Field Trials

[Southpaw]

Awesome. Big believer in steady to wing and shot trained dogs. Grew up with Setters and Brittanies hunting wild quail and grouse so was never an issue with dogs chasing we did not need to train to hold they just did it. They knew chasing birds was a waste of time and they were more interesting in pointing and retrieving and we reinforced that
partnership more. Our dogs might not win a field trial for precision but they would find and knew how to hold birds better than most and I have seen some dang good dogs.

Have been to many of the quail shooting preserves and it is fun but almost heartbreaking knowing the difference between wild birds and put out birds and really good hunting dogs. Also being dog poor right now and hunting behind plantation dogs is not even the same experience seeing good dog work that are accustomed to wild birds. I love some of these plantation dog handlers giving speeches about not shooting their dogs and if you do its a $5,000 fine. Most of those are not worth even half that much. They also don't train them to be steady and they are leaping and chasing every flush and handlers were not even trying to keep them from doing it. Its almost like they hope you shoot their dogs so they can get a big pay day.

[C.O.B.]

Todd your plantation experiences are very much different than mine. I have experienced nothing but excellent dog work with well trained pointers. Some guides will use a flusher to bust the covey and retrieve but ALL the pointers I have hunted with retrieved birds and were steady to wing and shot.

Maybe you need to hunt some better places and IF you or anyone shot my dog it would be much, much more than a measly $5K.