Using grouse dogs on pheasants

Proud Austin with a pheasant pointed by Blue Riptide.

I am often asked the question:  “Should I hunt my grouse dog on pheasants? Or will that ruin it for grouse?”

My answer is another question about goals:  “Do you want the ultimate grouse dog or do you enjoy hunting pheasants as much as grouse?”

If you want your dog perfected on grouse, my answer is no. Don’t use your pointing dog on pheasants. If, however, you like to hunt both grouse and pheasants, then I say okay. There are key differences between pheasants and grouse and one, rather unfamiliar, similarity. Pheasants tend to run out from a dog’s points and to not sit well. But so, occasionally, do grouse, especially wily, adult birds in late season. Many times I’ve spotted grouse running ahead of the dog in dense cover. When a pheasant does hold, it allows a pointing dog to approach it more closely. Most ruffed grouse don’t. The ability to point a grouse accurately—but at a distance—is what separates real grouse dogs from those that occasionally point a grouse.

Pheasants have a stronger scent because they are larger than a ruffed grouse and are likely to be in a group. Grouse are smaller birds and tend to be solitary which makes them more difficult to locate. Despite those distinctions, though, there are pheasant hunting conditions that favor pointing dogs…and those that don’t. The ideal situation is an expansive, grassy piece with mixed terrain. A running pheasant could stop and hide at various breaks in the cover and, thereby, provide a spot for a pointing dog to pin it.

I wouldn’t hunt my pointing dog where it’s unlikely the pheasant will ever hold—such as cattail slews, standing corn or sorghum feed strips. Even if my dog points a rooster in such cover, it usually evolves into a cat-and-mouse game that only serves to frustrate the dog. Another tough scenario is many birds in a small area, i.e., a food plot, when too much scent is difficult. A flushing dog is the better dog in these situations.

Ultimately, if you want your dog to be the best grouse dog it can be, then avoid more than the occasional pheasant hunt. If the goal is a good wild bird dog and you enjoy hunting pheasants as much as grouse, use you’re pointing dog.

A special November day in the grouse woods

Ben, Addie, Jerry, Chablis and grouse

There are grouse hunting days and then there are those special days when everything just goes right. November 2 was one to remember.

Ben McKean is a friend from Minnetonka who was able to slip away from a day in the studio of his commercial photography business. We met at our kennel around mid morning, loaded dogs and packed a lunch of bread, cheese and apples in my truck and were soon off.

The weather was perfect—clear skies with slight westerly breeze and
temperature in the 40s. The forest was damp from previous rains which
also meant plenty of water in the woods.  

Ben and his English setter, Merrimac’s Adda Girl, were the first to put
on a show. Addie literally tore up the cover searching for grouse. Five
times she pointed grouse in an hour and a half. Two times she relocated
perfectly to pin running birds. Several times we fired and finally
managed to connect on the last bird as reward for her outstanding
efforts.

Next on the line was our veteran, Blue Silk, also an English setter,
braced with her 10-month-old granddaughter, Northwoods Chablis. We ran
this pair for two, action-packed hours. Several times Silk pointed
grouse and was backed beautifully by Chablis. Twice Chablis was found
on point and stood until we flushed the grouse in front of her.
Together, Chablis and Silk worked running grouse, following the scent
cone in lofty walking points until pinning the bird.

Because I winged Silk’s final point, the bird ran for about 100 yards
and then buried itself in swamp grass. Both dogs searched hard for the
hiding grouse until, finally, young Chablis dug out the bird and
retrieved it to hand.  

It was a day full of smiles and one that, for both Ben and me, won’t soon be forgotten. 

Grouse hunting report: 2009

So far this season, my days in the woods have produced more flushes than last year by not as big a bump as predicted but an obvious increase. This is corroborated by many of our clients, guiding customers and other serious grouse hunters.

And I do mean “flushes.”  A majority of the grouse encountered were heard but not seen due to the latest leaf fall I have ever experienced. Leaves of most trees and shrubs hadn’t even begun to fall until well in mid October—and then many were still green. Later, the culprit was the foliage of hazel, the brushy shrub with foliage at just about eye level, which didn’t drop leaves until late October.

