Trap shooting and gun dogs
- Thread starter dmort
- Start date
Joe Woosman
Member
Well I do take my German Short Hair Pointer with me trap shooting. He gets awful upset that he can't go retrieve the clay birds. His favorite things in life are birds, squirls and a little drone I fly around the house. This drone thing you would have to see to believe. I have to regulate how long we play because he gets so worked up I'm afraid he'll have a heart attack. He usually grabs it out of the air two or three times a night when the battery gets low and I can't outrun him. It's amazing how he'll leap and chomp down on this lightweight little plastic thing, then bring it back and drop it without destroying it. I'll bet he's grabbed it 100 times now. I just have to replace propellers once in a while, wipe the slobber off it, maybe a new battery and we're off again.
Then there's the squirls.... I take him to work with me every day. My business is located along a river where I have lots of walnut trees along the river bank, home to dozens of grey squirls. The dog has quite the internal clock. He seems to know when it's just about break time or lunch time and will impatiently wait by the door for the first guy leaving. Then as soon as the door opens he'll go on a full out sprint, (clocked him in the mid 30's before), running along the trees making sure every last squirl is back up their tree before stopping. Then he'll go back and sit by the guys on break keeping close eye on the grounds he just cleared. The dog's got more energy than any animal I've ever seen.
He was just 9 months old in this picture. He's a year and a half now.
Then there's the squirls.... I take him to work with me every day. My business is located along a river where I have lots of walnut trees along the river bank, home to dozens of grey squirls. The dog has quite the internal clock. He seems to know when it's just about break time or lunch time and will impatiently wait by the door for the first guy leaving. Then as soon as the door opens he'll go on a full out sprint, (clocked him in the mid 30's before), running along the trees making sure every last squirl is back up their tree before stopping. Then he'll go back and sit by the guys on break keeping close eye on the grounds he just cleared. The dog's got more energy than any animal I've ever seen.
He was just 9 months old in this picture. He's a year and a half now.
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JerrySharrett
Senile Member
Handsome German Short Hair.
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Dan H
New member
Oh the day's of the Ring Neck when coming home from school, changing clothes and grabbing the side by side 16ga from behind the kitchen door and going out for a couple of hours with my favorite bird dog. That was when the pheasants were plentiful in MI. and a real hunting trip to Iowa wasn't out of the question.
Dan H
Dan H
Mort,
Is your GSP from No-Mars?
I run two GSP's and the 4 year old female is from Leo at No-Mars. She is a real cracker jack.
Hunted birds in 6 states this year, which was just over 10,000 miles and way more then 100 days in the field.
Took dogs to the skeet range once, never again. I had to move the truck behind a building because they just raised so much hell when the shooting started.
Is your GSP from No-Mars?
I run two GSP's and the 4 year old female is from Leo at No-Mars. She is a real cracker jack.
Hunted birds in 6 states this year, which was just over 10,000 miles and way more then 100 days in the field.
Took dogs to the skeet range once, never again. I had to move the truck behind a building because they just raised so much hell when the shooting started.
Nothing better than hunting with a good bird dog. I've had two Brittanys, each very different from the other. One was a flusher and retriever. He once brought me a rooster that wasn't quite dead. When he dropped it at my feet and it ran off, he looked up at me like, "I got it the first time, YOU go get it the second time!" He had a business-like approach to hunting. He would crisscross each new field, and when he was satisfied that there were no more birds, he would follow in my footsteps until we got to the next field. Sure miss that dog.
The second has a great nose and will hold a point, and will go find the dead bird, but not pick it up. On our best day at the game farm, they set out 10 quail and we got 11 on 9 shots. (I got a double and the dog couldn't resist grabbing one that didn't fly.) He almost always finds more birds that they set out.
Keith
The second has a great nose and will hold a point, and will go find the dead bird, but not pick it up. On our best day at the game farm, they set out 10 quail and we got 11 on 9 shots. (I got a double and the dog couldn't resist grabbing one that didn't fly.) He almost always finds more birds that they set out.
Keith
dmort
Active member
I had two gun dogs over the years and I really miss them. Both were Field Trial Springers with parentage from the Isle of Mann. Blood lines don't always make field trial champions but they can be great hunting dogs.
