Tips on finding a bird

[ac777]

Hi, I do a lot of pheasant hunting and do not lose many birds that go down, especially when I have my GSP with. Today, I spotted an albino land in some grass and I didn't have my dog with, so as it flushed I shot it and it dropped with the first shot, I ran up to the area it fell in (chest high prairie grass) but did not hear it flapping and couldn't quite pinpoint where it fell. It didn't help that we have 4-5 inches of snow, and the bird blended in easily. I went back and got my dog, and my wife, and we searched the area very thoroughly, to no avail. I don't know what else to do, I really wanted to retrieve this bird, as they are very rare. I know it may be very hard to find a day after it was shot, but has anyone done it? If so do you have any tips? Shot in the dark, but I thought I would try, Thanks.

[gspman]

All you can do now is get a bunch of people and dogs (preferrably flushers) and hunt the area thoroughly.

[Jack Peterson]

Yeah, if not killed instantly, pheasants can run a long ways before they die. It could also be laying underneath some grass. Sometimes they will burrow down into grass that's folded over.

Your best is to take a few dogs out there and let them sniff around.

Good luck

[CRAZYEYES]

Last year i tracked one by blood for almost 40 yards through the long grass with no snow on the ground. Never found it but couldnt believe how far it could run bleeding so bad. At least when you wound a grouse they try and duck down under the nearest fallen tree instead of run like a rooster.

[brittman]

All you can do now is get a bunch of people and dogs (preferrably flushers) and hunt the area thoroughly.

Not sure that would work. Pointers do fine on wounded birds. Some days I have grabbed more roosters than I shoot. Almost always winged.

I have found that you start the search with your dog where the bird goes down. Cover that area several times. If you dog keeps moving off in the same direction, let 'em go - that is probably where the bird ended up. Patience is key in finding a wounded bird that has relocated.

[brittman]

Last year i tracked one by blood for almost 40 yards through the long grass with no snow on the ground. Never found it but couldnt believe how far it could run bleeding so bad. At least when you wound a grouse they try and duck down under the nearest fallen tree instead of run like a rooster.

I have not seen a sharptail run, but I have had many winged ruffed grouse move quite far (25 yards or more). Sure, most ruffs hide in something thick close by, but don't assume a miss if you come up short on the 1st or 2nd pass.

[grab the net]

Get a couple labs out there.

[pureinsanity]

Get a couple labs out there.

+9328714908273417230401923740973

[pureinsanity]

All you can do now is get a bunch of people and dogs (preferrably flushers) and hunt the area thoroughly.

I admire you for this post! Specially when a pointer man suggest to use a flusher! not many pointer guys would EVER say those words.

In my experience in hunting you cannot go wrong with a flushing dog to find a blind retrieve. Ive seen so many pointers go to where the bird fell, and give up 2 minutes later to just want to find a new bird. I bring my lab to that spot and a few minutes later, he comes back with a bird in his mouth.

Again I admire you for that statement, mainly because I am a lab guy!

[brittman]

Respectfully disagree with the last post. That has not been my experience at all. No issue finding dead birds with my Britts. Some are better than others based more on their experience level.

Sure a well, top trained lab will do well (fantastic) on blind retrieves because they have been conditioned to this over and over. It translates to a wild bird situation only when the bird falls dead or is hit so hard all it can do is burrow.

But,

Too often amature lab guys whistle in mouth and e-collar remote in hand never let the dog actually find the wounded bird that has moved on. They force the poor dog to find the blind retrieve on a bird that is long gone.

[gspman]

The only reason I suggest a flusher is that many pointers will point a wounded runner and not instantly go in and get it which is what a flusher would do. If that bird is still alive it'll be a runner and I think the odds might be a little higher with a flusher to make the recovery. Having said that, and speaking from experience there are also plenty of pointers that are also very good at recovering wounded runners. I just think in this case a flusher might be a more practical choice. Just my opinion. Personally I'd use any dog I had at my disposal.

[grab the net]

Bring "veteran lab guy" with his trusted dog, let em go. This is definitely not a job for an amateur.

[R. Miller]

Brittman I love your avatar picture.

[brittman]

Brittman I love your avatar picture.

Thanks. She retrieved around 60 ducks and geese in two days and loved every minute of it.

