# Pheasant hunting with lab



## 54111 (Apr 20, 2011)

How does one train a lab to also upland bird hunt? I have been a few times with a guide and a dog ( typically some sort of pointer or setter). Now I have been training my dog for waterfowl hunting, which I plan on still doing but think it would be cool to have a dual purpose dog that can waterfowl and upland bird hunt. Has anyone done this is it possible? Also, will this interfer with any of the waterfowl retriever training I have done up to this point? If I am not mistaken I think nahra requires some sort of trailing?


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## Brian Courser (Feb 10, 2010)

I hunt both with my old dog. We did not do much training for the upland part until we were solid with running some good lines. It is like any training have a standard and train to it and maintain it. HRC does offer both titles one for waterfowl type testing HR, HRCH and one for upland testing UH (upland hunter) Both types of test are a blast to run


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## 43x (Mar 29, 2009)

My advice is take a buddy or two and go to a bird farm, Let your buddy's do the shooting and you do the handling. Most dogs figure it out real quick.

What you don' t want is a young dog getting worked over by a Rooster's spurs ! This will make a dog hard mouth or leery .


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## Socks (Nov 13, 2008)

Yes it's possible and they can make great upland dogs.

There are more people on here that know more than me, but here's some tips.
0. PROPER GUNFIRE INTRO!!!
1. Find someone that has done this before.  Seriously
2. Find out your states' game laws on live bird training.
3. Find some live birds from a seller that you can take out and plant in a field.
4. Get a clipped wing from the seller and let your pup smell it and put in it's mouth, but not eat it. (Also assuming that your pup has retrieved dead birds so far)
5. Take a live bird and shackle it's wings so it can't fly away or too far. Show the bird to the dog in a controlled setting like a back yard or a low cut field. Make sure you can call your dog back and/or use a long rope to keep it with you. 
6. Once your dog looks interested kind of tease the dog with the bird. Shake it in front of it and then set it down.
7. Let the chase begin!!!!
8. Don't let the dog eat the bird if it catches it.

You've now lit the live bird fire. 

From here you'll have to learn how to plant live birds in a field and work up to working your dog up to it. Remember your recall will have eventually be rock solid. There was a time when my dog would chase a flying pheasant to the next county. I'd eventually get him back when he was about 350 yards away. He doesn't do that anymore. 

Take what I've said with a grain of salt. I'm not a pro trainer.


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## Richard McCullough (Sep 22, 2009)

I think you will be surprised how easy it is, and the dog will transition from upland to waterfowl seamless. You may need to train on distance your dog works, and maybe quartering, and what you want your dog to do during the flush. My current dog does both with the drive you would want. As I am away for two months, he will be at a trainers, and when I return I will be tuning him up in the upland field for an upcoming APLA hunt test. My new pup will be introduced to upland birds end of August also, no shackling, no clipped wings, find the bird and watch it fly away. There is a reason for this. You can PM me if you wish to know. 
Have fun with your training.


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2011)

Boy are you in for a fun ride! This is my favorite thing to do with my boy.What i did was i got myself some live birds and taped the flight feathers so they can't fly,but can run like hell.Went to a short grass field with no place for the bird to find cover and let my dog chase them down.Bring a video camera it is hilarious! After the birds are dead freeze them for later use in the field. I would take these birds and go plant them in a field somewhere and come back and get the dog and go hunting.The great part is,you know where they are so you can work the dog more efficiently in that area.Before you know it your dog will be begging you to go play hide and seek.

Out this way we have game farms that stock the fields every day with new birds so there are always birds to be had.Great experience for the dogs.These birds are pen raised so they like to run more so than fly which gives the Lab the upper hand over the pointer in my opinion.

I have seen no issues with the dog understanding the different kinds of hunting that we do.There is no bleeding over to the nexted.

Look at my Avatar and tell me my dog isn't on cloud nine for those chickens!


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## PhilBernardi (Jul 17, 2010)

I can say from experience that you want to make sure that your lab is well trained and practiced on marking. 

I ran my lab at about 1.5yrs old on pheasants and I'm still regretting that too early introduction. 

The issue is to make sure your dog can mark, can use its eyes and use them well. A dog running upland uses its nose and you don't necessarily have to teach that. But using the eyes needs to be refined over-and-above the use of the nose. 

And it's not just the use of the eyes, it's also the issue of focus and concentration while using the eyes.

The modality of smell is more than alittle bit stronger than the modality of sight in canis domesticus IMHO.

Focus on eyesight first, then scenting (pun intended).


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## Adam Wahl (Mar 18, 2010)

I believe most well trained dog will make the transition very easy. What I see a lot of people do is just hunt there dog during hunting season and forget to train. Trust me as I am very guilty of this, and a lot of bad habbits created in hunting season will arise during training season, (breaking, cheating, head swinging, ......) sending many mixed signs during corrections that my confuse a dog. My .02 is to hunt your dog and have fun, but train as well.


