Bird dogs

[dciron]

dciron, with hope your new lab pup will be a great overall hunter. You are correct about them having an off switch. When I put the hunting collar on her she has that over whelming desire to hunt. At home you hardly know she is around. Very docile, calm and loving. She does get excited to go in the car, but once in the back seat she lays down and again very quiet and calm.
I am far from what one would claim to be a dog trainer albeit I have had many hunting dogs. My method is bonding, spend lots of days afield, play lots of hunting games to affirm their confidence. Belle started pointing on her own. When she began to honor other points I was truly astounded. Chalk this up to just being a good lab.
Good luck and enjoy your new puppy. MTG

MTG, thank for the well wishes and awesome pictures. The pan was to head out tonight, thursday, so I can pick up the pup on Sat but the snow is being accompanied by some strong winds so I have had to push the pick up to next weekend.
DC

 

[MTGunner]

Where in MT and what kennel? My little girl came from Rockin' Z labs formerly in Lolo but now in Frenchtown. Have a safe journey. MTG

 

[dciron]

Where in MT and what kennel? My little girl came from Rockin' Z labs formerly in Lolo but now in Frenchtown. Have a safe journey. MTG

Dustin Retrievers in Twin Bridges

 

[Tom Erickson]

looking at everyone's bird dogs. Just got a field bred english cocker spaniel. Will be my dove hunting dog. Will be my first hunting dog.

I have Large Munsterlander's hunting or fishing they do what ever i want them to do

 

[Idaholandho]

This is my pal and best friend Jack. We do some guided hunts locally in Idaho for a good friend that breeds and trains incredible pups and has a preserve that provides many across the states a chance to shoot upland game.
Took Bobby Labonte(pictured below) and more recently the Manning brothers came to hunt.

 

[Bobby Bobcat1]

Me and my buddy. Buster loves Birds.

 

[Bobby Bobcat1]

He likes dove hunting too.

 

[Bobby Bobcat1]

 

[AZShooter]

Great dog thread everyone! I agree life would be very different without dogs in our lives.

I have owned German Wirehaired Pointers for over 30 years. Around Tucson we hunt doves, gambels, scaled and mearns quail. Occasionally I will jump ducks in stock tanks in the mountains. These dogs were also my boat companions. The last three were on boats as very young pups and were started on birds the following fall. Regarding doves.... I have had best results in not introducing a young dog to doves as first birds even though we use pigeons for training. Show them quail or any other bird with feathers that don't come out easily first.

This past season with a double retrieve of mearns

Gambels hunting

The old crew with the new recruit around 8 years ago

The newest pup with the female that was a pup in last pic

Asa might be the best mearns dog I have had. Here she is with a double limit of mearns when she was two

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Great dog thread everyone! I agree life would be very different without dogs in our lives.

I have owned German Wirehaired Pointers for over 30 years. Around Tucson we hunt doves, gambels, scaled and mearns quail. Occasionally I will jump ducks in stock tanks in the mountains. These dogs were also my boat companions. The last three were on boats as very young pups and were started on birds the following fall. Regarding doves.... I have had best results in not introducing a young dog to doves as first birds even though we use pigeons for training. Show them quail or any other bird with feathers that don't come out easily first.

This past season with a double retrieve of mearns

Gambels hunting

The old crew with the new recruit around 8 years ago

The newest pup with the female that was a pup in last pic

Asa might be the best mearns dog I have had. Here she is with a double limit of mearns when she was two

I'm so envious of the variety of quail you get to hunt. In Idaho we only have Cali, and there are getting to be less and less.
Awesome photos.

 

[dciron]

Sorry it took me so long to get a picture posted. Here I am with my new pup, River, a Chocolate Lab from Dustin Retrievers in Montana.

 

[Quintus]

I love those chocolate labs! My best dog ever was a chocolate lab. He was my dog for the meat of my guide career hunting ducks and geese in MN in the mid 90s. At one point Ol' Blue would make 30+ water retrieves in the morning and then chase roosters for another 4 or 5 hours in the afternoon. As he got older the cold water would dang near kill him late season even with a vest so I got a Chesapeake (I had 2 as a kid) to split the load and make more dry time between retrieves. The Ches was an awesome dog finished at 105 pounds of oily steel he was as smart a dog as I have ever been around. His name was Quintus and he watched over my kids like he was with the secret service. He was also a fantastic pheasant dog with a soft mouth and amazing rooster intuition. The current dog, a black lab has been great for the busy family and content to hunt just weekends. She's 11 now. The wife wants a year or two to travel without a dog so I will have a little time to decide on the next one. I am hoping Em can make er hunting one more year.

 

[dciron]

I love those chocolate labs! My best dog ever was a chocolate lab. He was my dog for the meat of my guide career hunting ducks and geese in MN in the mid 90s. At one point Ol' Blue would make 30+ water retrieves in the morning and then chase roosters for another 4 or 5 hours in the afternoon. As he got older the cold water would dang near kill him late season even with a vest so I got a Chesapeake (I had 2 as a kid) to split the load and make more dry time between retrieves. The Ches was an awesome dog finished at 105 pounds of oily steel he was as smart a dog as I have ever been around. His name was Quintus and he watched over my kids like he was with the secret service. He was also a fantastic pheasant dog with a soft mouth and amazing rooster intuition. The current dog, a black lab has been great for the busy family and content to hunt just weekends. She's 11 now. The wife wants a year or two to travel without a dog so I will have a little time to decide on the next one. I am hoping Em can make er hunting one more year.

Awesome story, thanks for sharing.

 

[wasskeet]

Gotta love those Labs! Here is a pic of Cole, possibly our last as my wife is haired out. More of a pet than anything, but did enjoy his few times hunting - retrieved the first bird he ever saw fall.