[JJK]

This situation isn't really a blind retrieve, unless you handle the dog from cab of your truck at the parking area.

Get your dog back out there to hunt the area again and see what turns up. Hope you find it.

[ac777]

thanks for all the tips guys, If I would have had access to a good lab, it would have been out there!, my gsp usually does very good on recovering birds, but he kept wanting to just hunt, as he wasn't there when I shot it so I never did find it. Learning experience for sure, too bad it was on a trophy bird.

[HAppnhook]

If there was snow on the ground you should have seen the impact and the associated trail if it was a runner. It could have flown in the time it took you to go get the dog as well. I will do a broad cirle and work back into the wind, if the dog has a nose, he will find th econe and work it.

I was blessed with a GSP that retrieves blind and site retreives like no other. In sodak this year, he pulled in 60-70% of the retrieves with 5 other dogs around. I started training him with a frisbee and that really helped him, and will do so with the next dog. he's 9 and I plan on going out for the first time in 4-weeks this weekend, hope to see a few!

[rkhinrichs]

i have a english setter who is 7 years old i would put him up against a lab any day. yes i have lost roasters before, but very few. the key is letting your dog go on instinct, its something you cant train or plan, but a good way to start is laying off the shock collar, and calling there name. this is what dogs live for. i have found plenty of dead grouse and roosters, barring themselves in water or snow or what ever they can to get away, sometimes its the least expected place.

[MidwestArcher]

Seriously? We've been hunting over Wire-haired, english, and German Shorthaired Pointers for over 21 years and it doesn't matter if they were our dogs our not-since we've always been GSP people, but 9 times out of 10 a wounded Rooster won't stay where he fell and pointer's know that, that's why its so important to not yell at them when they run off in some odd direction that doesn't make any sense to the hunter(especially the guy with his lab) Labs are a great family dog and unbeatable when it comes to waterfowl hunting, but theres no "point" in trying to argue them agains't Pointers when it comes to upland hunting. End Of Story

[pureinsanity]

theres no "point" in trying to argue them agains't Pointers when it comes to upland hunting. End Of Story

I pretty much agree with you, just as the farmer who was raised on john deere will argue they are better than farmall.

Most pointers, not all, just want to run to the next bird if they cannot find the bird. I would have NO problem letting a pointer run wild if I knew it was going after a wounded bird.

[rkhinrichs]

i would never take my setter duck hunting, yes he has retrieved ducks before i had jumped up phasant hunting but thats doesnt happen a lot, lets be real a pointer is made for upland hunting, everything about them! when it comes to a cripple, push your dog, let him loose!! your dog should already be condition and trained to get after it!!!! more times then not they come back with the biggest grin on there face, with a bird in its mouth!!!!

[MidwestArcher]

exactly RK, and about the previous comment, Dogs aren't tractors-They are each spacificly bread for spacific jobs, and when it comes to pointers they are bread for upland hunting,Period. A farmal can plow a food plot just as good as a john deere can, but a lab will never out-point a Pointer.

[jparrucci]

Any well trained dog can hunt upland or waterfowl. Sure, a lab is better built for waterfowl and a GSP is better built for upland, but to have a dog capable of doing both and not using it as such is sad for said dog. My brittany retrieved at least a hundred ducks/geese this year alone. He LOVED every minute of it. He sits still in the blind, watches the birds, waits for the command, and picks up the ducks, sometimes 2 at a time. Sure, he isn't gonna last as long on those ice-breaking days just like most labs aren't gonna do an open to close day of pheasant hunting. But any well trained dog can do either. I just pack a wool blanket to toss over him in the blind on those really cold days. He busted ice a number of times this year without any hesitation.

[jparrucci]

Also, he swims better than the labs, so we actually send the brittany out for the longer harder retrieves.

[pureinsanity]

exactly RK, and about the previous comment, Dogs aren't tractors-They are each spacificly bread for spacific jobs, and when it comes to pointers they are bread for upland hunting,Period. A farmal can plow a food plot just as good as a john deere can, but a lab will never out-point a Pointer.

A pointer wont out flush a lab, but a lab will track down a wounded bird 10 times better than a pointer. you can argue all you want about it. Ive seen it go both ways. A pointer guy will argue and defend his way till he gets it. A lab guy will do just the same.