Pointer or flusher?

[Big Dave2]

What makes you guys decide on the style of dog you hunt with? How do you know that your style of hunting coincides with a flushing dog instead of a pointer or vise-versa? How many of you chose your dog more for other traits in the dog and learned to live with or maybe even love the style of hunting the dog does?

I have not hunted behind dogs much but I have hunted behind both styles and was always equally impressed at the abilities.

Thanks

[CAJ]

The older I get, I like to hunt behind a pointer. Gives me a little more time to catch up with the action. To me, a flusher make you work a little harder. It is a personal preference, I guess. Pointer for me now. caj

[setterguy]

Where to start, for me it was a matter of what I did the most of and then decided which type/breed of dog would best suit my needs. I am a grouse hunter above all else, and while there are plenty of flushers that do very well on grouse I find that a pointing dog allows you to a. prepare for the shot, which in heavy tree cover is a big advantage. and b. cover and hunt more ground than a flusher would. Plus for me, seeing a dog pointing a wild bird makes the whole trip worth while. Now there are plenty of times that a flushing dog would have come in very handy, corn fields in South Dakota for expample. The birds just run ahead of my dogs point, it can be very frustrating. There was an topic that was discussed here about a year ago, let me do search and see what I can find...there was some good info there.

Here it is

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB36&Number=437082&Forum=,All_Forums&Words=&Searchpage=15&Limit=25&Main=436566&Search=true&where=&Name=6769&daterange=&newerval=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post437082

[Big Dave2]

Thank you setter guy. I did actually find that post already but I appreciate your willingness to take the time to look that up for me.

I know this has probably been asked a hundred times but I just thought maybe I could get some new insight.

Thanks,

Dave

[setterguy]

You said that you have hunted behind both, what did you like or dislike about each style? What kind of game will you be pursuing and where? I like going out in the woods, alone with my dog and hearing her effortlessly move through the woods, it seems like her paws barley graze the ground, then the bell stops...whether I shoot a bird or not, that scenario that has played out hundreds of times makes it all worth while.

[catman71]

A young man can tolerate a flusher if he wants to do some duck hunting as well. But if you don't hunt waterfowl or in very cold conditions a pointer is a very sophisticated choice. walking up to a dog and shooting a bird is great. you do lose a little excitement the the flusher has tho....

[gspman]

One thing I could add to help is what type of personality do you have.

If you are a controlling type of personality and want your dog to be under your control at all times then maybe a flusher is for you. They are required to be well within gun range at all times to be effective.

If you are a bit more laid back and can put some faith in your dog and let it do it's thing with minimal handling and can tolerate the dog being out of range and sometimes out of sight then you could consider a pointer.

gspman

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

---

You said that you have hunted behind both, what did you like or dislike about each style? What kind of game will you be pursuing and where? I like going out in the woods, alone with my dog and hearing her effortlessly move through the woods, it seems like her paws barley graze the ground, then the bell stops...whether I shoot a bird or not, that scenario that has played out hundreds of times makes it all worth while.

---

Actually like I stated earlier, I have not done a great deal of hunting behind dogs. I did really love the time I hunted with a friend who has a visla. I think a pointing dog is just cool to watch. Also I am not a die-hard bird hunter. I just love to go out and enjoy a walk through the pheasant cover or the grouse woods. I think that the experience is so much better with a faithfull hunting companion. Maybe I would even get out more if I had the motivation/excuse that a hunting dog would give me.

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

---

One thing I could add to help is what type of personality do you have.

If you are a controlling type of personality and want your dog to be under your control at all times then maybe a flusher is for you. They are required to be well within gun range at all times to be effective.

If you are a bit more laid back and can put some faith in your dog and let it do it's thing with minimal handling and can tolerate the dog being out of range and sometimes out of sight then you could consider a pointer.

gspman

---

I can easily answer that question. I am very laid back and love to watch the dog just do what it was born to do. My opinion is that the dog knows better than me where the birds might be so I tend to like to leave them alone to do thier stuff.

I also want to add that I am well aware that 98% of this dogs job would be to be a family friend. I have had dogs all of my life but never an actual hunting dog. We now have a cocker spaniel(the ruined american type) that is very old and deaf as a post. I dont think that my wife will tolerate a large sized dog in our smaller 2 bedroom home so that limits me drastically on breeds I can consider. Right now I have 3 breeds in mind and may have narrowed it down to 2. They are the Britney, springer spaniel, and the Field bred English cocker spaniel. I do have allergies which is also part of the mix but I am able to tolerate our present dog OK so that is really just an after thought.

I had been sold on a britney but the more I hear about the cockers the more I am intrigued by them as well. The fact that my cocker I have right now has been such a good dog despite her inferior breeding makes me consider the english cockers even more.

