Prairie Bird Primer

Every upland hunter should experience prairie bird hunting at least once.  Both you and your dogs will love the prairie.  My wife, Susan, the dogs and I have traveled to Montana three of the past five years.  And, we’re already planning our trip to the American West for 2016.

There are many reasons that influence our love of hunting the prairies.  The wide-open spaces are easy to hunt, beautiful and have plentiful bird populations.  Plus, the local folks are darn right nice to strangers.

The upland birds available in Montana are the ringneck pheasant, sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge.  The ringneck pheasant season does not start until October and Susan, the dogs and I only want to be in ruffed grouse territory in October so we miss the Montana pheasant season.  In September, when we hunt sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge, we never see another hunter in the fields.  We’re told, however, that the fields are full of hunters during pheasant season so we’re very happy with September hunting. 

There are two methods of hunting in Montana.  You can hunt Block Management land, public land or gain permission from a rancher/farmer to hunt their private land.  Block Management land is privately owned land which has been contracted by the state to allow public hunting.  There are sign-in stations where you must register to hunt Block Management property.  During September, we never see another hunter on the Block Management properties so there is always plenty of land to hunt.  In August, you can print a Block Management map from the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website: fwp.mt.gov.  Public land is usually state owned property that is open to hunting.  And, there is always private land that is not part of the Block Management system.  Permission to hunt private land is obtained the old fashioned way…knocking on ranchers doors and asking for permission to hunt. 

Let me add a few additional comments on hunting private land in Montana. Susan and I have done very well with getting permission to hunt land that is even posted.  Ranchers/farmers are not enthusiastic about letting large groups hunt.  Your chances are better if there are only two or three in your group.  Have a smile on your face when you knock on their door.  Promise that you will not drive into their fields or over their crops.  If you have top-notch dogs, invite the rancher/farmer to join you on the hunt.  If all their crops have been harvested, they may very well accept the invitation.  Most of the land owners have never seen really good bird dog work.  We take a farmer who absolutely loves to see the dogs point birds.

Hunting prairie birds is not much different than anything else you hunt. They feed early in the morning and late afternoon.  In the morning they migrate from their roosting field to their feeding field.  The feeding field may consist of wheat stubble or a pea or bean field.  All three have either grain, peas or beans that dropped during the harvest.  After feeding, the birds migrate to prairie grass where they loaf for the most of the day until it’s time to feed again in late afternoon.  Although there is no rule that always holds true, both Huns and sharptails like to loaf in high spots so they can see danger coming.  Walking the prairie grass, after the birds have left the feeding fields, is how we locate most of our coveys.  If the day is exceptionally hot or windy, then try the coulees where they can get relief.  A coulee is simply a ravine.  For September hunters, I offer a bit of a warning about hunting coulees.  You’ll get numerous pheasant flushes in a coulee and they are of no benefit; unless you simply want dog work.

For ruffed grouse hunters, we’ve learned through GPS systems that our dogs run about three times the distance that we walk.  In wide-open prairie hunting, the formula is four times what we walk.  With the dry prairie air, that means your dog will get thirsty very quickly.  For a one to two hour hunt, make sure you carry at least two bottles of water for every dog on the ground.  They’ll need it. And, don’t forget your own water needs.  Your dogs will, of course, maintain a high energy level if fed Native Performance Dog Food.

Go West…you’ll never regret it.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Pup's Opening Day

You have a young dog that is about to experience their first hunting season. If ruffed grouse hunting is your game and you live in the Continental United States, your opening day will be here very shortly.  Here are a few thoughts about how to handle opening day with your young dog.

Make sure that your pup has had several road trip experiences.  You don’t want truck fear and road sickness to be an issue.  This should be a fun experience for a young dog.  In fact, a dry run of a typical hunting morning is a good idea.  Load the pup in the truck crate, take a ride and stop at a field or woodlot.  Take the pup out, run them for a good hour and then put them back into the crate.  If all goes well, no problem.  If you experience fear or timidity, then repeat the exercise over the next few days.

