I can look for and be confident that once my dog hits them it’s ready to go in the field?
If you have that many wild birds, take him out from day one. No gun and you can get a light weight check cord maybe 10. This is nothing more than taking a puppy out and letting it chase "bleep" birds except your using game birds I guess. Next spring get into training with it. Remote traps and pigeons then next fall wild birds. ya got the carriage before the horse!
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

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