Pointers in Standing Corn

[2 DA GILLS]

For you experienced pointer guys. Can you effectively hunt a pointer in standing corn? With the way that the birds tend to run in standing corn and the clear visibility down the rows, I would imagine it would be tough and might encourage some bad habits. I do not see how they will pin down a bird running out the end of a corn field.

What are your thoughts? Looks like there will be lots of corn standing for opener and probably well beyond.

[gspman]

No

[Blaze]

All your suspicions are dead on.

Pointers turn into flushers when they enter standing corn - just he nature of the cover/bird behavior.

[hanso612]

I've had pointers lock up on birds in corn and heavy cover and have had to wait for a long time as the dog and bird stare at each other. It's bad when a buddy forgets the beeper collar and you don't have a clue where the dog is. It's also bad when the dog is on private property or on an island in a slew over the tops of your boots.

We've yelled, thrown rocks and shells, fired the gun and until the bird moves it can be a long standoff.

As I get older/fatter and with an artificial hip, these waits are a welcome change from my early days of chasing Water Spanials to the end of the field in order to get a shot at a running pheasant. Hans

[setterguy]

Keep your dog in the truck unless you want some bad habits learned.

[NWBuck]

Pointer+Standing Corn = Angry Owner

[2thepointsetters]

I do all the time with no problems... Not trying to start arguments depends on the dog and training.

[riverrat56]

I've done it before as well, even with my poorly trained dog.....

As long as your dog will stay close and you can keep quite (ie NO YELLING AT YOUR DOG) you can be sucessful at it. But with a pup I can see it causing some bad habits.

I like to hunt evenings early in the season, get'em as they come back out of the corn.

[2 DA GILLS]

Even though some have had success with it, I will continue to leave him in the truck for standing corn. I can control him and keep him close if needed, but then he hunts close for an extended period of time after being corrected. Not what I desire.

Thanks for the comments and good luck this season.

[uplander]

With an older more experienced dog i will hunt standing corn....one thats very honest on his birds, and points not chases birds he can see ..I've seen older dogs that kind of figure out how to tiptoe into those birds and lock them down.. then there are those days when those birds are crazy and just will not be pointed..Then if the dog is experienced enough you can keep relocating him down to the end and maybe get a shot as they bust out the end....Not a place to bring a young dog!!!!!

[rmkod]

I avoid standing corn all together. Simply bc I believe it is hard for a dog to pin down a bird, and I would rather shoot one bird pointed than 10 flushed or driven.

[2thepointsetters]

I would rather shoot one bird pointed than 10 flushed or driven.

I spend alot of time with a setter (i.e. pointing dog) in standing corn and the pheasants hold tight and we NEVER shot a bird that was not was not pointed and HELD.

If the pointing dog is steady there no issue at all. Once my dog is locked on point he will not release until I tap him on the head or say OK. Even if the birds run he stays there until I release and then we re-adjust. It is very controlled. Also being whoa trained I can stop him in a dead run and he will stay there until I tap his head again. He will stay on whoa for a very long time. I really don't see what the big deal is over this. If dogs are trained they can hunt standing corn all day long.

[uplander]

I agree 2thepoint....that might be the problem...some guys may not have thier dogs as steady as yours is and therefore would have a misserable time in the corn.... so hunt it or don't! I will like I said but only with a well trained bird savy pointer..Not with my young dog, but that is pobably my own fault for not having him as steady as he should be at this point.. But even some well trained dogs will break when they see that rooster in the wide open in front of them...but they souldn't, and getting them to that point is the trick,and it takes some work...Good luck all..uplander

[2 DA GILLS]

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like it is possible, but to me there are too many uncontrolled variables to make it worth the risk of things going bad. My hunting of standing corn will stay with hunting grassy edges or weedy low patches mixed throughout a standing field.

Last seaon, we walked a standing field to get to another area. Lost the dog for about 10 minutes and then after that saw numerous coons running in front of us. Ended up keeping him at my side of the remainder of the time in the corn. I probably over contolled him, but I was uncomfortable with the whole situation. Thus me starting the thread.

[BJB]

Young dogs.. NO!

Older experianced dogs.. Some dogs some times. How dirt the field is, wind direction, how the birds are acting etc.

Cardinal rule of pointing dogs is that you only shoot pointed birds so anticipate what kind of situation you are putting your dogs in.

[JConrad]

When walking a strip of corn I normally will have my Griffon at heal one row over from me... Many times we will hunt a fence line, ditch, or CRP field at the end of the corn strip....I can then let her run. Works better than leaving her in the truck and going back to get her. If we are just hunting a strip of corn and then going back to the truck I will leave her in her kennel in the truck. Also if the corn strip is pretty dirty with weeds, I may let her run just before the end since some birds may not flush... Don't do this very often but will if I feel there may be birds holding tight at the end of the strip.

I hope this helps!

[1runhotshot]

IMO totally depends how "Dirty" the corn is, a field with a lot of weeds makes it more likely for a dog to do well.