Pigeon launchers

Wolfhillbilly

Just wondering has any of the pointer/setter men used pigeon/quail launchers when training their dogs. I am training a pup at the minute and there isn't enough game about - the hill where i run the dogs usually has a fair amont of snipe on it but this year it is hopeless.
I started the pup on quail but they are limited as they tend to get caught up in the heather and don't break cover - which is where I intend to use the launchers.
Anyone any experience of them?

stevoman

how old is the setter? mine is a year and a half old and she still isnt 100% steady. i takes a lot of time for a setter to come along. years in some cases. just keep running the dog and let it hunt at its own pace. you need a lot of patience with a setter so you do. an awful lot!!!!!!! in my opinion those launchers are for crazy americans.

Wolfhillbilly

stevoman, the setter will be two at the end of February. She is only starting to get an idea about hunting now but the problem I have is that there just isn't enough game for her to find. I hate running dogs over ground that there is very little on.
In previous years it seems to me that there were a lot more snipe about which is what I have trained previous dogs on. I had her out shooting on Saturday and she had a fine point on a pheasant which was then shot over her. She is hunting well, seems to have a decent enough nose but just needs to put everything together. Practice wil make her - like any dog - but some I am part of a small shoot and some weeks she may only get one or two chances on game for the whole day.
My reason for using the launchers was to get her steady to wing and also to stop her chasing. I have them ordered anyway so I'll see how useful they are then.
I have seen them used in videos (Derry Argue, Tom Brechney) and Brechney in particular used them alot. Derry Argue preferred to use dizzied pigeons and also bobtail quail. The quail I have do not break cover in the same way as the ones on his video though.

patrickdt10

stevoman wrote: »

how old is the setter? mine is a year and a half old and she still isnt 100% steady. i takes a lot of time for a setter to come along. years in some cases. just keep running the dog and let it hunt at its own pace. you need a lot of patience with a setter so you do. an awful lot!!!!!!! in my opinion those launchers are for crazy americans.

i cant say from experience or anything but my red setter(first dog), was 3 at the start of the seaon there, and truly hes only coming into his own now. big improvement on last year. steadyed up greatly, and setting solider!

on another note he had an off day yesterday! runnin and runnin, wouldnt wait, and then he decided he was deaf, so that ended a disastrous weekend!

stevoman

patrickdt10 wrote: »

i cant say from experience or anything but my red setter(first dog), was 3 at the start of the seaon there, and truly hes only coming into his own now. big improvement on last year. steadyed up greatly, and setting solider!

on another note he had an off day yesterday! runnin and runnin, wouldnt wait, and then he decided he was deaf, so that ended a disastrous weekend!

my setter is 19 months old and isnt holding set at really either so she isnt. she has come along on plenty of birds and there is nothing at all wrong with her nose but those dogs do take time. im taking on a springer for nexy year and im just going to keep the setter as a pet and an occasional shooting dog. training the springer this year will keep me busy and at least i have more versatility with my rough shooting including ducks and rabbits. you would really need alot of patience and i wouldnt ever recommend anyone taking on a setter or pointer upu as i first rough shooting dog. i would reccommmend buying a 3 or 4 year old and then taking on a pup as a dog to back up.

mallards

I have one wolfhillbilly. I rarely use it as my dogs are getting enough game over them. You are right though it is a handy tool. I load mine with a partridge. After the second or third flush they will set or point. I would say it would be a handy training tool for any breed to stop them running in to flush.

Mallards

Wolfhillbilly

I made a mistake with the last setter that I trained (which was ironically the first stter I had trained!) that onwe I got him to a certain standard i.e. he was finding and setting game, I started shooting over him and the training ceased. the result is that I have a seven year old dog that still chases after the flush. It was my own fault but I want to make sure that this pup is well indoctrinated before I take her out with the gun. I have been very restrained so far and have left the gun in the car when out shooting with her, leaving the shooting to my dad and my mate, but as I've said I would really need more game.
The setter pup (bitch) I am training now is taking a lot more time to come than the previous dog (now seven). he made his first point at nine months, but as I said once he got to a certain standard i set off with gun in hand and stopped the training.
As an aside - when you are training a pup, how long do you let it stay on point before sending it in to flush? The pup held point last week for at least 3-4 minutes, I then asked to her to put it out and she went in and worked the ground, putting the pheasant up five feet away from where she was pointing.
My mate maintains I should have left the dog holding point for as long as possible until the bird itself flushed and by sending the dog in, I am encourahging her to break point. Any views on this?

mallards

IMO horses for courses. My Brittanys are not as manic a pointer as my GSP so I hold the Brittanys longer on point. The GSP I nearly push on instantly. There is only one thing worse than a dog that flushes game all the time and thats a sticky pointer!

Mallards.

Wolfhillbilly

I agree there Mallards. My old GSP was the stickiest dog in the world. I had the pup out again on Saturday and she had a point on a cock bird which she held for about two minutes, then broke and put the bird up. I was blowing the whistle and shouting, which she duly ignored. One she had calmed down I brought her back to the spot where the bird rose from and got her to drop to the whistle and stay for a good five minutes.
I have a bit of hope in her making the grade though - as long as I don;t make a mess of it!!;)

sniper83

Wolfhillbilly wrote: »

I have seen them used in videos (Derry Argue, Tom Brechney) and Brechney in particular used them alot. Derry Argue preferred to use dizzied pigeons and also bobtail quail. The quail I have do not break cover in the same way as the ones on his video though.

that derry argue video is brillant!! never used them myself but was thinking of getting one, my 14 mth old pointer bitch still isnt pointing birds properly but has great potiential if i could only get her to steady up.. Ive decided to leave her at home for this season, shes not making the grade yet and no point letting her develop bad habits, plan to work her on pairs in the spring and broods in the summer;) hopefully she'll be good enough for the grade next season..