The season has been unusual in another way. Though the prediction was for higher grouse populations, during September I found fewer birds and broods than last year. Or at best, hunting was spotty. By the second week of October, though, I found substantially more birds. Where did they come from? Why couldn’t I find them earlier?

Despite years of research, no one really seems to completely understand ruffed grouse. They are still somewhat of a mystery. But that is okay with me and one of the reasons the ruffed grouse is called king of upland game birds.

Best year to hunt grouse? This year.

With monster drumming counts last spring and evidence that Minnesota and Wisconsin are approaching the peak of the 10-year grouse cycle, this seems to be the year to hunt ruffed grouse. But I have other reasons.

#1.  There are only so many autumns in one’s life and whether at the peak or in the valley of the grouse population cycle, there will be grouse in the woods.

#2.  Fluctuations in grouse populations don’t matter to dogs. They will hunt their hearts out and search for birds like they do always. They will carefully select which cover to hunt by following their noses along damp alder edges and into aspen cuts. Excitement will mount when one dog catches a scent, gets birdy and stands on lofty, intense point.

#3.  Autumn is a fine season to be in the woods. The dogwood berries will be white on bright red stems and the aspen leaves will turn golden and, permeating the entire forest, will be the evocative smell of damp, fallen leaves.

I can’t predict if my dogs and I will find few or many grouse in a given day. Some of my best days were in “low” population cycles and, conversely, the biggest disappointments have been in “high” grouse years.

But it doesn’t matter. My dogs and I will be out in the woods and we will be hunting for them. For me, the sport is in the pursuit.

See you in the woods.

Northwoods Lager in his new home

Lager was raised in our kennel but obviously had no problem adapting to his new home and new life…..and Betsy and I are very grateful!

"It’s going great, we just love him and he is adjusting so easily to everything. My only concern is he is getting petted so much he may not have any coat left soon. He loves his 4 mile runs in the morning, and we have been walking him at night. He and Sam are like long lost friends, and the kids adore him.

"Thanks for everything, you guys are very good at what you do."
 
Jim & Nina

Pre-season conditioning from a four-wheeler

Our clients are bird hunters and owners of field trial competition dogs. Since both seasons start in September, I’ve been on a serious regimen of pre-season conditioning.

I exercise our dogs using four-wheeler workouts, free runs, training time on wild birds or some sort of combination, depending on the age and experience level of each. So twice per week, I’m up early in the morning—while it’s still cool—to “road”—as we call it—our dogs. While I’m gathering equipment and readying the four-wheeler, the dogs are going wild, barking and bouncing around their kennel runs. They love roading and can hardly wait to go. Over the years I’ve developed quite a system—most of it custom. (I’ve gotten to know a local metal works guy quite well!) Two bars extend from each side of the four-wheeler and one longer bar extends forward from the front bumper. With room for two dogs per side bar and five dogs off the front, I can safely accommodate 13 dogs.

Each dog wears a roading harness—similar to a sled dog harness—which is clipped to a heavy-duty bungee cord which is then clipped to the bar. Just like a sled dog race, I work quickly to harness the dogs and start. As soon as I move forward, all is quiet as the dogs start working.

My goal here is building a cardiovascular base for endurance so I road for long times at a slow speed, say 8 – 9 miles per hour, which is just fast enough to have the dogs leaning into their harnesses but moving in a pace gait. I start with a mile or two and slowly increase it to about nine miles.

It’s vital to keep the dogs cool and hydrated. After 10 minutes, I stop at a deep pond and let all dogs loose to drink and to cool off. At 20 and 40 minutes, I drive the four-wheeler right into a shallow creek and let them all rest for a couple minutes. Most
won’t drink much at 40 but all relish splashing around in the water.

After about an hour, we’re headed back to the kennel and the dogs are tired but happy. I can’t say who likes this early  morning routine more—the dogs or me.

Summer puppy training on liberated birds

In addition to ‘flocking’ puppies for exercise and handling, we also work them together at times on liberated birds.  During these workouts they learn to read what the other dogs are doing by observing their body posture and tail action.  They also get used to having other dogs around them and to stay focused with distractions.  While reading the other dogs, they are attracted to one that is acting birdy and naturally learn to back (if they have it their genes), as the above puppies certainly do! Clockwise from left to right they are:  Chardonnay, Moose, Chablis and Lager.  Moose is by Long Gone Murphy and CH Long Gone Madison and the other three are by Blue Shaquille and Houston’s Belle’s Choice.  What a fun group of puppies!!

