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welshboy454

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Everything posted by welshboy454

  1. welshboy454
    I breasted 4 woodcock and was pleasantly surprised to see the fat reserves revealed on the birds despite the cold weather we have been having. I live in a mild area near the coast so the birds have been able to find food down here by the evidence of their condition. There were stacks of them about so hopefully there are enough left to breed for next year.
  2. welshboy454
    I think the term you want is "force fetch" - look on utube - plenty of videos.
  3. welshboy454
    Yes quite a dramatic pic. Shortly after I got my springer I lay in wait and shot a fox which had been killing our hens. I went back to fetch the dog to show him the scent just out of curiosity. He picked it up and started carrying it !
  4. welshboy454
    Saw these pics on another forum- worth a look - As a springer man I am tempted. http://overthegate.myfreeforum.org/about17941.html&highlight=
  5. welshboy454
    Because of the snow I could not get the car out so the dog and I walked to our shoot meet which coincidentally this week was the local pub. Our cat followed behind me for 1/2 mile or so and despite shooing it just would not skidaddle until I fired a shot . Good day out in the sunshine with a mixed bag of rabbit,woodcock,snipe and pheasant. Afterwards a meal and a couple of drinks in the pub and a walk home. A bit dozy now in the warmth.
  6. welshboy454
    I am no trainer but I would be interested in how other shooting men cast their dog for an unmarked retrieve. Sometimes I watch keen trial guys trying to direct their dog on a blind retrieve - stopping the dog and getting it to run in the direction of the fall in almost precision accuracy. Very impressive from a control point of view but it does not seem to make the best use of the dogs scenting ability which is my simple approach to this.( I know I would never win a trial but it works) Whenever I can and on most game I simply cast my dog getting him out so he is downwind of the fall and he do
  7. welshboy454
    Back in the autumn while pigeon decoying on a flight line my dog retrieved 26/26 pigeons falling behind me in a dense wood. If that was my only type of shooting I would agree it would be his primary purpose. However today I was walking up thick hedges (tightly laid blackthorn and brambles)with him thundering down the centre of the hedge flushing the occasional rabbit and woodcock. I can guarantee that without him I would not have had a shot. As that is the majority of my rough shooting it has to be his primary purpose.
  8. welshboy454
    I agree. If I had to make a stark choice between either a good hunter/flush dog or a good retriever then I would settle for the good hunter every time. Dual is better. I can pick up shot game and the option of a second barrel is available. In fact if a pheasant is hit and has its head up I give it a second barrel these days. Same on a wounded rabbit.
  9. welshboy454
    The description "Gundog" covers a broad spectrum and I can understand it if someone only experiences driven game, coastal wildfowling or pigeon decoying to think of a gundog as a retriever only because that is the only task required. However for the vast majority of shooters the dog has to be dual purpose with the primary role being finding and flushing game within range for shooting with retrieving being secondary. Maybe the author of the piece has had limited experience and never seen a dog flushing rabbits/woodcock/pheasants from thick cover. Thats my point he is a trainer he has writ
  10. welshboy454
    The description "Gundog" covers a broad spectrum and I can understand it if someone only experiences driven game, coastal wildfowling or pigeon decoying to think of a gundog as a retriever only because that is the only task required. However for the vast majority of shooters the dog has to be dual purpose with the primary role being finding and flushing game within range for shooting with retrieving being secondary. Maybe the author of the piece has had limited experience and never seen a dog flushing rabbits/woodcock/pheasants from thick cover or a dog casting far and wide in sparse game la
  11. welshboy454
    What about the difference in the amount of powder??? Thats taken care of in the feet per second .
  12. welshboy454
    What about the difference in the amount of powder??? Thats taken care of in the feet per second .
  13. welshboy454
    thanks for your feed back will try it and let you know how it went thanks and happy new year marc... Great advice . If that does not work then when the dog is ready for its food take it out to an open area and throw some meat scraps around. Let it use it's nose with you pointing where to go. When it has learned that throw some in the hedge and let it find it using its nose. That way it gets regular rewards for the effort rather than hunting for nothing. It will quickly realise that in the cover is the place to be.