Thanks for all of the help. I hope to make a decision by spring. But I do not take this decision lightly.

[harvey lee]

I had a English pointer for 11 years and all I will say is they are one awesome dog.I had him trained by a pro,so the range was no problem at all.

These english pointers have a nose that is second to none. They also will honor another dogs point as well or better than any other.

Overall,just a great breed.

The one problem you will here with this breed is that they like to be rangy as they are used alot down south hunting with hunters on horse back.But,they can be broke of that and hunt as close as you would like.

Enough.

[riverrat56]

I would really consider a brittney hard....

We've got one now, smaller dog, kind fat, short, kinda like me, she hunts pretty good, all the other brits we've owned have been far rangers, but she stays close, listens well, and most of all is great around the house as the rest of them have been. I think that brits have a pretty good nose, at least all the ones I've experienced seem to.

I've hunted with flushers before, even hunted both types together before, (well trained flusher, would honor point) and we both agreed that seeing a dog lock up on point was more exciting than watching a flusher work, although each are a differnt kind of excitment.

I'm sure no matter what you choose if you put some effort into training the rewards will be great, its just better hunting with a dog....

[Jager]

I'll have to get my two cents in for a German Shorthaired Pointer.

Great family dog and hunting companion.

I have two and would get another but my wife says two is the limit!

Mine are great hunters!

Like any good dog, you have to spend time working with them.

You do that and they will make your hunting trips great.

At least I know that is how it has worked for me.

And after the hunt, when they crawl up on the couch and rest their head on your leg......well, you can't ask for anything more.

[Blaze]

One other side note: shedding/hair is much less of a problem with a GSP compared to a Brit as well. Much less sweeping and lint roller usage going on. Just something to consider.

[PikeBayCommanche]

Well having hunted behind both kinds of dogs and owning a lab personally I would say that you have to decide what kind of hunting.

In my opinion it is great watching a dog go on point but on the other hand I think its too easy. If you can't hit a bird on point from 10 yards away that is sad. But along that lines down here in Iowa its extremly hard to get the dogs to hold points considering after the first month or so the roosters know whats up and start running on you so I think that that is the main reason I chose a flusher.

If you have hunted behind a great lab I don't know how much better it can get.

Good Luck with your dog search and what ever you get will be good just make sure the bloodlines are clean.

[setterguy]

Quote:

---

If you can't hit a bird on point from 10 yards away that is sad.

---

Would you like to go grouse hunting this fall?

[PikeBayCommanche]

Yeah your right about that I wouldn't stand a chance with a lab grouse hunting. If I was primarily doing that I definatly have a pointer with all that lumber to contend with. I would like to go very much!!

[gspman]

I didn't miss a single grouse last year. Of course it's hard to miss when you forget to bring your gun with.

[setterguy]

I was just giving you a hard time, name the day and I'd be more than happy to take you out. I think this is going to be a good year, lets just hope for a dry spring. Maybe we could do some sort of trip swap, I could come down to Iowa and chase some roosters around.

[PikeBayCommanche]

sounds like a good plan to me. Saw a grouse 2 weeks ago by my cabin. Can you hunt in the national forests???

[setterguy]

Most of them yes, unless they are designated State park or wildlife refuge. Typically it will be clearly marked at a parking lot, or as you enter the forest.

[lawdog]

I'll preface this by saying I'm a big lab fan and that my only upland bird hunting is for pheasants, not grouse in the woods. For me the lab is the perfect dog. I don't think the pointers do that well on running pheasants. My older lab has been in the field with pheasants so much he got to the point where he'd hunt as a flusher normally, but if he pinned down a sitting bird, he'll point it. This was not trained and he was not bred to be a pointing lab, but he has become the ultimate double agent for pheasants. Only bad thing is he's 12 now and the little trainee is not him and I don't think will ever get this point thing going, but he's got quite the nose and he drives hard...

Best of all, these dogs are also great water dogs and there is no dog more loving for family/kids either.

There, that's my plug. I do recognize that grouse in the woods is a different game and so are some of the quail and other upland birds, but like was said before, get what works for what you hunt, and I don't think anything would work better for me...

[fasternu]

I recently bought a new Golden Retreiver puppy. While searching through books for training help, I repeatedly came across this idea that some people forget: for some weekends of a few months, this dog will be a hunting tool, but for the entire rest of the year, it will be a family member. I think many people get so wrapped up in "Best hunter ever", that they forget to get a dog that is good around the women and kids as well. I know of a few dogs that I love to hunt behind, and are machines, but I wouldn't let in my house, say nothing about the yard!

Just something else to consider, that's all.