Hunting with the wind.

[fishin58]

Most new posts are about flushers getting way out in front and flush a bird too far out. My oldest dog, I always hunt her with the wind, this way she works closer and she will not get the scent from a ways off and follow that scent.

I always try to manage the wind in this manner with her. Does anybody else do this? I truly believe it helps to get more birds in range whether the dog gets the bird up to the side or behind me, I believe SHE works better in this manner.

[APCfishing]

Ive walked with the wind but have almost all my luck walking in the wind. Those roosters can really hear ya coming up wind.

[duckbuster]

This is a tough thing to do when you grouse hunt. You are at the mercy of the wind and trail direction.

Obviously for field hunting it would be a lot easier to dictate how you work a parcel of land.

My choice would be to work into the wind though. That is what you have a collar on the dog for, in my opinion. You are in control of the dogs distance.

GOOD LUCK hunting this fall and BE SAFE!!!

[Neighbor_guy]

I try to work into it whenever possible, but if I cant work into it, I want to work across it.

My dog has a tendency to "give up" and if she cant cut a scent, she is more likely to stop hunting and just walk w/me instead of out front.

She is a big lumbering ooph and tends to work plenty slow enough for me to get decent shots off. Good close shots with a flusher works for me.

[Wanderer]

fishin58,

When my dog was younger and liked put the wheels on when she cut a scent, I too preferred a nice quiet walk with the wind. She did stay closer. And the shots were closer.

She's older now and the only time she's drops the hammer and chases a scent is in a corn field. When a dog is ranging it isn't much fun to feel your gun is ready when you're using one hand to tone your dog to slow down or come back.

If you and your dog are reasonably quiet this can work. When you have a line of dogs with bells and guys that like chat, then you're in a handicap situation against the rooster's hearing.

[fishin58]

Yep, that is how I have to hunt with her, I never had the time to train her and break her from that bad habit. (she stays at my parents) I tried to work with a coller with her but it did more harm then good.

My 1.5 year old is responding real well with the coller and coming back. But I work with her year round and now in season, she is responding to the nick.

But if people are having the problems with keeping the dog close and flushing roosters 200 yards out, I would try hunting with the wind. Keeps the blood pressure down and allows for some closer flushes.