Texas Wildlife September 2011
By
Henry Chappell
How you imagine a retrieve: The pheasant rises before your retriever, spaniel or pointing dog. You drop it with a clean shot. If your dog marks the fall, she bounds out, gently picks up the dead bird, and delivers it to hand. She didn’t mark the retrieve? No problem. If she’s a retriever, you’ll call her to heel, give her a precise line and send her directly to the bird. If she’s a spaniel or pointing dog, you’ll walk her to the general area of the fall and command, “dead bird,” whereupon, she’ll snort about until she finds the bird.
How it really goes down: The pheasant rises before your retriever, spaniel, or pointing dog while you’re digging in your hip pocket for a handkerchief, wondering if you remembered to turn off your headlights, or (substitute any small distraction). In a panic, you mount your gun poorly and fail to snug your cheek. Your first shot misses; your second breaks a wing. The bird tumbles about fifty yards out and hits the ground running. Now what?
Wounded upland birds, especially pheasants and quail, often run, leaving a scent trail on the ground and vegetation they brush against. Likewise, wounded waterfowl will swim for cover, leaving a scent trail on and above water.
A shooting dog that can’t follow a scent trail is next to useless. Sure, talented young hunting dogs naturally use their noses, and, if hunted often, may learn on the job. But systematic training will shorten the learning curve and prevent bad habits.
I can hear pointer folks now: “Good lord, he wants our stylish bird dogs to put their heads down and trail like hounds.”
Hardcore retriever folks, especially field trialers who demand precise lining and handling may worry that overemphasis on scent work may encourage excess independence, which interferes with handling.
Trust me; I love classy shooting dogs. I want my pointing dogs slashing through cover and pulling up high and hard on game bird scent. If I were preparing a young pointer or setter for high stakes field trials, which emphasize speed and style over practical tasks important to hunters, I would skip tracker training.
But we’re training hunting dogs here. We go afield hoping to shoot a few birds for the table. Unfortunately, some of them don’t fall stone dead. We have a moral obligation to minimize suffering by recovering wounded birds as quickly as possible.
I’m not suggesting that we train our dogs to straddle a track and snort ground scent like a beagle trailing a cottontail, although there will be times when scent holds close to the ground and the best trackers will lower their noses as required. But naturally high-headed dogs like pointers and setters will tend to track air scent as opposed to ground scent while some of the houndier members of the versatile breeds may snort ground scent. Every dog will find her way. We won’t be turning our stylish dogs into plodding dirt snorters. In their classic The Training and Care of the Versatile Hunting Dog, Sigbot Winterhelt and Edward D. Bailey assure us:
“We no more change a high nosed dog to a low nosed dog through training than we can change a low nosed dog such as the hounds to a high nosed dog.”
Still, don’t stress tracker training before your young pointing dog is pointing staunchly or your retriever pup is reliably marking singles in moderate cover and taking short lines.
However, I consider tracker training a sub-discipline of scent training, which begins as soon as you bring your pup home.
(See “Pointing Dogs 101,” May 2009 and “Retrievers 101,” July 2010.) Hide favorite toys or small dummies around the house and encourage your pup to find them. As she grows, toss dummies into light cover. While you’re working the yard, drop a couple dummies in the hedges when the pup isn’t looking. A few minutes later, call her to the general area, command “dead bird!” and encourage her to hunt for the dummies. Make sure she’s always successful.
Carry a couple dummies with you in the field when you and your pup are out for romps. Let her mark a few tosses; hide a few dummies when she isn’t looking. Keep it fun.
Of course the little fart will soon learn to follow your trail to the hidden dummy. That’s okay at this point. She’s learning to use her nose.
What about squirting game scent on the dummies? Numerous scents are available from dog supply companies, and I know folks who swear by them. Honestly, I haven’t found them necessary. I store dummies in my game vest so they absorb game bird scent. I’ll also duct tape quail or pigeon wings onto dummies to add scent and to familiarize pups with the taste and feel of feathers.
Now your pup’s an enthusiastic fetcher. If she’s a pointing dog, she’s locking up on planted and wild birds. It’s time to lay a track.
Start short and simple and keep the pup on a lead. We need to keep her under control so that she learns to concentrate on the track instead of ramming around in search of hot scent. Ideally, you’ll have access to live, pen-reared game birds or pigeons. If not, with a little resourcefulness, you can get it done with dummies and wings you or your buddies have saved from previous hunting trips.
Dangle a canvas training dummy – treated with bird scent, taped-on feathers, or scent-drenched from being carried in a game vest – from a long cane pole. A pair of large swivels, one connecting the dummy cord, the other to heavy monofilament line tied to the end of the pole, will make minimize tangling and make disconnection easier. Drag the dummy ten yards or so across mowed grass and then hide it just out of sight in easy cover, preferably so that the wind will carry the scent toward the pup.
Now lead the pup to the beginning of the trail. She may drop her nose to sniff the scent. Command, “Dead bird,” and let her follow the track. Most likely, she’ll lead you straight to the dummy.
Repeat, gradually increasing distance and complexity. Keep her on the lead. If she strays from the trail to search for hot scent, sternly command “dead bird!” shorten up on the lead and bring her back to the trail. Keep in mind that she may want to work a few feet to the downwind side of the track.
Once the pup is reliably following trails of 40 or 50 yards, let her drag her lead. If she loses focus, grab the lead and get her back on track. Eventually, you’ll be able to dispense with the lead.
There’s no harm in letting a retriever or spaniel catch a live pigeon. Commercially available wing straps prevent flight, but allow the bird to lay a completely natural trail by walking away through moderate cover. Handle training pigeons with clean gloves to avoid imparting your scent. Progress to this stage only after your pup is reliably finding dragged dummies. Pigeons are sturdy and can be fetched countless times with no ill effect.
Don’t encourage your young pointing dog to catch healthy birds. Stick to dummies for tracker training. She’ll learn to track and catch cripples on the job.
Tracker training is easy and fun. More importantly, it results in more birds in the bag.
TRAINING WITH GOOD SCENTS
For a selection of game bird scents and training dummies, check Gun Dog Supply – www.gundogsupply.com
Pigeon wing straps and restraints can be purchased from Scott’s Dog Supply - http://scottsdog.stores.yahoo.net/
