Hunting for woodcock

[Cambusvale]

https://youtu.be/vSNHrQMOnLc

Poor month (Nov) for scent was hoping December would get better, either no wind or scent laying down in the frost so dogs had to find close in or bump. So was this day out in Silver Birch/Oak wood, yesterday I had some good fun and got birds to sit close and tight in but alas each day is different and you wish to to have your go pro on some, but he-ho. Light was poor as well and had to enhance the video which kinda makes it not so good in focus in certain sections or bits I wished to have had to be deleted.

Game wise the woodcock are good in numbers, well in the woods I frequent along with Roe a common problem for me to let my dogs out but not get tempted with Deer and out of sight in thicker shrub. so I have been restricting their range as you will hear on the video especially my youngster who is getting venturous of late.

[ips]

Great to watch ... Interested to know how you manage to handle them at such distance, when you cant see them what stops them beggering off over the horizon, how do you maintain a "max working distance". ??

Ps
Are you the gentleman who has a you tube vid of the three card trick with the random dog as distraction off camera ?

[Cambusvale]

As I train a lot with three dogs or more present, it could be my video but user name should be a clue lol.

Handling at a distance is training, training and more training no easy answer you must get boots on ground and progress as a basic training strategy maintaining control before you progress from spaniel range from the start of training in the case of my GSP and at full range by 18 month to give a ball park depending on dog. Then it is up to you when you want the dog to turn depending on conditions (cover) in the open I let them decide now only restricting if I cannot see them though working with hand signals only and cutting down on whistle helps something I have been progressing with my dogs over the years and needs again training and more training.

[Naj]

Ever thought of hunting them in fluo collars &/or jacket, Ally? I switched a few years ago and even a collar is a great aid in keeping tabs on them at a distance, especially when in cover. I'd be working them in a fluo orange jacket in light cover like that. I mainly work on more open ground but even there the fluo stuff has been a boon in Helping keep track on them, especially out at distance. Wish I'd thought of it years ago.

Naj

[Cambusvale]

Funny you should talk about jackets, I was giving credence to even those noisy collars as of late in thick white grass which obscures my dogs on point its difficult to find them. As my dogs go a bit they can be in sight one second and within a few more can be in deep and out of my view. So yes I would think of considering such a move especially on my favorite game species Woodcock, finding the dog on point needs assistance from time to time. Any suggestions to find collars or jackets?

[Springfield Pointers]

Great to watch ... Interested to know how you manage to handle them at such distance, when you cant see them what stops them beggering off over the horizon, how do you maintain a "max working distance". ??

Ps
Are you the gentleman who has a you tube vid of the three card trick with the random dog as distraction off camera ?

Ips. Pointers require no handling. They have a natural range, which varies from dog to dog. Overhandling is a disease. And if you don't see them for a designated time, they're either (a) up to no good, or (b) on point. Easy.

I didn't watch more than about 30 secs of the video, but to answer your question - Once a pointer is hunting, and you've got a handle on the basics, there is no real reason to handle it too much. Personally I don't hunt in cover like that - I'd call that "spaniel country", but the range should shorten up in that sort of cover. And training dogs, especially with game in it, in cover like that is looking for trouble.

[ips]

Thanks ally.
Will try and find the clip again and see if it was you, pretty sure it was. I watched it a few times when I first started with multiple dummies, it was very helpful to see how it should be done.
Can you do another one entitled how to stop your cocker beggering off

[ips]

Thanks SP
To give you an idea that is similar to my "big wood were bad things happen" but my wood has dense rodedendrum (even spell check cant spell it. Lol) and I think mythical creatures that whisper sweet things into spaniel ears.

[Cambusvale]

IPS: it's all in the basics of control and keeping it like that as the dog develops. I am not short on going back to basics and only the day was doing sit at heel as I walked home, by command and then whistle. I then progressed to making them sit when they were out playing as they are never really out of your control so to speak. So in my world training never stops as this only slides back into problems about control and the slippy slope of buggering off.

As for SP to not enter cover in UK would mean a pretty poor dog and no use for trial or shooting over. So entering the tricky stuff is all part of training a HPR in this country and the thicker the better as all game is on my card and my dogs must be able to deal with it accordingly from open Moor to thick gorse or bramble, push on and through that where the game is, so training for it is a must in UK or buy a lab and sit on a peg.

[ips]

Ally
It was you, this one. I liked it a lot

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OWKI6jbBHgY