Carrying anything new in bird vest based on field experience?

[chemist]

I carried absolutely nothing new this past year...in fact my stuff is all boringly, reliably old...including me.

One thing I'd recommend folks consider is the possibility of having to haul your dog out. I've seen a couple vest makers and stand alone products touted to haul out dogs but I would never recommend doing it the way they propose...unless the dog is already, unfortunately dead. I recommend fully carrying the dog in your bird bag if able to fully support their body weight and immobilize any broken/injured limbs. I packed a dog a few miles with a broken femur by carefully placing him in the bird bag, putting the vest on backwards, having my buddy buckle up the back and hauled the dog out fully confined. All that stuck out was his head. He stayed that way inside the vest, buckled into the back seat, for the two hours drive to the vet then I just hauled him right into and onto the vet table still confined/immobilized inside the bird bag. Strapping one to your back with webbing or such then suspending by their body weight would just be torture and/or worse.
This dog wasn't quite wanting to play dead or injured but you get the idea. If I had buckled the belt behind me she would have been much more confined.

How much does the dog in that picture weigh? I could see that as a good solution for my female but am unconvinced that I could do that with my male.

 

[Public Land Drew]

New in my vest this year:

• Honey Packets
• Extra Gloves
• Wire Cutters

 

[wyroberts]

After nearly having to sacrifice a shirt sleeve, TP.

I added a roll of 3M medical tape and a better variety of gauze pad sizes to my dog first aid kit after a buddy sliced his hand on shale. Had stuff to patch him up, but wanted it more human-friendly while still being items to use on a dog.

 

[dgfavor]

How much does the dog in that picture weigh? I could see that as a good solution for my female but am unconvinced that I could do that with my male.

That dog is usually around 42-43lbs in hunting shape. It really depends of course on which vest you are using what you can ultimately haul. I could easily haul a 60lb dog in my vest - it's a "Bagmaker"/Initial Attack Owhyee Chukar vest. The game bag is massive and wraps you whole body vs just being a bag hanging off your back. It also opens up very wide so you can lay and carefully injured/I'll dog down into it then close it up around them.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

If I'm in sandbur county and booting my dog I carry 2 spare boots, an extra roll of vet wrap and small roll of 1" wide duct tape. Most everything else is standard stuff already covered.