# A dog's First Pheasant



## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

It was a good day today. Miko found his first pheasant......then his second....then his third. As it turns out, the third was the first one that I finally shot over him for him to retrieve....which he didn't. Haha. But it was a ton of fun. Granted they were scratch birds on a hunting preserve. But neither of us knew where they were, so we put in 2 miles of walking in 4 foot grass to find them. He had a blast, and so did I. The actual season opens in two weeks here in MN, and we are getting ready.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

That's awesome. 
Their first season is all about the dog having fun on hunts.
Dogs don't care if the birds are wild, or not. They are running fields, and finding birds. A bird dogs dream.


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## jbk (Sep 27, 2017)

that's great. first season is fun. your dog will learn so much from wild birds. he will be a different hunter at the end of the season


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Thanks guys! I am excited. This is MY first season hunting with a dog as well. I was wondering how many times I really should make sure he got out looking for birds. I am talking minimum for a first season. I know the answer is "As many as you can." But realistically, would 4-5 times be good, or should I shoot for 9-10 for the first season. Keep in mind, we don't have a ton of pheasant here, so he probably won't find one every time. Also....I have 3 kids and a wife, that do need to see me every now and then. I am just trying to get a feel for what I need to do for him as the handler.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

On a first season, it is a much as possible.
In that way of thinking I would pick 9-10.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Thanks Deb. I can't tell you how sad it makes me to think about getting out 10 times


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I ran Cash on wild quail , only taking 1 or 2 a lot of the time. There is just a very limited supply of them within a hour, or two if my house. They were mainly to keep his training tight, and I needed to leave a supply to breed for the next season. Plus there is just something about a covey rise, it never gets old.

Most of his pheasant hunting, and all of his chuckar hunts were pen raised birds.
Even that could get very expensive. 
If it weren't for customers paying me to run dogs on hunts. He would have had a lot less bird contact.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

on Elvis's first "working" season my intention was to use him sparingly...managed 38 full days on partridge and pheasants, 200 + bird days. We are lucky where we live though as we are surrounded by shoot syndicates within a 20 minute drive.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

harrigab said:


> on Elvis's first "working" season my intention was to use him sparingly...managed 38 full days on partridge and pheasants, 200 + bird days. We are lucky where we live though as we are surrounded by shoot syndicates within a 20 minute drive.


I always think just how much it would cost. If the dog, and I were not the hired help.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

texasred said:


> I always think just how much it would cost. If the dog, and I were not the hired help.


on one shoot we go on, I know it costs each gun just short of £1000 per day....oh how the other half live...


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Is is unreal how much it can cost to hunt your dog. By the time you add up training by professional, materials, time, and everything else. It is not for the cheap. Even if you are one of those lucky ones who has all the experience and skills necessary to train your dog yourself, you still have the cost of birds, launchers, e-collars, GPS, beepers, and probably the most costly, your time. I am not one of those lucky ones


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It's hard on the wallet, but the memories last a lifetime.
Hard headed Cash had 9 months with a pro trainer. It wasn't all at one time, and the last time was for force fetch.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

MikoMN said:


> Is is unreal how much it can cost to hunt your dog. By the time you add up training by professional, materials, time, and everything else. It is not for the cheap. Even if you are one of those lucky ones who has all the experience and skills necessary to train your dog yourself, you still have the cost of birds, launchers, e-collars, GPS, beepers, and probably the most costly, your time. I am not one of those lucky ones


I've "trained" my two myself,,granted they won't win any field trials, but they will work obediently (most of the time), never had a launcher, e-collar, GPS, beeper etc. Spent plenty of time with them though but as that's something I thoroughly enjoy doing I don't regard it as an expense


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A lot of people used a bell on the collar, before the invention of the beeper.
They also used a box, or small wire cage for the birds. You could flip it with your foot to flush the bird. It works great if the dog holds steady. Not so much if they crowd the bird.
I did a lot of dizzying birds, and check cord work. You just need to make sure to give the bird time to become alert. 
If you don't they are easily caught. 

I watched a lot of money fly away over that training period. But I got a dog that was steady on birds.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

harrigab said:


> Spent plenty of time with them though but as that's something I thoroughly enjoy doing I don't regard it as an expense


I have to admit, this is more of a benefit than a cost.

I recently purchased a bell for the boy. The grass is so tall right now that I can't see where he is at even five feet from me.

I am pretty sure I won't go the launcher route. I bought some simple pigeon releases online and am looking for some pigeons to use them with. (It is harder to find them than I thought it would be)


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Are you trying to buy pigeons, or catch them?


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

I have looked into both a little, but believe it or not we don't have a ton of pigeon around. Most of the old barns have been torn down, and the fields are corn. I found one person who has homing birds, and has some he thinks are "too dumb" to ever find their way home. He said I could buy some, but then his phone was disconnected. One of these days I'll make the 30 min drive to his house to see if he is home.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I've had better luck finding them at store parking lots, or overpasses.
Even though they are pests, a lot of stores don't want you to trap them.
There is a away to get around that. 

Overpasses that you see a lot of them flying around during the day. You take a fishing net with a long handle, and catch them at night.

If there is a grain mill anywhere around you. Talk to the guys that work there. Most will catch some for you for cash.

Pigeons are $15 in my area. Grain mill workers will catch them for $3-$5 A piece.


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