Some people don't understand the bond that takes place over time, and how you are eventually able to read each other. No whistles, no commands,just the occasional hand signal and an" atta girl". It doesn't get any better than that ... until you miss the bird and she gives you the look.
Shooting trap really helped my field shooting. We once ran a string of 18 birds and that's what you need. Repetition, and both of us getting it right.
The thing I learned about my dogs, is sometimes they are smarter than you.
Some people don't understand the bond that takes place over time, and how you are eventually able to read each other. No whistles, no commands,just the occasional hand signal and an" atta girl". It doesn't get any better than that ... until you miss the bird and she gives you the look.
Shooting trap really helped my field shooting. We once ran a string of 18 birds and that's what you need. Repetition, and both of us getting it right.
The thing I learned about my dogs, is sometimes they are smarter than you.
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OK then here is a good GPS story:
About 4 years ago, in October, I was hunting sharp tail in north eastern Montana. My male 5 year old GSP went on hard point about 150 yards out. When I walked up no birds flushed. I stepped off to the side just in case they were under foot. I then looked out in the direction of where he was looking. At about 85 yards was a BLACK WOLF looking back at us! 20 ga did not touch him. He just looked back several times while walking away.
About 4 years ago, in October, I was hunting sharp tail in north eastern Montana. My male 5 year old GSP went on hard point about 150 yards out. When I walked up no birds flushed. I stepped off to the side just in case they were under foot. I then looked out in the direction of where he was looking. At about 85 yards was a BLACK WOLF looking back at us! 20 ga did not touch him. He just looked back several times while walking away.
Doug Casner
New member
bird dogs
When I was a kid we had a lot of quail around. We could go out and get into three or four covies before noon on a good day. The bulldozers have stopped that with waterways and terraces, pushed fencerows out. We always had pointers and they were refered to as hard head s.o.b.s. until they wore down then they acted right. They got a lot of foot to ass praise when they flushed covies or singles until they wore down. Doug
When I was a kid we had a lot of quail around. We could go out and get into three or four covies before noon on a good day. The bulldozers have stopped that with waterways and terraces, pushed fencerows out. We always had pointers and they were refered to as hard head s.o.b.s. until they wore down then they acted right. They got a lot of foot to ass praise when they flushed covies or singles until they wore down. Doug
You got that right!
My Brittany will sometimes break a point, run in arcs, then reset the point. Thought it was weird until I noticed that the arcs were downwind. He is refinding the scent when the wind switches.
dmort
Active member
Doug,
When my Springers were young, they were really wound up when when you first let them out of the truck. I would always put them in hardest cover possible to get the edge off. The one Springer I had would try to take a crap and run at the same time. The worst thing that could happen with a young dog was busting a rooster 5 minutes from the truck, you miss it, and both the bird and the dog end up in the next county somewhere. Been there ,done that.
When my Springers were young, they were really wound up when when you first let them out of the truck. I would always put them in hardest cover possible to get the edge off. The one Springer I had would try to take a crap and run at the same time. The worst thing that could happen with a young dog was busting a rooster 5 minutes from the truck, you miss it, and both the bird and the dog end up in the next county somewhere. Been there ,done that.
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Doug Casner
New member
bird dogs
Yea, We should of let em run behind the truck to where we were going to hunt they would been about right then. Those old pointers were kinda hardhead but they could find the birds. I took that good bird hunting for granted. I sure miss it now. Doug
Yea, We should of let em run behind the truck to where we were going to hunt they would been about right then. Those old pointers were kinda hardhead but they could find the birds. I took that good bird hunting for granted. I sure miss it now. Doug
Doug Casner
New member
bird dogs
I got a story then Ill shut up. My uncle was going bird hunting and he didn't make it home that night. When they found him the next day dead from a heart attack out in a field with his two dogs lying beside him and a limit of quail in his vest. I guess if you gotta go that would be hard to beat. Doug
I got a story then Ill shut up. My uncle was going bird hunting and he didn't make it home that night. When they found him the next day dead from a heart attack out in a field with his two dogs lying beside him and a limit of quail in his vest. I guess if you gotta go that would be hard to beat. Doug
dmort
Active member
Bird dogs
Keith,
I was hunting on a club and I met a guy who had 2 Brittanys. He would sometimes hunt them as a pair, but he only did that if he had an extra gun.