Northwoods Porter and his new family

Betsy and I try very hard to match our dogs with the expectations and requirements of our buyers……and to make sure the dogs go to good homes where they will have a great life. We are extremely happy to hear from new owners like Jim.

“Snoop (Northwoods Porter) is adjusting very well with his new surroundings.  His kennel mates are accepting him pretty well.  His human sisters are spoiling him rotten.  He may have forgotten how to walk since he was picked up and carried so often.  Thanks again for picking such a nice dog for our family.”

Jim

What I’m reading: my favorite dog books

Even though I’ve been training bird dogs for more than 20 years, I
still consider myself a student of dog training. There is always more
to learn.

Many methods are available to further my education—most of which I’ve
tried. One of the best ways is by reading books and I’ve been
collecting books on dogs, hunting, dog training and field trials for
years. At last count they numbered 65. Some books are quite old and out
of print but remain classics. Others are newer and hip to current dog
issues. The following are among my favorites.

Be The Pack Leader and Cesar’s Way, by Cesar Millan
These books are definitely our picks for information about what a dogs needs from humans and what humans can expect of dogs.

Beyond Basic Dog Training, by Diane L. Bauman
Excellent book on basic dog obedience.

Bird Dog Training Today and Tomorrow, by Er M. Shelley
This one was published in 1921. Shelley was the first bird dog trainer to exclusively train using planted birds rather than wild birds.  He is considered by many to be the “father” of training bird dogs using pigeons.  His training ideas have stood the test of time.

Field Trials, by William F. Brown
Describes American field trials, including how they are run, standards of performance, their purpose and more.

How to Speak Dog, by Stanley Coren
How to understand and read your dog’s verbal and non-verbal communications.

New England Grouse Shooting, by William Harnden Foster
The ‘original’ bible of grouse hunting with fine bird dogs and doubles.  We especially like his thoughts on grouse dogs in Chapter IV.

Troubles With Bird Dogs (and What To Do About Them), by George Bird Evans
Another classic.  While you may agree or disagree with George’s type of grouse dog, he offers actual experiences under the gun from someone who has spent a lifetime hunting ruffed grouse.

Training the Bird Dog, by C. B. Whitford
This book was published in 1908. Whitford offers great insight into the psychology of the bird dog as well as that of the bird dog trainer. While some of his techniques have been outdated, there are many still applicable.

Flocking puppies

Sure, a bird dog can be trained to do a lot of things but I’ve learned that it’s critical to evaluate the natural characteristics of a young dog. Among the many qualities I look for is how naturally the puppy wants to hunt with you and in front of you, physical traits and hunting focus.

Buddy Smith, a nationally recognized dog trainer, uses a technique
called “flocking” puppies. This is a favorite method of mine and one I
use often when working a group of similarly aged puppies off a
four-wheeler.

The
workouts start when the puppies are about five months old. In the
beginning I keep my travel length to 2-3 miles. During that 30-minute
period, the dogs travel 7-8 miles according to my Garmin Astro. I’ll
gradually increase my driving distance to 5-6 miles.

I vary
the routes so the puppies are continually stimulated by new cover. Each
route is dotted with ponds so the puppies can drink and cool down.

While
running the puppies, I call or whistle and increase my speed as I
change direction. If they get too wide, lag behind or aren’t paying
attention, they are soon running hard to catch up. Before long, most
start to pay close attention to where I’m heading when they hear a call
or whistle, even if chasing a song bird or butterfly.

During
these workouts I evaluate other natural characteristics such as gait,
carriage, stamina and range. I look for how a puppy drives from its
front and rear. I like a puppy that carries its head and tail high with
a happy way of going that says, “Look at me!”

I like a puppy
that spends every minute in the field hunting—one that gives me a quick
glance as it crosses and doesn’t come back to me. I look for an
athletic dog with good coordination, hearing and eyesight that can
focus on hunting while keeping track of me.

Besides all this valuable information I’m learning about the natural inclinations of a puppy, it’s a blast!