Picking up Cold Game

[RyeGuy74]

Hello All,

I have run into an issue of my ECS not wanting to pick up cold game or even tracking wounded birds. For example, I shot a rooster the other day and in my haste to shoot at another rooster I didn't watch to see if the first bird was dead. It all happened so fast. Well after I missed the second rooster, I tried searching the thick brush for the first pheasant and I couldn't find anything. My dog and I searched for 30 minutes because I was 90% sure the rooster was dead but my dog wanted nothing to do with tracking and didn't seem to care about a bird he lost sight of. He is young, about to turn 3 in November and this is a new issue as he had tracked down a winged grouse earlier this fall with no problem. We are right in the middle of ND Upland season so I don't know if this will be a "this season fix" or if I wait to off-season but I know that I need my dog at least willing to track down injured birds because by myself I will never be able to find them.

Any advice on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[Elmacho]

Hello All,

I have run into an issue of my ECS not wanting to pick up cold game or even tracking wounded birds. For example, I shot a rooster the other day and in my haste to shoot at another rooster I didn't watch to see if the first bird was dead. It all happened so fast. Well after I missed the second rooster, I tried searching the thick brush for the first pheasant and I couldn't find anything. My dog and I searched for 30 minutes because I was 90% sure the rooster was dead but my dog wanted nothing to do with tracking and didn't seem to care about a bird he lost sight of. He is young, about to turn 3 in November and this is a new issue as he had tracked down a winged grouse earlier this fall with no problem. We are right in the middle of ND Upland season so I don't know if this will be a "this season fix" or if I wait to off-season but I know that I need my dog at least willing to track down injured birds because by myself I will never be able to find them.

Any advice on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Next bird you kill.....tie a string around the neck and make a drag 90 degrees to the wind, put a zig-zig in the trail....maybe 50 yds.
Do not let dog see you do it.

know exactly where you started- flag it. rub the bird there and drop a couple feathers.

use 8-10 foot lead. show the dog the start spot and when you see him "light up", praise and command "dead" or "track".....you stay behind the dog following him- you might have to jog/run- dont hold him back, stay on the trail...as dog stays on scent, praise and repeat "dead" or "track." (kinda be excited when he is "on it")

When he comes off track or off scent- plant your feet, say nothing, until the tight lead causes him to come back to the trail. when he lights back up on the scent- more praise and command "track"....continue forward....praise and command......when he gets to the end of the trail, he gets the bird in his mouth- reward.....lost of praise. try this two-three times in different areas. You might need to sacrifice the bird for training so freeze it for re-use on dragging.

As he gets better, run the drag line dead down wind- and stretch it to 100+ yds-----thats much tougher.....but he'll get it

let us know how it goes.



When he drifts and loses track

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Hello All,

I have run into an issue of my ECS not wanting to pick up cold game or even tracking wounded birds. For example, I shot a rooster the other day and in my haste to shoot at another rooster I didn't watch to see if the first bird was dead. It all happened so fast. Well after I missed the second rooster, I tried searching the thick brush for the first pheasant and I couldn't find anything. My dog and I searched for 30 minutes because I was 90% sure the rooster was dead but my dog wanted nothing to do with tracking and didn't seem to care about a bird he lost sight of. He is young, about to turn 3 in November and this is a new issue as he had tracked down a winged grouse earlier this fall with no problem. We are right in the middle of ND Upland season so I don't know if this will be a "this season fix" or if I wait to off-season but I know that I need my dog at least willing to track down injured birds because by myself I will never be able to find them.

Any advice on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

ECS = English Cocker Spaniel?

With pheasants there could be lots of scent from several birds and the rooster may have run, who knows.

Each time you shoot a bird, try throwing the fresh shot bird into cover while pup is out quartering and does not see.
Then bring pup in and have him "hunt dead" or whatever verbal cue you use.
Rinse and repeat, but pup should not see you throw the bird.

Also a fresh shot bird is needed as teaching pup to hunt a cold, old bird is different from the dog's perspective.
Even this approach is different from the real deal as the fresh shot bird will have your hand scent on it,
but it is a useful approach to improve pup's experience in "hunting dead".

Also some dogs track with nose down like a blood hound while others air scent and if there is a crosss-wind may track
many yards downwind of the actual trail.

 

[nastynate]

My lab didn't pick up dead birds when he was young (he loves the runners though). I first started playing keepaway with a skinned pelt stuffed with some socks on a stick and string. Tease that in front of a dogs nose for 5 seconds, he's going to want to put it in his mouth. Did that game for a little bit (30 second bursts) and put it away not letting him get it ever. That amps up his desire to grab that thing. Then I started playing "dead bird" in my yard (suburban, fenced). I'd have him sit and wait where he can't see me, stash the bird in some corner of the yard, then have him go find it. He loved that game, would tear around the yard sniffing every corner (I'd drag it around a bit as well) and he'd pick those up when he found them. Note... I'm no seasoned dog trainer. This worked well for my dog (who's my first), and he retrieves dead game now and used to not do it. Others likely have much more experience.

Pheasants can be hard to retrieve when down even with good dogs. I go to one sweet piece of private every year and the property owners rule is no shooting the next bird til the first one is in hand. I think that policy let's a lot of birds fly in the short term but ups the recovery rate big time.