At this point in time, we’ll assume the pup is well conditioned to the gun.  We certainly don’t want to create a gun-shy dog on opening day.

Although we may be anxious to shoot over our dog on opening day, a wise exercise is to let your hunting partner do the shooting and you pay attention to your pup.  Have you been working on breaking your pup from chasing on the flush or shot?  And you’ve been using pen-raised birds for the training?  If so, the excitement of a wild bird flush could be too much for the pup and the chase is on. Instead, set your pup up for success.  If your pup has been whoa trained, then in a soft voice give the “whoa” command using two syllables.  This is much better for a pup then a sharp whoa! If your pup is not whoa trained, then consider using a check cord.  The check cord will give you control over the pup.  The goal is to not let the excitement of a wild bird flush set-back the training process.

Another issue to think about is that unless you’ve been training your pup in different locations, the pup will encounter new terrain and cover than what he’s used to.  If the cover is thick and full of briars, consider a chest protector.  Most of the chest injuries I’ve seen or my dogs have experienced have been in their first year of hunting.

If you’re asking your pointing dog to retrieve, don’t make the retrieve more exciting than the point.  If you do, it’s easy for the pup to feel that if the retrieve is more exciting, why fool around with a point.

If you have an older dog that is well broke and bullet proof to outside influence, run the pup with the older dog.  Pups can learn a great deal from a mentor.  If you witness jealousy, then pick up one of them immediately.  You don’t want a pup busting the older dog’s point if the older dog is jealous.  You’ll ruin the older dog in one outing.

Don’t over work the pup.  One hour of hunting and then at least a one hour break is a good schedule for a young dog.  Keep it fun…not exhausting.


And, finally, no matter what age dog you’re working, make sure they are well hydrated.  Due to warm days, many dogs succumb on opening day due to heat.  Take good care of that pup.  He’ll be your hunting buddy for many years.


Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Best Grouse Dog Breed?

If you ask upland bird hunters to name the most difficult bird for a pointing dog, the answer you’ll hear most often is the “ruffed grouse”.  It’s a bird that would rather flush or run than get pinned by a pointing dog.

What is the best grouse dog breed has been debated for decades.  There can be no perfect answer to fit every hunter; there are simply too many variables.  

A few of those variables are with the hunter and not the dog.  Is the hunter in good physical condition?  If so, do you prefer a big running dog? Does the hunter favor a pointing dog or a flushing dog?   

Let’s look at the pointing versus flushing dog first.  As most of my readers know, I’m a pointing dog owner.  I thoroughly enjoy walking up on a point, having the bird flush, having the dog stay steady and then releasing for the retrieve if I was lucky with my shot.  That whole sequence is very thrilling for me.  This article addresses pointing dogs.  However, I’ve been in camps where grouse guides were using flushing spaniels.  I’ve watched them work and have been very impressed.  I do not in any way underestimate their value as a grouse dog.

Picking a pointing grouse dog breed has a lot to do with the hunter’s legs.  Are you capable of following a big running dog?  A dog that might point three hundred yards (or more) from your position means a lot of walking.  And, the dog may repeat that same scenario all-day long.  

The all-time number one breed used for ruffed grouse is the English setter.  It’s been proven as a top performer since the 1800s.  The English setter consistently wins more grouse field trials than any other breed.   Most setters are big running dogs.  Many grouse guides and trainers feel there should be only two speeds for a grouse dog…fast and stop.  They want a dog that covers a big chunk of cover and to do it fast.  Of course, a big and fast runner must absolutely stop with the very hint of grouse scent.  If they don’t, they run over the bird.  A busted bird very seldom produces a shot for the hunter.  The theory is that the more ground a dog covers, the more birds they will find.   Your author has had the privilege of following and shooting over the top grouse dog setters in the country.  If well-trained, it’s a thing of beauty.  A well-trained setter will work within bell range of the owner/hunter.  They will stop in their tracks at the first hint of grouse scent and then keep the bird pinned until the hunter arrives.  

