New Pup Pheasant Training

Fowl91 · #1 08-22-2019, 05:10 PM

Hello Everyone,

I am looking to start training our 10 month Bluetick Hound on pheasants soon. She’s got her basic training pretty good, and has been working on a training dummy with scent recently.

Looking to see if anyone would be interested in helping me with this, or even pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. I am new to training hunting dogs, and am trying to do as much of it myself as I can. I have the time to dedicate to training her, just not the expertise.

If you’re interested in getting out or know somebody you’d recommend, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

pikergolf · #2 08-22-2019, 07:27 PM

Well if you can train a lab to hunt pheasants I guess you can train a blue tick to do the same.

WinefredCommander · #3 08-23-2019, 09:52 AM

Good luck!

JWCalgary · #4 08-23-2019, 10:32 AM

I have a great book called Bird dog training by Robinson.

Could try that.

The one thing I want to try is putting a bird pen for bird relwases between my house and my neighbour's .... he would love that

Sent from my SM-G530W using Tapatalk

stob · #5 08-23-2019, 10:50 AM

He should have the nose for it. Let us know how it goes. I have worked over a blue healer who was great on birds and I have seen German shepard's and border collies working birds as well but never hunted over them

elkhunter11 · #6 08-23-2019, 10:53 AM

At least one professional trainer that I know, recommends starting a pup on chukars rather than pheasants.

Fowl91 · #7 08-23-2019, 07:50 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone. Will definitely look into starting on some chukar and progressing from there.

Big Grey Wolf · #8 08-24-2019, 07:41 AM

Trained a springer to be top pheasant dog by starting him on grouse during summer walks. Teach him lots of hand signals and english words then you can tell him what you want him to do.

Springerman · #9 08-24-2019, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

At least one professional trainer that I know, recommends starting a pup on chukars rather than pheasants.

CHUKARS worked great for me when I started my Springer pup.
I secured their wings and let them wander off. When they found cover I let my dog find them.

Then I put her on pheasants at WWBIRDS , pheasant site.

wwbirds · #10 08-24-2019, 02:55 PM

Whether mine or clients. We were shooting live chukars over my last pup at between 4 and 5 months of age.
Chukars are not considered game birds in Alberta so they can be used for training at any time of year on land you have permission to be on without a ground release license. They are often half the price of pheasants. They hold nice and tight in a minimum of cover unlike pheasants which have a tendency to run and teach young dogs to chase. Nothing like watching a couple hundred dollars of roosters flushing out of range because they ran to the end of the cover luring the pup along behind them only to flush at 100 yards. Sorry for the sidetrack Bryce but I probably have a frozen chukar in the freezer if you want to try it on your new hound pup to see if he has any interest

Fowl91 · #11 08-24-2019, 05:30 PM

Thanks Rob, I will take you up on that. I’ll send you a PM when I’m back from work next week. It would be great to chat with you as well.

GOBBLER FANATIC · #12 08-24-2019, 07:46 PM

One critical thing that you must consider is gun (noise), training the pup so he isn't "gun-shy". You can do all the other field training processes perfectly but if the dog is gun-shy, it is very difficult (if not impossible), to break him of that.
If you would like some suggestions as to how to do that, contact me.
GOBBLER

elkhunter11 · #13 08-24-2019, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOBBLER FANATIC

One critical thing that you must consider is gun (noise), training the pup so he isn't "gun-shy". You can do all the other field training processes perfectly but if the dog is gun-shy, it is very difficult (if not impossible), to break him of that.
If you would like some suggestions as to how to do that, contact me.
GOBBLER

A dollar store cap gun or a blank pistol at distance when the dogs attention is on something else, and then progressively getting closer is a relatively easy and reliable way to prepare a pup for gunfire. Then avoid firing directly over the dog, when progressing to a shotgun. We have exposed dozens of pups this way at our club training days, and have never had a gun shy dog as a result.

lachsfluss · #14 08-24-2019, 10:41 PM

Chukar are good and also cheaper..

I’ve also used a dollar store cap gun to introduce gun fire and worked my way to the dummy launcher.. trick is associating the sound with something positive.. good luck

Fowl91 · #15 08-25-2019, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOBBLER FANATIC

One critical thing that you must consider is gun (noise), training the pup so he isn't "gun-shy". You can do all the other field training processes perfectly but if the dog is gun-shy, it is very difficult (if not impossible), to break him of that.
If you would like some suggestions as to how to do that, contact me.
GOBBLER

I will keep you in mind when I get to that point, thanks.
Lots of good information coming here, all is appreciated.