Later that day I watched them working a field. They were really,really good, and the owner had obviously spent a lot of time with them.
Keith,
I was hunting on a club and I met a guy who had 2 Brittanys. He would sometimes hunt them as a pair, but he only did that if he had an extra gun.
Later that day I watched them working a field. They were really,really good, and the owner had obviously spent a lot of time with them.
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dmort
Active member
THE RETRIEVE
I was hunting cover near a frozen lake when she got a rooster up. He landed on the lake and it looked like an easy retrieve. Things soon turned for the worse when thier combined weight broke the ice. So now my dog is swimming in circles trying to get up on the ice and in the process is just breaking off more ice.
I'm at a loss as what to do other than keep telling her to come and hope she lets go of the bird. I'm really thinking right now that I could lose her and I'm starting to panic.Then I'm thinking she realizes she could drown, because she lets go of the bird and is scrambling to get back on top of the ice. She makes it and stands there shaking the water off and I'm not sure if she is going to grab the rooster or come back to me. She decides to come to me and I'm about to take her back to the pickup and get her dry, the hell with the bird. Just then the rooster starts squaking and she turns around and runs back out on the ice and grabs him. But this time she and the rooster make it back with no problem.
On the way back to the truck she gets right back in her hunting mode and we bust another rooster. There was just no quit in her, ever, she pushed me sometimes.
I lost her when she was eleven years old, and she took a little part of me with her --- it still hurts, I didn't just lose a dog .... .I lost a buddy.
I was hunting cover near a frozen lake when she got a rooster up. He landed on the lake and it looked like an easy retrieve. Things soon turned for the worse when thier combined weight broke the ice. So now my dog is swimming in circles trying to get up on the ice and in the process is just breaking off more ice.
I'm at a loss as what to do other than keep telling her to come and hope she lets go of the bird. I'm really thinking right now that I could lose her and I'm starting to panic.Then I'm thinking she realizes she could drown, because she lets go of the bird and is scrambling to get back on top of the ice. She makes it and stands there shaking the water off and I'm not sure if she is going to grab the rooster or come back to me. She decides to come to me and I'm about to take her back to the pickup and get her dry, the hell with the bird. Just then the rooster starts squaking and she turns around and runs back out on the ice and grabs him. But this time she and the rooster make it back with no problem.
On the way back to the truck she gets right back in her hunting mode and we bust another rooster. There was just no quit in her, ever, she pushed me sometimes.
I lost her when she was eleven years old, and she took a little part of me with her --- it still hurts, I didn't just lose a dog .... .I lost a buddy.
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dmort
Active member
My favorite quail gun is a Model 97 that used to belong to my father. I used it to hunt quail before I had a shotgun of my own. It had a long full choke barrel which was okay for ducks, but not much use for hitting quail at 20 yards or less.
I saw a Numerich Arms add for Winchester 18 inch cylinder bore barrel's for really cheap, so I bought one. What a difference! I got my one and only double with that old pump.
Eventually my go-to gun was a real nice Beretta double side by side, and that's all I shot for many years. I even used it for trap until I got a BT99.
Many years later I'm invited (with some fellow trap shooters) to hunt quail at a hunting club. One of the guy's has a real good pointer and we are taking turns as to who get's the first shot. Since this is going to be close shooting I brought the 97. Twice I got the first shot and totally stumbled with the second.
The chorus on the way home was " Hey Mort, you have to pump it, you have to pump it"
I saw a Numerich Arms add for Winchester 18 inch cylinder bore barrel's for really cheap, so I bought one. What a difference! I got my one and only double with that old pump.
Eventually my go-to gun was a real nice Beretta double side by side, and that's all I shot for many years. I even used it for trap until I got a BT99.
Many years later I'm invited (with some fellow trap shooters) to hunt quail at a hunting club. One of the guy's has a real good pointer and we are taking turns as to who get's the first shot. Since this is going to be close shooting I brought the 97. Twice I got the first shot and totally stumbled with the second.
The chorus on the way home was " Hey Mort, you have to pump it, you have to pump it"
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