Why Woodie-n’t You?

Most of us hunting dog owners think our dogs are the greatest things since sliced bread. We’re the soccer moms of the hunting community. The truth of the matter is 90% of hunting dogs are decent, at best; this is especially true in the duck hunting. It’s not the dog’s fault either – it’s us, the handlers.

We don’t look from an outside lens. The standard colloquialism in the duck hunting tribe: “I’ve got a great a duck dog. He’s pretty good with pheasants too when we’ve gone to the Dakotas.” Upon hearing this, I just think to myself: so he’s pretty good with pheasants in the thick stuff (cattails, hedgerows, etc.), but why is he good for nothing at finding crippled ducks that bury themselves in the exact, same cover?

I imagine if I actually asked this out loud, the conversation would go South as quick as a blue-winged teal even feels a semblance of an autumn chill. My hope would be that the conversation would be like the following conversation (or better!):

“Oh what are you talking about? He’s found some this past season. And it’s a cripple, we’re talking about here…those things are long gone…besides, they’re food for the foxes and eagles.”

(what a note of consolation at the end…anyway, back to the convo)

So if foxes and eagles can find them, why can’t your dog?

“Look, just the other day my dog made a 200 yard retrieve on the water.”

That’s, great! You should be proud of your dog, BUT what about all those cripples? It doesn’t make sense; your dog shouldn’t have a problem finding them in similar cover he finds pheasants. Am I wrong?

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Please hear me out.

First off, we, as hunters, have a moral obligation to give fair chase to every animal we down. Why then is it okay to easily shrug off cripples that go into thick cover? We owe it them.

Further, you owe it to your dog. They’ll get the same praise from you – just like the time when they made that 200 yard retrieve on the water. Which only encourages them even more to hit the thick stuff even harder the next time – there’s a reward!

Call it hypothesizing, but there’s a truth to be heard: when a dog is exposed to a certain type of cover they may familiarize the scent of it with the game they’re scenting out; if a dog has been exposed to pheasants in cattails, it may have learned that a “Good boy” is when they sniff out and retrieve a pheasant – meanwhile, not giving two sniffs to a duck because a “Good boy” for a duck is when it’s retrieved on the water or cut corn field. Essentially there could be a disconnect.

The connection can be made through exposure.

If it’s hunting season for you, the best form of exposure you can provide for your dog is through pass shooting on land. Look to add a couple of these hunts to your schedule for some needed change. My old man and I have been fortunate to pass shoot a wood duck roost for the past few years with our dogs. It has made a world of difference because it has a perfect diversity of thick cover: we hunker down in tall grass with the dogs, behind us are woods, and in front of us are cattails.

As the birds pass, they’ll fall in each type of cover – given their flight path, how fast they’re going and how long it takes / how many shots fired before a bird is dropped. Thereby giving opportunity for the pups to associate birds in all three types of cover.

After one or two hunts, your four-legged companion will get their reps in – pending you being able to drop some. If you do, be sure to put a good mark on the bird(s) that fall before pulling up on more flying overhead. Birds don’t stray too far from where they land if there is cover for them to hide in.

You want to set your dog up for success, so putting them on the exact area it falls is the best option to do such. When you bring your dog over to the marked fall, position your dog downwind of the bird, if possible. It’s a cardinal sin not to and I can’t count how many hunters just go in with their dogs without thinking that through. It’s those same hunters that were the big pheasant hunters mentioned before and the ones I wonder if they even know how critical wind plays into hunting pheasants: hunt into the wind for the dog’s sake and, secondly, because pheasants generally fly with the wind. Just my two cents, but now I’m digressing…

So what if you don’t have that ideal pass shooting spot? No problem! If you’re in the Mississippi or Atlantic Flyway, you’re in luck. There’s another migratory “woodie” you can hunt: the American Woodcock. Before snarling your nose at me, hear me out.

They are an absolute hoot to hunt. They’re the reason why my girl, after a catastrophic encounter when she was a pup, has turned the corner on becoming a solid duck dog too. “Yeah, but woodcock eat worms. That’s gross!”

Know what else eats worms? All those bluegill you caught this past spring on their spawning beds. I didn’t see you complaining after your fourth plate of filleted, fried gluttony. While I’m at it, those jumbos (perch) and crapps (crappies) eat maggots! Walleyes eat leeches for Pete’s sake. Turn your eyes to birds of a feather. The most highly coveted upland game for the table, the ruffed grouse, is found in the same cover. The first one I ever shot in my life had a garter snake it its crop! It was the best tasting bird I’ve ever had.