The second most popular grouse dog is the Brittany.  The Brittany has consistently proven to be a great all-around bird dog.  It is a medium range dog that fits perfectly to an individual that may not have the legs or stamina to keep up with a big running dog.  I have a very good friend who has hunted grouse with the Brittany spaniel his entire life (he’s 79 years old).  Over the past forty years, I’ve watched his dogs perform incredibly well on running birds.  They’ll point until they detect a fading scent cone and then relocate until the scent becomes stronger.  And, they eventually pin the bird for the hunter.  For the average hunter, I can’t think of a better breed.

The third most popular grouse dog is the German shorthaired pointer.  This is the breed that resides in our household. It’s the versatile breed that does it all.  The shorthair is a medium range dog that fits just about any age hunter.  It has a good search pattern, points well, trains easily to steady to wing and shot and retrieves your downed birds.  If there is criticism of the shorthairs, it is often that they “potter” on scent too long.  This tendency is from their tracking instinct which is a part of their heritage.  Certainly this issue is not present with all shorthairs.  We presently have two in the household.  The older male tends to potter occasionally, however, the younger female runs with her head high and hardly ever pays attention to ground scent.  That’s what we want since pointing scent is in the air…not on the ground.

Other pointing dogs we often see in the grouse woods is the English pointer (amongst the hard core, it’s just “pointer”), vizsla, pointing griffon and small munsterlander.  They can all get the job done.  

Before buying your next grouse dog puppy, do a leg check.  Can you keep up with a big running dog?  If not, you’ll enjoy the hunt more with a medium range dog.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Conditioning for Hunting Season

Hunting season is getting close. Depending upon in which state you live, it could mean opening day is in September. If you haven't already, it means you need to start a conditioning program for both you and your dog. The ramifications of not being fit could be fatal. The fun side of this is that you can work together toward being fit.

In our household, we run and exercise our dogs almost every day of the year. That means we don't have to be concerned about “getting ready” for opening day. We're there now. However, most dog owners don’t follow that routine. For those dog owners, getting ready means starting a conditioning program now.

Your goal for a daily workout for both you and your dog should begin during the month of July. As with any workout program, start slowly. Know your limit. By the time the hunting season arrives, you should be doing five miles of walking per day. If you're doing your five miles per day in the woods and/or fields, your canine friend is doing around 15 miles. The formula is that your dog does three times the distance that you do. Five miles of walking per day should have both you and your dog ready for hunting season.

Human beings should be smart about their food intake. We know what is good and bad for us. However, our canine friend is totally dependent upon his owner to make the right decisions. There are volumes of written material available today on canine nutrition. And, much of it is contradictory and/or presented in a scientific gobbledygook manner. Let's cover the basics.

The two most discussed ingredients in dog food are fat and protein. Basically, fat provides the energy for exercise and protein keeps rebuilding the muscles. Lower fat and protein levels such as 26% protein and 16% fat are a common formula for a maintenance level food. Our household feeds this level of protein and fat from January through July. However, for hunting season, we elevate our protein and fat level to 30% protein and 20% fat. Dog food researchers tell us that there is a "metabolic transition" of about 60 days before the benefits of increased protein and fat take effect. That means for an October 1st opener, you need to increase your protein and fat levels on August 1st.

Increasing and decreasing protein and fat levels typically meant upset digestive systems until about seven years ago when Kent Feed Company introduced the Native brand of dog food. Native was the first dog food brand to present several levels of protein and fat without changing the basic dog food formula. This meant little, if any, digestive issues for your canine friend. Our dogs thrive on Native (www.nativedogfood.com).

When checking dog food ingredients, watch for hard to digest (and little nutritional value) fillers such as corn, wheat and soy. Adding these grains to the food is a cheap method for dog food companies to offer content without benefit.

Paying attention to exercise and diet will mean a safe and fun hunting season for you and your dog. Start your exercise and diet program today.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Puppy Steps (Part 2)

Last month, in Part 1 of Puppy Steps, we covered genetics, gestation and the first two weeks of a puppy’s life; this included the opening of the puppy’s eyes.  In Part 2, we'll cover from the third week until the puppy leaves for its new home.

