# Finn made a fool out of me today.



## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Went out this morning to basically give Finn some room to run .I actually only brought the shotgun because it was already in the truck, and just in case.
It's been raining, cold, and nasty, here in Connecticut the past week, so we just hadn't had a chance to get out, and today was the first day we had a chance, while I was awake. We still had a little bit of snow and freezing rain coming down in spurts, but it was 40 degrees, so out we went.
Finn locked on point at the base of a big oak tree, and he didn't move one bit. I walked around the oak tree, staring at the ground for a good minute or two, and saw nothing, but he was still locked up. We're talking about an area the size of a small bathroom, and I saw nothing!!
I first thought that maybe a bird had been here, but flew off, and after a few minutes I told Finn," Hey Buddy,I don't seeing anything. Are you sure?".
I backed up to give him a little bit of room in case it was a runner, or just to let him work out the scent, and as I stepped back, a pheasant went up. Completely surprised me.
The dog was absolutely certain of that bird, and I came close to calling him off. How I didn't step on that bird is a mystery to me. That Finn held that point for two or three minutes while I was tromping around literally in front of his nose really impressed me.
From now on, we listen to the dog. Especially when he isn't making a sound!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It happens to everyone, at one time or another. At least you didn't do it at a trial, in front of a gallery of people. LOL 
Always trust the dog.

You can tap the dog, to let him relocate the bird. Just in case its moved a little. If he still does not move, its best to keep looking for the bird.
Good dog Finn


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

the dog is always right, now and again I've had a scenario when one dog has locked up on a residual scent, but when two lock up, that;s a certainty..


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

"You can tap the dog, to let him relocate the bird. Just in case its moved a little. If he still does not move, its best to keep looking for the bird.
Good dog Finn."
Finn will eventually be trained to "go in" after the point, on command.
The pheasants in CT are raised and stocked in the WMA's. Most of the WMA's have big fields that used to be parts of dairy farms many years ago. These are surrounded by an edge cover of nasty, dense, underbrush. These briars have long, wicked, thorns, that will shred a shirt, or pair of Levi's. There is no "Tin Cloth", that will protect you.
If the birds make it the edge cover, and a lot of them do, the game evens out, and the board tilts in their favor a lot more, than hunting them with a dog in a big open field. 
The dog has to be taught to work as a flusher to be successful in the thick cover. They also have to be mentally fairly tough.

We used to have a fair number of grouse in Connecticut many years ago, and the pheasants were just kind of a tune up for Grouse. I haven't seen, or heard, a Grouse in over twenty years.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

We have wild rose bushes in a lot of the fields. It's about the same as you described. The smaller areas of it, you an sometimes get them to flush out by throwing pebbles in, or poking around with a walking stick. The huge areas, there is no chance of getting a bird to flush out, or going in after one.

We tell people all the time, don't shoot at birds that are flying into the wild rose. One of them will undoubtably do it. Then look at you like you're going to send your dog in after it. The answer is always the same, No. Then they think they can personally get the bird out, because of the type of clothing they're wearing. It doesn't take them but a couple of steps into it, to realize why we have that rule. There is just no reason to shoot a bird, that can't be recovered.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I don't think we have anything quite that bad. Close, but wow!, that sounds awful!!
Same here If one goes into the briars and the dog can get hurt trying to get it, I go get it. Sometimes you have to call the dog off to protect them from themselves, and tell them, I know you can get in there to find them, but I can't follow you.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Here is a picture of the wild rose.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

That dense and thorns too!!? You'd need a machete to get a bird that fell in that.
I have some nasty stuff to get through, but not like that.
Yeah, I think i also would pass on sending a dog into that.


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