Pluck a woodcock and put it against your favorite duck species on the spit and see which one tastes better. I’ll put $100 down that the woodcock will taste better.

That’s what I told my “duck-hunting-or-nothing” buddy during the annual “Waterfowl Weekend” that he hosts for a handful of his friends and family. In years past, we hunted all day for 3-4 days straight. Normally the birds are flying in the mornings and loaf the rest of the day. I believe we’ve only shot one bird out of the 5 Waterfowl Weekends I’ve attended over the years during the afternoon hunts, and that was during the middle of a migration – sadly, we just were in a bad location.

Getting to bad, last year’s Waterfowl Weekend was atrocious. We were in between migrations. The dogs were getting restless. We were too; after the second, full day of hunting without seeing a single bird in the two different counties we hunted, I asked my buddy if we could change up our afternoon activity for the third day.

Instead of hitting the water, I suggested hitting the woods. It’ll give opportunity for all of us (dogs included) to at least get a change of scenery, do a little walking where the leaves were dropping, and maybe put some meat on the table.

My “duck-hunting-or-nothing” buddy graciously relented. When the time came, we limited out in twenty minutes. His grin said it all when we rallied up before walking back to the truck.

“I don’t know why I haven’t done that before, but you got me hooked for life. It took a couple birds to get used to shooting in thick cover, but I think it helped me to key in on the bird and not worry about the cover around me…It’s good for Leo (his 2 year old chessie) too – bird diversity in different cover only helps!”

So it not only helped him change perspectives on shooting better through cover (as this sometimes can be the case when hunting out of a duck blind), but it also benefitted his dog. Win, win!

They also have a little oily, funky taste – just like our beloved waterfowl. And, their breasts are red meat – surprisingly enough – something I’d bet our pups may be able scent as well. I could be stretching it on that, but who knows (considering their olfactory acumen). The similarities can help your dog associate that oily, funky smell to woods, bogs, tall grass, creek beds, and edges of cattails – where woodcock tend to reside. This, in turn, can help to turn on the proverbial light bulb upstairs in their noggins. They’ll be versed to associate that smell to various cover.

What if you don’t have woodcock in your area? Try to walk for snipe after a duck hunt, or if your state permits it, have a blind mate paddle around close to shore with your boat and see if you can jump any.

Another great option is getting into some dove shoots, if your state allows it. Typically you’ll be setting up on tree lines, so you’ll probably be getting some thick cover for your dog to work in. Dove shoots provide the bonus for reinforcing steadiness prior to the season.

And if you’re reading this in the offseason, then you’re in luck! You’ll have the opportunity to get in some offseason reps, then some dove hunting, and then on to the real show when the waterfowl season begins. But, first, let’s get into training.

Hopefully you have saved a duck wing or, better yet, freeze a small to medium sized duck, such as a teal, bufflehead or wood duck. If not, contact a local retriever club – they should have someone that could provide you one.

Start first with your mindset. Always put your dog in situations to succeed, especially when they’re learning something new. Challenging a dog has its time and place, but not at this point.

First, place the wing or bird on the edge of the cattails or tall, thick grass and have your dog retrieve it. Then slowly progress further into the cattails/thick grass by 3 foot intervals on a straight line. This helps keep the scent localized so the dog can find it easier. Think of it like a blood trail with deer; each spot you drop it will retain its indication that a bird was there. Your dog will then be encouraged to go deeper into the cover.

Remember to never just throw it in the cover as we’re not training the dog to mark the bird, but to scent the bird. In addition, it’ll give you the chance to bury the bird under cover, once your dog progresses successfully along.

That’s what it’s all about. Success is the greatest tool in the dog trainer’s tool box. Exposing your dog to success in various cover only makes them better.

I’ll be the first to say that my dog does not have the best nose. In fact, I be willing to say that your dog probably has a better one than hers. Remember earlier where the conversation was about finding cripples?

Well, my pup had a 95% success rate last season at finding crippled waterfowl. Since your dog has a better nose than mine, this translates to you and your pooch having an even higher percentage of success! In turn, you’ll have more meat in the freezer. Plus, who wouldn’t want to add more fond memories with our best friend? There’s something to be said about seeing your dog come out of the gnarly stuff with a bird you downed; if you have even the faintest of pulse, it’ll give you goosebumps.

Versatility is the name of the game. Think outside the box for a change. Quit being a soccer mom!