PLANTING LIVE BIRDS FOR PUPPIES

Now that your dog has compleated his introduction to live birds and gunfire, it is time to start flushing live flyers to shoot and retrieve,

You can use pigeons for this level of training, but honestly they are a bit hard to keep planted with out some experience or help from a bird release box. So I would rather us a chucker partridge for this next step.

If you cant find a bird raiser, contact a hunting preserve such as TraxlersHunting preserve in LeCenter Minnesota www.traxlers.com and explain to them what you would like to do. they have staff members that can get you the birds and show you how to plant them.

This step involves a short grass field just long enough to hide a bird ( about 6 inches)a orange flag or marker, your gun, shells, dog, and a long rope.

go out to the field, place the marker flag in the ground. dizzy the chucker a few times and place the bird at the flag. step away and give the bird a couple of minutes to clear his head.

Remove your dog from his crate, attach the rope and turn him loose to search for and find the bird. when he flushes the bird. take your shot and dump the bird into the grass for him to retrieve.

This step should be fun and easy for your dog. Your goal is to go right to the flagged bird with your dog and have him flush the bird for you to shoot. If all goes well, bring him back to his crate and kennel him again so you can set out a second bird.

Repeat this process a third time. then take a break for a few minutes. the goal is to make it simple for him. maybe only 40 yards away from the truck each time.

Building confidence and sucess is the most important lesson at this time.

Each time you try this training lesson place the bird a little farther away from the truck so he has to search a little longer for the bird. after you have done this process a few times you can place 2-3 birds out at a time each one with a flag marker.

When you put your dog on the ground let him hunt for( search) flush and retrieve each bird as you go. after a couple dozen birds you should see him hunting all on his own.

A couple of things to remember.

Keep a rope on your dog so you can controll him and make him come back to you with the bird.

keep a dead bird in your hunting vest in case you miss a bird .you can drop a bird for him to find and retrieve.

keep things simple for him, no other dogs allowed in the field when he is learning.

only one other shooter in the field with you. ( the fewer people the better )

Do not worry about a perfect retrieve or proper obedience at this stage. this training secession is just the next step in building confidence in him to hunt for flush and retrieve upland birds. a stepping stone to the next level. Pheasants.

Roger Hess