Should I let my lab do this?

[tacklejunkie]

Now that the snow is gone, I've been walking on trails in the woods. My lab has been flushing alot of grouse. My question is, is this something I should be allowing in the off season? Will he lose interest in flushing them if I'm not shooting them for him to retrieve?

[Big Dave2]

Now that the snow is gone, I've been walking on trails in the woods. My lab has been flushing alot of grouse. My question is, is this something I should be allowing in the off season? Will he lose interest in flushing them if I'm not shooting them for him to retrieve?

I doubt the dog would lose interest. My Brittany chases birds and squirrels in the yard all year long. I'm no expert but I would think it would do more harm to prevent the dog from flushing than to allow it?

[icehole10]

Probably do more harm to the grouse than your dog, once they start nesting that is. Other wise I see no harm in it. Imo of course

[MN Shutterbug]

Definitely not during nesting season. There is a law against letting dogs flush pheasants when they are nesting.

[bobberineyes]

Shutterbug I was thinking the same thing. Generally mid April til mid July one can't run your dog's where pheasants may be nesting. Makes you wonder if the same goes for grouse.

[Big Dave2]

Definitely not during nesting season. There is a law against letting dogs flush pheasants when they are nesting.

There's a law against training dogs during that time period on MWA's or state administered lands but I'm not too sure it is specifically against the law for your dog to occasionally flush a bird while walking it on a trail? Are you saying his dog needs to be on a leash from April 16 to July 14?

[MN Shutterbug]

Are you saying his dog needs to be on a leash from April 16 to July 14?

No. He just shouldn't be training his dog at that time in the field.

[tacklejunkie]

I'll keep him out of the woods during the nesting season. I don't believe the grouse are nesting now as I haven't heard any drumming ,yet.

When do grouse nest?

[tybo]

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/ruffedgrouse.html

Check out the link. It's to the MN DNR webpage. The summary on breeding is below.

Reproduction

The peak of the mating season is late April. Nests are placed on the ground, usually in dense forest in a depression next to a tree trunk or stump. Hens lay about 10 to 14 eggs that hatch in 23 days. The male grouse has no parenting role. The chicks stay with the hen until late September and are fully grown in 16 weeks.