Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: ducks4days on August 20, 2024, 12:21:24 PM

Title: Dummys
Post by: ducks4days on August 20, 2024, 12:21:24 PM: My GWP Peach was a bit too young and inexperienced (end of May litter) to make it out last year. This year however, she is through forced fetch, and with many months of training on bumpers, dummy’s, and dead birds, is in a great spot to hit the ground running and water swimming.

My first chance to get her on real birds in the field will be the early goose season, and my biggest concern is the weight of the resident honkers I’ll be going after. I have a dokken goose dummy that has been great for training, but it is not heavy enough to simulate a 12-15lb goose, and at 60lbs I’m worried she will be a bit light for the task unless she had more experience running and swimming with that kind of mass.

I’m curious if folks here have preferred bumpers or dummy’s, and if there is a good stand in for a full size goose I could use over the next 3ish weeks to try to make her first retrieve a good experience.

Dog tax paid
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: Colin on August 20, 2024, 12:25:26 PM: I would get her going on ducks first and let her figure out the birds come from the sky before doing a goose hunt right out of the gate.

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Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: wadu1 on August 20, 2024, 12:39:26 PM: Had a small LAB that couldn't pick up geese. She did fine on water retrieves ended up dragging them backwards to me. It was fun to watch she figured out how to get them to me.
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: ghosthunter on August 20, 2024, 02:00:23 PM: I am guessing if she has the drive to retrieve ,she will figure it out.

I know my lab would bring that bird in no matter what.

It might not be pretty, but I bet she gets the job done. :twocents:
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: metlhead on August 20, 2024, 02:25:05 PM: My GWP waa young on his first foray. That dog woulda retrieved an ostrich if I shot one. Don't worry a bit.
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: ducks4days on August 20, 2024, 02:37:00 PM: Seems like a consensus to just let her figure it out :tup:

Since that's out of the way, is there a better or heavier goose training dummy than the dokken one? I have a ton of different color and material bumpers and several duck / pheasant / dove dummys to keep things fresh during training, but havent seen many options other than the one I have for goose.
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: ghosthunter on August 20, 2024, 04:49:36 PM: Quote from: ducks4days on August 20, 2024, 02:37:00 PM
Seems like a consensus to just let her figure it out :tup:

Since that's out of the way, is there a better or heavier goose training dummy than the dokken one? I have a ton of different color and material bumpers and several duck / pheasant / dove dummys to keep things fresh during training, but havent seen many options other than the one I have for goose.

Make one
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: metlhead on August 20, 2024, 05:59:29 PM: Go to a local auction and get a goose. Can't get more realistic than that. Maybe liberate one from the park
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: BD1 on August 20, 2024, 08:04:34 PM: I have always had "Suitcase" labs...as WADU1 one said, your dog will get it back to you if she/he has the drive. It is awesome to watch them overcome and successfully deliver. I personally don't care if it is a$$ first of head first :chuckle:
Title: Re: Dummys
Post by: follow maggie on August 21, 2024, 06:58:47 PM: Just go hunting, the dog will figure it out. The first few might call for some patience, but she’ll get it. Haley is 45 lbs & has no trouble bringing me geese that are bigger than she is. Sometimes it’s funny to watch but she gets it done every time,