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## Jim Danis (Aug 15, 2008)

4-5 years ago I got the chance to work a pheasant shoot. In between flights I would have my dog round up cripples or unhurt runners. The way I got him to quarter was to send him out with a "hunt em up" command. As he got to about 25-30yards out I whistle him to a sit and cast him left or right with overs. After 5 or 6 rounds of doing this he'd quarter on his own until he caught scent of a bird. He was at the MH level when we started this so it all came about pretty easily. I know this was probably not the best way to do this but it worked for me . He'll stay in shotgun range and quarter pretty well when we work this shoot. We have not had the chance to do a real pheasant hunt yet but I'm fairly confident he'd do fine. The other poster who mentioned youngs dogs and pissed off roosters can be right. My dog was being severely spurred by a rooster and got pretty ticked at it. He dropped the rooster and while stepping on it ripped the birds head off. After it quit moving he then picked up the bird and brought it in. Not a good thing but I don't blame him. I would have done the same thing if I were in his paws!!


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## jimmyp (Aug 21, 2008)

My lab gets used more as an upland dog then she does as a retriever so I have a little different way of doing things.
Just like my pointing dogs, my lab spent the first several months of her life learning to be a dog. If you start them early enough they will learn to quarter on their own and you only have to control range. I personally dont let my flusher get more than about 20-25yds. As I move through the field I will start by winding my way at left and right angles, your dog should try to stay in front of you, if the dog gets too far in one direction or the other a quick "here" or whistle should bring the pup around to where you are.
As far as marking goes once a pheasant gets up right under a dogs nose the dog can't help but mark it. Obviously you plan to use your dog for traditional retriever work. I would recomend that you stop your dog with a sit whistle on the flush and that will also help with marking.
My advice to you with training an upland retriever is to enjoy yourself and let your dog learn as it goes. keep the dog in range and watch what happens genetics make your dog better at finding birds than you can ever teach him to be. Your job will more or less be to keep him in range, and shoot straight.
Jim


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## Hunt'EmUp (Sep 30, 2010)

Heck Yeah, I think most labs prefer the upland hunt, because they get to move around, and actually hunt, it develops trailing skills that will help you find cripples, in the duck blind later. Just make sure you condition your dog for it, with endurance training, especially if you want to keep up the pointers. Also watch your dog closely, and carry water, Labs will often times overheat on upland, and there are usually no ponds in chukar-quail country.


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## red devil (Jan 4, 2003)

jimmyp;821363 .....keep the dog in range and watch what happens genetics make your dog better at finding birds than you can ever teach him to be. Your job will more or less be to keep him in range said:


> Very true.
> 
> I tell people 80% of what my dog does duck hunting, I taught him. When pheasant hunting 80% the birds taught him.
> 
> ...


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## Red Barn Retrievers (May 18, 2011)

I use a field with short grass to start teaching quartering, Zig and zag across the field. When the dog gets out about 25 ft turn and go in the other direction, From left to right, I start this letting a 20 ft check cord drag behing the dog. I may give a Hep! to get the dogs attention just before I turn. You can use a football field to start. Once the dog is fluid in 1/4 ing with me. I will pick up the check cord when the dog is almost to the end I will double Tweet a whistle twice and turn, Don't stand still keep moving left to right. Don't let the dog turn his head to the back, turn the dogs head to the front, teaching the dog to hunt forward and not behind you or circling you. After you have the dog 1/4ing well, add some a higher grass area brush piles and plant some birds (I start with pigeons) now the dog is hunting to the gun and will start hunting to cover. You can have the dog changing direction on whistle, after the dog gets birdy, with a little effort sitting on the Hup or flush. Hi on and enjoy a good hunt. Happy Tails


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## Jonathan (Jul 21, 2009)

I go to South Dakota every year and have been doing so for the last 6 years or so. My dogs hunt both ducks and Pheasants. The main thing that I have seen is just keep control of your dog. Dont let them get out of gun range and make sure they understand HERE HEEL and Sit. The birds will teach them the rest.


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## The Snows (Jul 19, 2004)

The OP mentioned NAHRA in the original post - yes, NAHRA has an upland component in their tests. 

The trailing test is really not considered to be part of the "upland" test. The dog's ability to trail downed birds is a component of the Hunter, Intermediate and Senior test levels. 

Move up to the Intermediate level and as well as the trailing test, an upland test consisting of the dogs ability to properly quarter is judged. At the Senior level, as well as the trail, the upland test consists of a quartering test which includes a flush where the dog must be steady to shot and fall. The flush can be a flyer or fly-away. If the bird is downed, once the dog is released by the judges the dog must deliver the bird to hand.

NAHRA rules can be found at www.nahra.org


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## RoosterBuster (Aug 24, 2010)

One of the main things I focused on was getting my dog used to paying attention to where I am and not getting too far out. I have only used my dog for pheasant hunting, hopefully he will be far enough along with all of his training (if I keep up on my end of the deal) this year to take him out after ducks. Also, once you get him on a chase with a live bird it's over. As soon as I did that with a pigeon my dog was addicted!


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