That Quail Place Forum
Hunting Gamebirds => Bird Dog Topics => Topic started by: Jake Levi on December 31, 2007, 06:59:32 AM
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Whats your favorite bird to start pups? Quail, pigeons ? What? c110
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I use Bob White Quail with my English Springer Spaniel. My "Bobs" are strong flushers/fliers, they recall great, and are fun and easy to keep.
I am looking foreward trying Chukars as my dog gets older, she's only !6 months now but is bird crazy.
Thanks
John
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For the youngest pups, quail. Starting at about 5 weeks, the "smaller" size of a quail keeps even the smallest Brit interested. Never trained with pigeons, although I can see how they would be tougher.
Mark
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Pidgeons, and Pheasants I get dead from a Breeder, I keep other birds so the dogs get their smell. Makes for better blind retrieves when the dogs know what to look for.
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Quail, a few pigeons and Pheasants is what I'll have to train with this year, maybe some Huns next year.
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Hi Mark i love the brittanies they work real well Jim
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I'm starting one Lab, hoping for two , by the time they are 6 mos they are ready for hens that maybe arnt too pissed off. I plan on getting a small number of Huns started this year, enough to raise out 3-4 pairs for breeders , maybe they'll make a good bridge between BWs and Pheasants.
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Hi Jake,
I wouldn't worry to much about bridging the gap. Get your new pup excited about birds with the quail then go right to a hen pheasant. A cable tie or rubber band around the feet/legs to keep them from running works wonders.
That leg shackle also keeps them from standing up so the crabby ones can't wing beat a young pup.
The breeder you are thinking about buying from starts her pups at 16 weeks or so on pheasants that way. She will also use mallards at that age in a similar fashion. A leg shackle than tape one wing to the body so they can't wing beat the pup.
Jerome
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Yeah, need to encourage them to move on in, Quail are great to start youngsters but they got to learn to play with the big birds sooner or later.
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c29
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Jake
Dad and have 6 Brittany's that we hunt behind. We started all of them out on quail until they got really fired up and the drive was strong to get them in their mouth. Then we change over to pigeons. Cost less ,last longer ,home to coop to be used again.
P.S. older dogs sometimes sower on pigeons
Larry Lain
www.doublelquailfarms.com
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Hi Jake
There's an interesting article in the July issue of Gun Dog on using pigoens for serious training and why.
Never thought of some of these reasons(angles) for using pigoens.
Peace,
Jerome
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I would use the type bird that they are going to be used to hunt.
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I prefer to let my pups play in our BW flight pens, then graduate them to chasing in the field. When it comes to starting training I prefer pigeons, if you make a mistake with your dog at least it is not with a game bird.
Mike
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Right-on Vrex
That was the authors point in the article. If you have to disipline the dog it wont mistake the gamebirds with punishment and start blinking birds on you.
Peace
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Good strong flying bobwhites are good for very young pups. Make sure they are strong flyer's and absolutely don't let them catch any bird. After the pups can move pretty good and fast I use Pigeon's. I use them because they cant catch them. As soon as I start training any dog i use electronic launchers so I can control when and if the bird flies. I use check cords to keep the dog from chasing the bird too so that it doesn't get in the habit of chasing game birds out of the county when you start hunting the dog on wild birds. Pigeon's are cheap and always recall if you have homers.