Weeks two through six are very important.  It’s the pre-fear period for the puppy.  Puppies will associate what happens in weeks two through six as very positive.  Since this is positive time, it’s important that the new owner visit the puppy as many times as possible.  The scent of the new owner will become imprinted in the puppy’s brain and that’s a good thing.

Weeks four or five is what I refer to as “explore” time.  Puppies should be put outside and allowed to explore their environment.  At first, just grass should be explored.  They'll encounter new smells, uneven ground and obstacles even if only puffs of grass.  The puppies will learn to become more mobile.  They will also be able to become more active with their littermates.  Although these outdoor adventures should be mostly puppy time, human interaction is good also. All of this activity leads to better socialization.  If the play becomes too aggressive, only the mother should be allowed to break-up the fracas.  Puppies then learn who the boss is.  Human interference will only teach the puppies that if the cry loud enough, some human will come to their rescue.

Speaking of human interaction, the four to five week period is a good time for the puppies to be picked-up and held.  They should be held in our arms and in different positions.  Their mouth, feet and ears should be touched and gently fondled.  The more touching by humans, the easier it will be to control them as they grow older.

Now we approach a truly critical time; the fear period.  Research shows that fear begins in the sixth week, progresses rapidly through the seventh week and reaches its peak in the eighth week and begins to become less up to the tenth week.  If proper socialization with humans and littermates was done prior to the fear period, the pups will be able to cope much easier with major “fear events.”  If proper socialization with humans and littermates was done properly, a “fear event” will create temporary anxiety but a return to normalcy is quickly accomplished.  However, if socialization was not done correctly, permanent issues may develop which will be very difficult to live with.

In Part 1, we mentioned Dr. Ed Bailey as a foremost expert in dog behavior.  In the March/April/May 2012 issue of Gun Dog Magazine, Dr. Bailey states:  “The window for socialization on dogs and on people closes forever at 12 weeks.”

So, when should a new owner be allowed to pick-up his new puppy?  The often used formula of 49 days is not a good time.  The fear factor is too dominant at seven weeks.  Many states have a law that mandates eight weeks as the minimum.  If a puppy has been properly socialized over the first seven weeks, eight weeks should be suitable.  If I were to raise a litter, I would allow my puppies to go to their new home at either nine or ten weeks.  The nine or ten week period would allow the puppies to have a full introduction to life as a dog.  And, that should lead to a happy life.


And, speaking of puppies, be sure to raise your puppy on Native Puppy Level 3.  Native Puppy Level 3 is formulated for the growing canine.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Puppy Steps (Part 1)

You’ve made a deposit and you want your puppy.  At what age should the breeder allow the litter to be separated and go to their new home?  Your author is a member of several hunting dog Facebook forums and sees this topic frequently debated.  Everyone has an opinion.  Five weeks, six weeks, 49 days, eighth weeks…all the different ages dog owners post as the correct time to break up the litter.

The person who has studied the research more than any person I’m aware of has been Dr. Ed Bailey.  Dr. Bailey is a co-founder of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) and a long time columnist for Gun Dog Magazine.  His insight into dog behavior is without equal. Much of what I’m writing in this column comes from the research and writings of Dr. Bailey.

Let me correct one guideline given on a recent post in a Facebook forum.  The poster (a breeder) stated that he lets the puppies go when the dam’s milk dries up even if it is just five weeks.  When the dam’s milk dries up has nothing to do with when the puppies should be given to their new owners.  The whole issue revolves around socialization…not milk.

There are three contributing factors to a dog’s personality.  They are genetics, gestation and early puppyhood.  Behavioral genetics is a huge field of study and would require a completely separate article.  It makes sense, however, for a new puppy buyer to meet the sire and dam.  Are they friendly toward people?  Other dogs?  Do they appear to be happy?  Does the breeder promote the fact that his puppies are known to be well-adjusted and get along well with people and dogs?

The 63-day gestation period is also very important.  Dr. Bailey states in his research that the last 30 days is the most important.  Only the breeder has control over the nutrition that goes into the dam and ultimately to the puppies.  Ask the breeder what brand dog food was fed during gestation.  Make sure it is a premium brand.  Also, the dam should get exercise during gestation…at least early on.  Both physiological and environmental stress should be kept to a minimum the final 30 days.  

