Brent
09-08-2003, 02:49 PM
I am going to be getting a puppy choc. lab soon hopefully and will be using it as a family pet and hunting dog.
I have read where alot of people use frozen ducks and pigeons for training, but i was wondering, since Dove season is in right now, could i freeze some of the doves i shoot and then later use them to train?
Annabelle'sMOM
09-08-2003, 04:08 PM
Brent,
I save a couple of doves and about 6 wings and put them into the freezer to start training my dog. They are smaller and easier for younger pups to pick up. I know there is a question about the small feathers from doves.
I will be interested to see what the experts have to say.
Brent
09-08-2003, 05:53 PM
We will have to see what the experts say i Guess.
I asked my dad and he said it seemed fine.
2thdoc
09-23-2003, 11:46 PM
I would stay away from pigeons, stick with game birds. Start with full wings, and then to full body birds. We had 5 month old labs doing water retrieves of 40 yards with frozen ducks. The dogs who never saw doves, would spit them cuz they were so small. Good to intro them to doves if you plan to hunt doves.
Kurt
Cappy_TX
09-24-2003, 11:59 AM
Kurt ... I'm shocked to hear you say that about pigeons especially if your are a Test/Trial guy or serious trainer for bird hunting. Every HRC in the nation that I know of use some pigeons for live flyers, and clipped wing pigeons almost exclusively for puppy live bird intros like this one ...
2thdoc
09-24-2003, 12:51 PM
Hey Jim,
I guess I just like to stick with birds I hunt. I know alot of guys who use pigeons, and We used them to train our shorthairs, but lately I have seen some dogs who started on pigeons give us grief with ducks. Maybe it is just those dogs.
One thing, pigeons are pretty cheap to use to shoot flyers, but ducks and pheasants can be bought cheap too.
No wrong way to do it, just different.
duckbagger
10-01-2003, 11:50 PM
I know the trainers in my area use pidgeons almost exclusively.
I think the philosophy that I am getting exposed to is that a dog should retrieve whatever it is sent after. Whether it is a pidgeon, duck, quail, pheasant, atomic war head, space shuttle scraps, ect.
If you got pidgeons and its time to train your pup, go for it!
Just my :2cents:
Good Luck!!