  14. welshboy454
    You would need to read the feet per second printed on the box to confirm that. If the feet per second are the same and the shot size is the same and the shot load in grams is the same then no difference between 12 and 20
  15. welshboy454
    Yes Exactly the same in the example you gave. A 12 bore is generally proofed to accept more weight of lead than a 20 bore. Most 12g will accept 36g and some even 42g
  16. welshboy454
    There may be something in this. The bird was lying front down but it may have tumbled off the rushes leaving the scent high. I watched carefully and although he knew the bird was there somewhere he could not zoom right in. Normally he has no trouble picking them up and retrieving but it is a spat out of the mouth delivery so maybe their taste is bitter.
  17. welshboy454
    Last week on a wet day I shot a woodcock which came down in a field of rushes. My dog went to retrieve it and as I was watching I could see him gain the scent then narrow in to two clumps of rushes each about armchair size . The scent seemed to be up in the air about 2ft off the ground as he was scenting/looking in the tops of the rushes trying to get the bird. When I walked over he was still scenting high but the bird was dead on the ground. It just seems that when dead it was not giving off scent. Anybody else experience this ?
  18. welshboy454
    Last week on a wet day I shot a woodcock which came down in a field of rushes. My dog went to retrieve it and as I was watching I could see him gain the scent then narrow in to two clumps of rushes each about armchair size . The scent seemed to be up in the air about 2ft off the ground as he was looking in the tops of the rushes trying to get the bird. When I walked over he was still scenting high but the bird was dead on the ground. It just seems that when dead it was not giving off scent. Anybody else experience this ?
  19. welshboy454
    My dog was exactly the same except a springer. 3 years old originally bought as a pet but had basic obedience.The best bit is they have never picked up bad habits - eg allowed to range too far. I played (and still do) games of hide and seek with his dummy- making him sit and laying trails out of sight sometimes with a fishing rod to cast a bit with a double line so I could release it so my scent was not there.He loves it and has carried the understanding into the hunting field. Also I used to hide his food in the hedges and then take him for walks so he got a reward when I gave him a hand dire
  20. welshboy454
    There is a technique called force fetch. It is a programme of training which converts a dog from being self employed into being a servant obeying your commands. There are a number of stages to follow each building on the previous one. It is not cruel if handled sensibly and sensitively. Watch these videos to get an idea . Firstly they condition the dog to accept something in the mouth and hold it until told to release. Its a bit like circus training. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WYCDd-PEa8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQeukHCJC9g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IhVg8snOqU htt
  21. welshboy454
    YES PLENTY OF BUNNYS BUT WE USE THE FERRETS TO BOLT THE BUNNYS FOR THE GUN SORRY! If it was not so d--n far from West Wales I would take a few days at that. Best of luck to you all.
  22. welshboy454
    Couple of my Springer - in the kitchen like a wimp today trying to get on my good side so he can be out like crazy beating tomorrow.
  23. welshboy454
    Yes I think they have more intelligence than we credit them with. My springer will bring back a cock alive fine as long as it doesn't flap/try and spur him. He will hold it hard enough to stop that. Same with a scratching rabbit.
  24. welshboy454
    sparrow hawks rarely,if ever touch an adult pheasant mate. I've seen a SparrowHawk have a pheasant before. probally a peregrine mate.. adult pheasants are a bit big for most perries mate goshawks make mince outa them could be one of them if there are any about, or just plain old foxy a few late nights and early mornings required to id cultprit. Still no positve ID on the culprit. Last year we had a Goshawk in the area - killing every second day.Saw it twice on a kill Maybe it has bred a family as the rate has increased.The only difference is that there is no carcase.
  25. welshboy454
    Because my dog is so responsive I deliberately got a whistle different to the 2 10 1/2 2 11 1/2 as I did not want other whistles to bother him. I must confess though that I can get him to do most of what I want just by a mouth whistle which is quite handy in the frosty weather as the whistle I have is metal. Anyway it seems to work although a bit unconventional.
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