# Dogs/hunting waterfowl in the field



## Bucky Goldstein (Jun 23, 2007)

FOCUS:What does everyone do with their dog while hunting ducks and geese in the field? IE: hide them in a dog blind, hide in your own blind, have them lay down parallel with blind...etc.

We usually just leave the dogs home when we hunt fields. We really want to start using them in the field, especially for snows and blues.

I see a lot of dog blind usage in videos, but my own perception alongside a lot of comments I read and hear come to the conclusion that most of the dog blinds have much too high of a profile. I also see a lot of people just basically letting them run loose, breaking whenever they want and it seems it has no effect on the birds. I would not let that happen, because of safety concerns; but it makes me wonder just how wary birds are when they see dog movement in a spread.

So what do you guys do?


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## Goosehunterdog (Jun 12, 2005)

I have used a Mutt Hutt but I mainly make the dog lay beside me in cover whilee field hunting.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

I do nothing...just keep them laying behind the blind...


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

For years i let them lay beside me. But then my new dog likes to creep up and sit at the foot of my ground blind. SO this year I bought him a mutt hutt.

THe reasoning why is because I don't what him at the foot of my blind. The precussion from the shooting could do some damage to his ears. This way he will now where he is supposed to be. Also I hope it keeps him from creeping when the birds are coming in.

Good luck.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

i agree, the hut is more like a kennel and if you have the command to kennel and stay in effect, you can position him out of the vicinity of the muzzle blast which is very important, plus you do want your dog to fetch only on command, right?


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## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

I have used one of the larger goose field shells as a dog blind for the past 15 years or so. It has worked for 2 Labs and I plan to train my newest Lab for this season. Basically, you command the dog to lay down; position the shell over the dog, with dog able to look out from under the tail of the shell; and command the dog to "stay". Usually I will position the dog next to my lay-down field blind, with the dog able to look toward the direction that most of the birds will be coming from. This way I can quietly steady the dog as the birds are decoying in. The dog is well hid and I don't have one more piece of specialized equipment to own or think about. This has worked well for me.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I use dog blinds, both the Finisher and GHG Ground Force. Both are good blinds.

The dog needs to be trained to hunt out of the blind well before season. I (and everyone else I know) teach this as an extension of the "kennel" command. The dog is required to hold steady and motionless in the blind until sent on a retrieve, then return to it upon the kennel command.

Once the dog makes the connection between the blind and retrieves, it will practically set it up itself when you go hunting.

I position the blind about 5 feet to the left of my blind (close enough for quiet voice commands but a bit away from the shotgun), with the opening even with my head or slighty behind, so as to keep the dog behind the muzzle of my shotgun. I generally position myself on the far left of other blinds (the dog blind is the last blind in the line on the left side) so the dog isn't stuck between the muzzle blast of two shotguns.

I also teach my dogs to remote lay (an extension of the remote/whistle sit), in case they get caught away from the blind with birds coming in.
Doesn't happen often but when it does, this little training task pays off.

I couldn't imagine going back to field hunting w/o a dog...


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## Goosehunterdog (Jun 12, 2005)

NDTerminator said:


> I couldn't imagine going back to field hunting w/o a dog...


Right On!!!! :beer: I would be lost in the field without a dog!! There have been large debates on forums where people say they wouldn't have a dog in the field for nothing but with a well trained dog working in the field waterfowl hunting is priceless!!!


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## Bucky Goldstein (Jun 23, 2007)

> NDTerminator wrote:
> I couldn't imagine going back to field hunting w/o a dog...
> 
> Right On!!!! I would be lost in the field without a dog!! There have been large debates on forums where people say they wouldn't have a dog in the field for nothing but with a well trained dog working in the field waterfowl hunting is priceless!!!


That is how I want it to be. Why have a nice dog if you are going to leave him in the truck. I feel sorry for the fella when he has to sit in the kennel in the pickup and hear gunfire.

NDTerminator, it seems for you the pros of having a dog blind outweigh the cons. Have you experienced that you don't have a problem with the blind being too high of a profile? I am guessing there are times where you just have him lay by your side?

I see so many videos where dogs are almost running free:




Those pups are not steady. I am not criticizing the video people, but I wouldn't want my dog in the line of that many guns. The main thing though is the dogs out in the open don't seem to flair birds.

I am also considering the idea of using a shell blind like others have mentioned. Something constructed of a mag shell for both dark and light geese.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

that is an entertaining video. Definately want your dog more steady then that, although the part at the end where it caught one was really cool.


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## Tracker21 (Jul 9, 2007)

I have a small lab (66 pounds) she lays on me in the lay out blind with her head on my chest. Keeps you nice and warm on the cold days. Only disadvantages are most are blind retrieves.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

As you can see lots of guys hunt their dogs exposed beside them. It works just fine, the key is the dog needs to be still when birds are working. I've had a good number of times when I've had my oldest dog coming in from a retrieve and remote laid her in the spread when other birds approached and committed. It's very rare that I have her lay beside me, as it only takes her a split second to dive into her blind if she's that close.

I like the blind because it hides any little movement the dog might make, and it gives it a positive place it knows it belongs. They quickly come to understand that if they lay quietly in the blind, it ultimately leads to shooting and birds to retrieve.

My oldest dog Josie is simply comical about this. She can hardly contain herself while I'm setting up her blind and just dives in when it's up. I can hardly get her out to drink or go potty during a hunt, and she can't get back in fast enough. She doesn't want to be touched or petted when hunting as she's too busy looking for and marking birds.

I grass my blinds then fill in with whatever stubble is in the field we're hunting, and don't have any problem hiding them...


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## ND decoy (Feb 1, 2003)

My lab has always just laid on the ground on my left side. I do put down some camo blanket but that is more for warmth and trying to keep him out of the mud than any thing else. He starts out the morning being covered up in it but always ends up making more of a nest out of it.

Having a dog that will stay steady is a must for the birds, but also because it can be deadly if you have a dog that breaks and jumps in front of a gun. Also getting a dog to lay down in the middle of a retrieve is a must. It seems to happen at least once a trip that the dogs are making a retrieve and more birds show up.

The only waterfowl hunting that I do in done in fields and we really don't need a dog for it but it sure makes it more fun. I don't hunt my dog as much in the late season when it gets cold as that's when we have seen most of the injuries to the dogs.


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