Wanted: Pigeons or cheap quail for training...

[Perch Jerker]

I'm looking for pigeons or cheap quail for training my 3-6mo old pointing pup. I'm going to be releasing these birds for the pup to find and not shooting them when they fly off, that comes later in training. Usually there are suppliers of captured 'feral' pigeons in metro areas and am looking for one.

Thanks,
PJ

[Koda]

The best I have found run about $5/bird. I had a place that was cheaper but the birds held to tight which wasn't great for pointer work. Even the ones at $5 aren't that great so if you find a place that has captured birds as oppossed to pen raised let me know.

[setterguy]

How many pigeons are you looking to buy, and do you have a place to keep them? I can usually get them, where are you located? The guy I get them from gets 2.50 a piece.

[bigeyes]

Perch- I was told again and again never to let your young pointer lock up and have the bird get away. It is ok to do a little later in training, but not for the first few trips. I went out this weekned with my 3 1/2 month old GSP and a trainer and we actually brought an extra guy along just to help us shoot. I was told you have get ALL the birds that flush when training because the dog needs to connect find bird-point-owner flushes-loud bang-dead bird to retrieve. Don't let him get used to working hard and finding you birds and then you just let them go.

[LMITOUT]

You want pigeons? My folks have a bunch of them roosting in some abandoned grain bins near their house. Everytime I get back we have a little trap shoot.

They live in central ND, so I don't know how handy that is for you. I would think the birds would be fairly easy to catch as well.

Hope to get a pointer next spring so I've been telling dad that we can't shoot them all!

[This message has been edited by LMITOUT (edited 12-10-2003).]

[Perch Jerker]

Bigeyes,
I have heard theories from both sides of the fence (shoot everything to shoot nothing). I have a pointing lab and the training book I have is "The Pointing Labrador" by Paul & Julie Knutson ( http://gunclub-labs.com/the_pointing_labrador.html ). An excerpt that is relavent to this subject is at http://gunclub-labs.com/tip_apr02.html
Also, the trainer my father sent our english pointer to trained the same way. Thank you for heads up on differing training styles though.

SETTERGUY,
I'd be interested in the pigeons.

Thanks,
PJ

[This message has been edited by Perch Jerker (edited 12-19-2003).]

[setterguy]

Here is my experience with letting the dog get all the birds you flush. When my dogs are puppies (12-16 weeks) I will put them in a shed with 3-4 pigeons for about 20 minutes. The birds are flying around banging into things the dogs are chasing them its really pretty funny. That is the last time they get thier mouth on a bird that they did not point. If you start shooting birds for the dog that it didn't point what you have is a glorified flushing dog. Pointing is an instinct but it has to reinforced. Dogs are just like people, they will take the path of least resistance and most enjoyment. Now if you start shooting birds for a puppy that it didn't point how is that dog supposed to know that there is a different way to do things. If you take a dog out with a dozen pigeons and if he doesn't point they fly away, they learn real quick that the only way to get thier mouth on them is to point and let you shoot. There are always two ways to skin a cat, but I try to eliminate as much correcting as I can. JP - I will try and get ahold of that guy and then drop you a mail.

[CornPirateKiller]

Man, I wish I could still climb barn supports like I used to. We used to grab pigeons in barns when I was in college and sell them to trainers for beer and gas money. We used to get $0.25 apiece, .50 if the guy was desperate. I could make a fortune now days at $2.50 each. Farms all over are thick with pigeons and most farmers would love to be rid of them. If only I were younger again...

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