Then we have the third factor; birth and puppyhood.  Over the next ten to twelve weeks, both the dam and the breeder play an important part in this factor for having a well-developed and socialized litter. From the day of birth, puppies should be handled daily by human beings.  Of course, be gentle since they’re fragile right out of the womb.  Daily handling creates a mild stress which is good since it helps prepare them for more stress with changes in their location and breakup of the litter.

The next critical benchmark is the opening of the eyes.  Eyesight allows the pups to associate the smells, auditory senses and feel to shape and form.  Since fear has not yet developed, everything encountered at this age is good to the pup.

Next month, in Part Two, we’ll discuss the fear period and the importance of litter socialization.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com. 

Using Place Boards

Get five pro trainers in a room and you’ll get five different answers to a training question; and they all could be right.  The use or non-use of place boards in training bird dogs is one of those questions that could produce five different answers.  In this article, we’re going to talk primarily about theory; the actual teaching of place board use is a whole different article.

A place board is just that…a board.  The size can change depending upon the size of the dog being trained.  For a larger dog, a 2’ x 3’ board will work well.  They are typically elevated to ensure the dog recognizes the board from a distance or in heavy grass.  Although 2” x 4” elevated boards are often used, some trainers like the board to be higher.  Twelve-to-eighteen inch high boards are common also.  That’s the physical description; now let’s talk about the purpose.

The purpose of a place board is to teach a dog to stand (or sit) still in one place.  We associate that behavior with a command such as stay, sit or whoa.  We lead the dog onto the board and then give them the command.  We restrain the dog so they have no option except to stay on the board.  We then reward them for staying on the board.  That’s a very simplified process for teaching a dog to either sit or stand still on a place board. 

Now let’s examine how place board training is useful for both retrievers and pointing dogs.  For retrievers, place board training is used to make a retriever sit in one place and, often, for very long periods of time.  Waterfowl hunters sit in blinds for hours and they want their retriever to do the same.  When the command is given to fetch downed birds, the dog leaves its position and does his job.  That’s all pretty straight forward and it’s easily understood why the place board training is useful for a retriever.

For pointing dogs, the purpose of the place board becomes cloudy.  Just check on one of the gun dog forums and you’ll find the use of place boards for pointing dogs being debated for days on end.  On the positive side, just about everything we teach pointing dogs is done while the dog is still.  Teaching the “whoa” command and being steady to wing and shot are examples.  Sounds good…right?  Yes, it is good.  But issues could develop later if place board training is not handled correctly.  The issue is the transition between an artificial “place” and a natural “place” in the woods or fields. 

Personally, I feel place board training for a pointing dog can be very useful if it’s started early…say six months of age.  Begin with yard training; a four inch high board would be sufficient. Teach the pup to stay on the board initially for ten seconds and then progress to one minute and the two minutes, etc.  Then move the board to a field and even the woods.  Once the pup has learned to stand still on the board, then transition the training to a piece of carpet.  The carpeting will be easier to handle and provides a slow transition from a board to natural turf.  Also, continue to change location. 

As the training progresses, and the pointing dog remains standing on the “board”, it’s now time to introduce birds.  With the dog on the board and on a lead, have a helper pull a pen raised bird from a bag and simply throw the bird up and away from the dog.  If properly trained on the “board”, the dog should not move when the bird is released.  After a few bird sessions with the dog on the “board”, remove the board and continue with the birds.  You’ve transitioned the dog from a recognizable “board” to natural turf. 

For a pointing dog, the transition is the cloudy part.   No one wants a pointing dog that needs to look for a “board” when it encounters scent.  However, if you make the transition from board to carpet to natural turf slowly and carefully, the dog should transition easily.  If you have reservations about using a place board, check with a pro-trainer.  They'll be able to assist you with the transition and give you that “brag dog” you’ve always wanted.  

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield TV program.  Paul’s website is www.birddogsafield.com.