# Too much bird exposer?



## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

I started off with a local bird dog trainer when Rojo was about 4 months old, we jumped right into pigeons in launchers and things went great. Trained by weekly for 1hr sessions. He improved every time and I'm super excited to hunt him this fall on Phesents and Grouse. My trainer sold me some young homing pigeons from his fleet. And after about 4 weeks they were flying and homing. So I moved to the training field a few blocks from my house it's a 14acr plot that we have been running in since he was just 10weeks. So I began planting birds in my remote launcher for him in the field. This is working perfectly and he points holds steady to wing I can't shoot the blank out there cuz its just to Urban. My question is should I slow down? He just turned 1yr and I'm thinking that training everyday with a planted bird or 2 in this field may be to much. Should I only give him a bird once a week? Maybe more or less. I don't want him to think its going to be EZ to find birds. Although On the upside he charges that field hard now he is a whole diffrent dog out there now. Any tips greatly appreciated.


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

It sounds like you've gotten a good start on him, but here are a few tips.

1. Back off the pigeons. They can be overdone. Bird dogs need game birds and I'd get some quail or chuckar and start doing carded birds, one bird session of two or three finds every 3 times afield. The other two can be worked on handling, etc. This will encourage the dog to hunt but start to realize they aren't all easy to find.

2. Get more than one place to work your dog. We try to run different grounds often. For the dog to learn to hunt different terrain they need to experience it. The drawback to living in the city is sometimes you need to drive to the country. 

3. Have you killed any birds over him? If not, it's time. Bird dogs take birds and some birds need to be shot over the dog. You could kill off your pigeons.

4. At a year old, I'd start looking for a hunt club or somewhere to hunt him. They open up in September in CA as a rule and though they have their downside, it gives young dogs an opportunity to get into a hunting scenario.

Or - send him with me in two weeks for six weeks running wild game in South Dakota. Different fields every day of the week. 3 slots left and then I'm full up. 
Ken


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

Thank you for the helpful tips. 

I have shot birds for him. Planted quail and chucker. He has had about 6 kill shots and was allowed to retrieve all of them.

I agree with the diffrent training grounds and will put some miles on the truck to get him into new terrain. 

Buying game birds is an option, I have done that before I just hate the way they fly. Never seem to clear the bird field not a problem if you are good shot! 

I would love to send my young dog with you to train, it's just not in the cards financially this year.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

like ken said get away from the pidgins - when setting birds try to place them where you would find them in the wild - this focuses the dog to hunt cover that will hold birds - here in Ky the farm raised quail start flying well at the end of Oct so that's when we start - for wild quail I use the 50yd rule - 50yd 2 cover 50yd 2 food 50yd 2 water - this is where the majority of the quail will be


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

Got it. I'm a city kid, got Phesent hunts in November but they are planters from the state, only 15 minutes from the house so that's cool! There are lots of hunt preserves that open in September out east OR. I can hit a few of those on my way to steelhead fishing. Mostly just train till September that's about the best we can do in the summer.


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