Need a few live rabbits or birds(Also working Springer spaniel)

wexgun

Hi all.
Can anyone point me in the right direction to locating and buying live rabbits or birds to give to my Springer pup to chase and train with. Also is there anyone out there selling a part-trained or fully trained working Springer (dog or bitch). Willing to travel any distance for the right dog. Any help appreciated

Vegeta

hunting game birds at this time of year is not a good idea as the birds are very young and with this sh1t weather they have a tough time as it is.

I'd stick with the rabbits but would leave it off a few months to be honest, how old is the dog?

wexgun

I know not to hunt birds at this time of year. I want to show the birds to the dog and treat him every time he sees one and get him excited and barking. Also to hide them around the fields and let him find them himself by the scent. Same idea for the rabbits. I also have 2 setter pups who I want to steady on game and flush on command. Pups are 10 months old

Vegeta

I am unsure as to the legality of trading and transporting wild animals. Anyone save me the bother of having to look at the act?

Simply put I am not 100% sure what you are looking for.

Capturing and bringing live wild rabbits and birds and releasing them in a field near you, to my recollection, is illegal so no one can really advise you there. I could be wrong on this point but I'll bet on the side of caution for now.

Buying farmed/reared (not wild) animals, taking good care of them and using their scent to train dogs is something I've seen before but the easiest solution is just bring the dogs to some area with the animals there already.

So are you just looking for some farmed game birds?

whitser

just bring the springer to a field with cover and rabbits and he'll start hunting. i havent met a springer yet that didnt love hunting rabbits. take him in the late evening as its getting dark and he'll learn to use his nose quickly, also once he gets follows one into cover that'll it you wont be able to stop him.

stevoman

whitser wrote: »

just bring the springer to a field with cover and rabbits and he'll start hunting. i havent met a springer yet that didnt love hunting rabbits. take him in the late evening as its getting dark and he'll learn to use his nose quickly, also once he gets follows one into cover that'll it you wont be able to stop him.

agreed. i have toyed with the idea of buying a pheasent to try train my setter to, but a dogs nose is a dogs nose by instinct and the best way is to just keep running them like everyone else. plus its not fair on the quarry to take them from their habitat. i guess you'l just have to do like the rest of us and just let the dog do the hunting. id leave off pheasents for a while and give the wild clutches a chance to grow. when they start cutting corn, then thats the time to start locating your clutches for the season.

whitser

its a very american way of training dogs,especially setters and pointers. they use caged quail out in a field and let the young dog point them. i dont see the point,its not real. the best way for a dog to learn is real experiance. if you take a dog to good fields where he'll meet game then nature should do the rest. hunting dogs cant help themselves from hunting,its easier for them to hunt then not to hunt.

stevoman

whitser wrote: »

hunting dogs cant help themselves from hunting,its easier for them to hunt then not to hunt.

espeically if they are from a good line from rough shooting dog, then it should be in them regardless. (says me hoping to good thats a decent setter i have )

mallards

Pigeons are an option too.

Mallards.

jwshooter

mallards wrote: »

Pigeons are an option too.

Mallards.

yes mallards, the homing pigeon is favoured by many top trainers they use spring loaded traps to release the birds ,but it is mostly used on pointing dogs for steadiness. i would say wexgun is thinking of a rabbit pen this is more common for springers pet rabbits work best for this excercise as there less jumpie . the idea is not to let the dog run after the game buy the way .with most springers it the brakes the that are lacking more so than drive .guy wallace trains dogs for deer work in the same way he keeps muntjac in a pen ,to train for steadiness .at the puppy stage any meeting with game has to be controlled. a pup running wild after game will not do it any good . my pup is 15 months now she is pointing deer and sitting when she see them most of the time never is she allowed to hunt them .

mallards

True but I seen them used effectively on springers. Idea is you lead the dog to the bird in the trap. Then you or an assistant pulls the trap when the dog winds the bird and moves in on it. The idea being the dog thinks that where you guide him there will be game. This will help the dog work in close to you and not flush game half a mile in front.


Mallards.

wexgun

Mallards has the idea. The dog is to learn to look for my command to go in or to flush the game and not charge in without giving me a chance to get in position with the gun

whitser

if its steadiness you wont to work on rather then just getting the dog hunting try and get out with a ferretter and bring the dogs along. rabbits bolting is great for steadiness,but make sure you have a long lead attached bolting rabbits will test any springer, imo.
by the way my springer is a great hunter but he aint steady. im not sure if there is any rabbit pens around any more i heard they were banned,but i could be wrong.