springers on foxes

stevoman

well folks. just wondering about hunting foxes over springer spaniels. my bitch is 10 months old and i have shot birds over her in the last month of the season and she hunting and on the whistle. im still in training of course as regards retreiving from water and getting her like a robot on the whistle so to speak.

but i was wondering as this is my first springer spaniel, would it be crazy to have her out in cover after foxes during the off season. should i be encouraging her to hunt foxes and if so will it take away from her instict to hunt up pheasents, rabbits and woodcock?

id would just like to hear people views on this.

thanks.

deeksofdoom

stevoman wrote: »

well folks. just wondering about hunting foxes over springer spaniels. my bitch is 10 months old and i have shot birds over her in the last month of the season and she hunting and on the whistle. im still in training of course as regards retreiving from water and getting her like a robot on the whistle so to speak.

but i was wondering as this is my first springer spaniel, would it be crazy to have her out in cover after foxes during the off season. should i be encouraging her to hunt foxes and if so will it take away from her instict to hunt up pheasents, rabbits and woodcock?

id would just like to hear people views on this.

thanks.

If she'll hunt rabbits for you then she'll hunt foxes. Rabbits are great for a young springer they'll bust down ditches and wil push everything out of them including foxes.

EPointer=Birdss

Agreed,

We hunt big double ditches with Springers for foxes & they drive everything off it. Once they're hunting cover i think they'll anything.

Depends what you wanna do with your Springer, if it's just roughshooting a good all rounder is what you want.
If trialling might be better kept away from em...

stevoman

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Agreed,

We hunt big double ditches with Springers for foxes & they drive everything off it. Once they're hunting cover i think they'll anything.

Depends what you wanna do with your Springer, if it's just roughshooting a good all rounder is what you want.
If trialling might be better kept away from em...

my ideal dog is a rough shooter that will hunt anything with pure enthusiasm. retreive land and water and will stop and return on the whistle. im getting there and im giving her tonnes of work and we have clicked which always helps with a dog.

i'l keep at her and hunting in cover with her. would getting into groves to hunt with her be recommended or does it matter.

EPointer=Birdss

Groves are always a good spot for a pheasant & woodcock so no harm to introduce her...
Get her on the rabbits though to encourage the enthusiasm for cover whiles she's young...

deeksofdoom

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

If trialling might be better kept away from em...

Even triallers will use rabbits to bring out the hunting instinct in a dog.

Antoennis

stevoman wrote: »

well folks. just wondering about hunting foxes over springer spaniels. my bitch is 10 months old and i have shot birds over her in the last month of the season and she hunting and on the whistle. im still in training of course as regards retreiving from water and getting her like a robot on the whistle so to speak.

but i was wondering as this is my first springer spaniel, would it be crazy to have her out in cover after foxes during the off season. should i be encouraging her to hunt foxes and if so will it take away from her instict to hunt up pheasents, rabbits and woodcock?

id would just like to hear people views on this.

thanks.

If you let the dog off after foxs will it not run on after pheasents or deer in a forest? I suppose its down to trainning!:)

EPointer=Birdss

deeksofdoom wrote: »

Even triallers will use rabbits to bring out the hunting instinct in a dog.

I was on about foxes! I personnnaly think you can't make a good Springer without rabbits...

stevoman

yeh im going to get her going on rabbits before i start with the foxes etc. she has been good in cover on woodcock so far for me.

i feel kind of odd walking around with a dog and gun now at the moment as i wouldnt want people to think i was after birds with the season just finished.

EPointer=Birdss

stevoman wrote: »

yeh im going to get her going on rabbits before i start with the foxes etc. she has been good in cover on woodcock so far for me.

i feel kind of odd walking around with a dog and gun now at the moment as i wouldnt want people to think i was after birds with the season just finished.

Don't worry about gawkers. Half em wouldn't know what you were doing let alone, what's in season & what's not.

stevoman

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Don't worry about gawkers. Half em wouldn't know what you were doing let alone, what's in season & what's not.

very true:)

i'l organise myself an hour out in a couple of fields i kno that hold a bit of cover and a few rabbits and see how she gets on.


do you stop your dog on a flush or anything as at the moment if she flushes snipe she tends to want to chase them although at 10 months old i kind of put it down to excitment and inmaturity.

Donalmit

Hi Stevoman,

Springers are excellent fox hunters as they hit cover hard and are fearless in pursuit of any game. A necessity also though is that they bark when following a hot scent trail. This is a major requirement as they will often be hunting 100s of yards ahead of the beaters and the standing guns will be warned ahead of time that a fox is on its way. From a pheasant/woodcock hunting point of view this leads to at least two problems, firstly this same dog will make noise when tracking a running pheasant/rabbit etc (may not be a big issue), and secondly, because it has gotten used to hunting at will at far off ranges, you may have a job at getting him to hunt within gun range for other game birds. Alot is down to your good self. If you can give the time to re-train him for the pheasant season and get him back under control then "give it a go"....BUTTTT ALLLLLL Springers are chancers by nature and if you give him an inch, he will try to steal a yard. As EP said earlier, rabbits are great training for springers; it increases their hunting drive, but it also allows you to catch him up if he does something amiss. That will be next to impossible to do (and can be a bit risky with more than 2 lads shooting) in the middle of a fox drive. From what you have posted in the past you are bringing him on nicely and getting him working where you want him to. If you continue with this progress you will have a really good dog for next season. As they say on some TV show..."The decision is YOURS"...

Mitch

EPointer=Birdss

stevoman wrote: »

very true:)

i'l organise myself an hour out in a couple of fields i kno that hold a bit of cover and a few rabbits and see how she gets on.


do you stop your dog on a flush or anything as at the moment if she flushes snipe she tends to want to chase them although at 10 months old i kind of put it down to excitment and inmaturity.

I let him off to hell to get the prey drive going... I'm gonna work on all that this off season. Start with Dummys & steady him to shot. I like a mad springer that will hunt flush come back & retrieve...

homerhop

Anyone ever have a Springer that would refuse to go into cover if there was a fox in it? The last dog I had would come out of cover if there was a fox laying low in it and god nor man would not get him back into it till the fox had bolted.

greenpeter

Stevo i would have the springer rock steady before i take him on or near a fox hunt, a fox will run unless pined and you don't want your young springer thinking its good fun to chase,
trust me it is easier to try get a young springer to hunt than to take the chase out of them.
Another thing to consider is that if your dog catches up with a fox it will not be a pretty site and this could encourage him to pluck and skin your birds and all they will be fit for is toast.
My young springer got a bad doing end of season from a fox, a very large gash across his muzzle but he did come out the better of the battle.
Just my opinion.

irish setter

greenpeter wrote: »

Stevo i would have the springer rock steady before i take him on or near a fox hunt, a fox will run unless pined and you don't want your young springer thinking its good fun to chase,
trust me it is easier to try get a young springer to hunt than to take the chase out of them.
Another thing to consider is that if your dog catches up with a fox it will not be a pretty site and this could encourage him to pluck and skin your birds and all they will be fit for is toast.
My young springer got a bad doing end of season from a fox, a very large gash across his muzzle but he did come out the better of the battle.
Just my opinion.

+1. also if your intending to run your springer with your setter i'd be concentrating on getting him under total control in the off season especially working on the drop

stevoman

well i think i might not get too out of hand so and get the rabbit hunting sorted first. i have years to hunt over her anyways please god so i may aswell take my time with her and do it right so.