Any unwanted shot birds etc?

mrs.machine

Hi, it's my first post on here so i should tell you a bit about myself. I'm interested in many forms of hunting. I have done a little bit of shooting in the past with a rifle and shotgun and am interested in taking it up again next year when I can afford it.
I have a pup that I am teaching to retrieve. I'm hoping to spend the Summer teaching him as much as I can so that he is ready for next season. He is retrieving a dummy nicely and I think he's ready to move on to wings and dead game. I have a couple of pheasant wings in the freezer to be moving on with but I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me any unwanted birds they shoot, crows, magpies etc please so that I could progress from dummies? I wouldn't expect to be given a pigeon but I'd be very grateful for some wings. I could collect them in Co. Cork. Thanks very much .

jwshooter

mrs.machine wrote: »

Hi, it's my first post on here so i should tell you a bit about myself. I'm interested in many forms of hunting. I have done a little bit of shooting in the past with a rifle and shotgun and am interested in taking it up again next year when I can afford it.
I have a pup that I am teaching to retrieve. I'm hoping to spend the Summer teaching him as much as I can so that he is ready for next season. He is retrieving a dummy nicely and I think he's ready to move on to wings and dead game. I have a couple of pheasant wings in the freezer to be moving on with but I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me any unwanted birds they shoot, crows, magpies etc please so that I could progress from dummies? I wouldn't expect to be given a pigeon but I'd be very grateful for some wings. I could collect them in Co. Cork. Thanks very much .[/QU

what dog do you have , a cured rabbit skin will work as well if not better that feathers for a young dog .

pigeon is not a good bird to start a pup on .i do like a teal myself ,its not to big for the pup to carry .

mrs.machine

Hi, I did think about buying a rabbit skin dummy but then I thought about it and it seems that all the rabbit scent would be gone from it by the time it goes through all the processing and distribution etc. and finally gets to me. I could cure one myself but the only way I have of getting hold of rabbits is ferreting but I don't ferret at this time of year. I'll ferret him a rabbit in September though.
I can only dream about getting a Teal, but it sounds ideal.

I was going to use the pigeon wings frozen at first. I have it in my head that this makes the feathers tighter but I could be wrong.
I started my old dog with pheasant wings and then moved onto jackdaw wings, then whole jackdaws, then rooks, then whole pheasants and finally pigeon. I was hoping to do roughly the same with the pup.

The pup is a lurcher. I'm going to use him for lamping rabbits as well as retrieving shot game.

jwshooter

mrs.machine wrote: »

Hi, I did think about buying a rabbit skin dummy but then I thought about it and it seems that all the rabbit scent would be gone from it by the time it goes through all the processing and distribution etc. and finally gets to me. I could cure one myself but the only way I have of getting hold of rabbits is ferreting but I don't ferret at this time of year. I'll ferret him a rabbit in September though.
I can only dream about getting a Teal, but it sounds ideal.

I was going to use the pigeon wings frozen at first. I have it in my head that this makes the feathers tighter but I could be wrong.
I started my old dog with pheasant wings and then moved onto jackdaw wings, then whole jackdaws, then rooks, then whole pheasants and finally pigeon. I was hoping to do roughly the same with the pup.

The pup is a lurcher. I'm going to use him for lamping rabbits as well as retrieving shot game.

with my wire hair ,i hurl a slitter into the wood for her ,she will spend as long as it takes to fined it as long as she sees it going .i have never had a dog like her .
she loves rugby as the ball will bounce any direction ,get your pup retrieving tennis balls and slowly work up .

lurchers are clever like the gwp and will not do a repetitive thing if its not enjoyable for them

mrs.machine

jwshooter wrote: »

with my wire hair ,i hurl a slitter into the wood for her ,she will spend as long as it takes to fined it as long as she sees it going .i have never had a dog like her .
she loves rugby as the ball will bounce any direction ,get your pup retrieving tennis balls and slowly work up .

lurchers are clever like the gwp and will not do a repetitive thing if its not enjoyable for them

Wirehairs are great. I had a GSP who was very determined too. He was a bit too ball mad though and burst footballs by the trailer load!

I totally agree with you on the repetitive retrieves. I only give him a couple of retrieves a day and then not every day. I change the location and hide it in grass for him to use his nose. I started him on a little ball, then a soft toy and now he's used to the dummy.
I like your sliotar trick. My fella is not good enough for that yet though.