Anyone's dog catch wild birds?

[John B]

Went after chukar today, singles were holding pretty tight. Dog locked up, then creeped 10 yards and spun around 180*. A chukar flushed right infront of his face and the chase was on. They went a good 30 yards downhill before he leaps and snatches it right out of the air. Never seen anything quite like it

[KFhunter]

My first dog.

I went to a pheasant release site and in just a few short minutes I was limited out, dog finally on a leash, and I hadn't fired a single shot.

Tough to train a dog that catches birds

[kselkhunter]

My GSP will grab a pheasant that is holding tight, if I'm too slow to catch up to him.   Annoying sometimes.   But part of the process. 

[KFhunter]

I wouldn't take a dog to a pheasant release site that isn't fully trained.  Wild birds ya, but no more farm birds.

[John B]

He's caught a few release sight birds, that wasn't much of a surprise. I've seen him point tight holding quail in the late season, one was holding so tight he crept up and starting rubbing his nose on it. A little background, he's a lab/ shorthair mix and I never whoa trained him. He just started pointing at the end of his 2nd season. He's not anywhere near steady to wing and shot

[GoBeavs85]

I’ve seen a couple of good bird dogs catch wild pheasant. One was a springer and the other a GSP. They were fine dogs before I saw them do it and they were fine dogs after. I’ve always heard you never want to let a pointing dog catch a bird. Sounds like yours was a case of the bird flushing right in the dog’s face and flying low. Just a reflex reaction that shouldn’t become a trend.


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[Ridgeratt]

My first dog.

I went to a pheasant release site and in just a few short minutes I was limited out, dog finally on a leash, and I hadn't fired a single shot.

Tough to train a dog that catches birds

I had a pair of Goldens and went to perhaps the same release site you were at. Had a WDFW agent (Tim) watching me my male picked up a bird and then my female picked up one. We loaded up and he asked why I was leaving told him dogs don't work pet birds.
I am not sure if they still release anymore up there.

[nwwanderer]

Had a beagle/walker cross and a heeler that caught quite a few, all wild, no releases.

[Duckhunter14]

While pheasant hunting South Dakota my lab brought back several wild pheasants. You should have seen the look I got when I tossed them up in the air and let them fly off. Luckily he had an extremely soft mouth and the birds were fine.

But to catch a chukar out of the air, that's pretty cool! Killed 5 on Saturday. Dang they are tasty!

Clint

[tlbradford]

You hunt tight enough cover and your dog will eventually bring some live birds back to you.  I have caught a couple myself and tossed them into the air when they get hung up in super thick grass.  Last year my pup went on point close to where a bird had flushed while we were kicking up another bird.  I did the obligatory stomping and kicking for a few minutes between her nose and 30 yards off.  I started to walk away and call her off point, but she didn't move.  So I told her to fetch and she dove in and brought me a young rooster.

[Labs07]

My dog catches probably 4 to 5 wild Pheasant every year.  This year he has 3 to his credit so far.  About 75% are hens which I release after he brings them back.   

[Ruger]

You hunt tight enough cover and your dog will eventually bring some live birds back to you.  I have caught a couple myself and tossed them into the air when they get hung up in super thick grass.  Last year my pup went on point close to where a bird had flushed while we were kicking up another bird.  I did the obligatory stomping and kicking for a few minutes between her nose and 30 yards off.  I started to walk away and call her off point, but she didn't move.  So I told her to fetch and she dove in and brought me a young rooster.

Yea I did that last year and next thing I knew my dogs came out with quills in the face.   

[tlbradford]

You hunt tight enough cover and your dog will eventually bring some live birds back to you.  I have caught a couple myself and tossed them into the air when they get hung up in super thick grass.  Last year my pup went on point close to where a bird had flushed while we were kicking up another bird.  I did the obligatory stomping and kicking for a few minutes between her nose and 30 yards off.  I started to walk away and call her off point, but she didn't move.  So I told her to fetch and she dove in and brought me a young rooster.

Yea I did that last year and next thing I knew my dogs came out with quills in the face.   

I hunt porcupine areas and that is always one of my fears.  I didn't even think about that possibility.  Maybe I will remember this and catch myself before doing this in the future.

[W_Ellison2011]

I have an almost 1 year old Siberian husky.. she caught a damn bobwhite in our back yard! Chased it around for a few minutes then when it tried to fly off she jumped up and caught it.. I had to chase her for 20 more minutes to get it out of her dang mouth lol! Anyone ever tried using a husky as a bird dog? I'm starting to think about it!

[lokidog]

My GSP will grab a pheasant that is holding tight, if I'm too slow to catch up to him.   Annoying sometimes.   But part of the process.

Ours would pin down the pheasants that wouldn't hold, when I was a kid.