dogs and woodcock

[Guest olofthegr8]

last season i shot a woodcock and my lab wouldnt pick it up

she picks up pheasants, partridge, pigeons etc. a few people said that they dont like the smell.

how do i get my dog to pick them up?

[LDR 29]

I've heard that dogs dont like them as they smell different, we had a couple of people on one of the shoots i go on that always wanted any woodcock shot at the end of the day...i use to cry my eyes out, they only wanted them for retrieve training..... after the session they just threw them in the bin!!!!!!....

[Aled 477]

Thats sacralige longdogrunner, no wonder you cried, one of the tastiest birds around!!

 

I'm no expert oloftgere but on shoots that i used to beat on, i always saw dog workers pick up woodcock from the game cart and hold in front of the dog, and encouraged the dog to smell it.

Thats all i can add i'm afraid.

Cheers

Aled

[gdunc 0]

If the dog has already picked up feather and has no mouth problems your best bet is just to get hold of some woodcock and throw it for some very easy retrieves with loads of praise and encouragement - just like puppy stuff all over again! There were loads of woodcock around last season so we'll see if conditions suit them again this year - you should be able to get hold of one or two.

 

A few throws wont damage the meat so you can still pan fry the breasts and have them on some toast afterwards

[Guest olofthegr8]

If the dog has already picked up feather and has no mouth problems your best bet is just to get hold of some woodcock and throw it for some very easy retrieves with loads of praise and encouragement - just like puppy stuff all over again! There were loads of woodcock around last season so we'll see if conditions suit them again this year - you should be able to get hold of one or two.

 

A few throws wont damage the meat so you can still pan fry the breasts and have them on some toast afterwards

 

ok thanks i'll try that next season

[jessdale 416]

I was always told,whilst training a gsp,to start them retrieving corvids ie magpies,rooks,crows etc.If they pick these regular you will have no problems with woodcock.

[8shot 191]

good advice

i will have to try this next season as my spanial wont pick them up either

[cragman 2,769]

A pricked or wounded Woodcock are notoriously hard to find for a dog if it's not marked well...Could that be the problem? I've seen dogs pass over them and struggle to find them, this experts attribute to the Woodcock not giving off much scent when wounded and sitting on eggs. A kind of survival mechanism kicks in.

Edited June 18, 2008 by cragman

[alimac 882]

A pricked or wounded Woodcock are notoriously hard to find for a dog if it's not marked well...Could that be the problem? I've seen dogs pass over them and struggle to find them, this experts attribute to the Woodcock not giving off much scent when wounded and sitting on eggs. A kind of survival mechanism kicks in.

 

iv had dogs that id almost bet on it finding a dead or running bird, might not have won trials, far from it but it is a good game finder... the very same dog iv watched a couple of time stand on a dead w, cock and snipe and not pick up the scent i also shot at a spanial trial, first bird up was a w, cock.. it dropped stone dead 35 yards out, i marked it bang on, 3 owners were brought up to have a run with there dogs, none found it.. judges walked to the tree stump id marked it at, and there it was.....not sure about 2 of them but one guy is one of the best in the country.....

[Guest davieboy]

I was always told,whilst training a gsp,to start them retrieving corvids ie magpies,rooks,crows etc.If they pick these regular you will have no problems with woodcock.

 

my dog would not pick up any feather at first until i started training her underneath a roukery, all the birds you find on the floor is an excellant tool for bringing them onto birds, as they can still move i found it was also very useful for the Stop whistle, so no she has no probs with any of the corvids and regulary brings them to hand alive, so with a bit of luck she should be fine with everything else