Pheasants from the boat

[WoodDuck]

I have a 9 month old lab and next year will be her first full season. I have high ambitions of getting her in front of as many ducks, grouse, and pheasants as I can.

One of my thoughts is to head to South Dakota with the boat in tow in search of unpressured pheasants. The idea is to use the boat to access spots along the Missouri River that are difficult to get to on foot. If we have time, I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch a few walleyes either.

Has anybody done this before? How did it go? Thinking October would be the best month for this, as November can get pretty cold.

 

[TSAMP]

That river can get plenty wide and very deep. Waves get huge and tackle is specialized to target fish down deep. I did the very thing you suggest and found I was under gunned in my 18ft mod V. Also found more roosters near the bar parking lots then remote pockets. I went in late Sept.

 

[Wrench]

Be careful breaking a young dog (especially a flushing breed) in on pheasants. They can about ruin a dog by running. If your dog hasn't got it pretty figured out, I'd put rootys at the back of my list.

 

[KurtR]

I live on oahe and you would be wasting your time. The land on the west side is mostly tribal and holds few pheasants and more grouse. On the east side is some core ground but not much for pheasants either and this year with low water none at all. By the third week of October it can get pretty western on the lake.

Wild birds can be tough on a young dog. Where are you in training and what program are you following.

 

[WoodDuck]

Training has been reward based, so far following the Dogbone Hunter puppy and foundation videos. Most training so far has been focused on the basics (sit, stay, heel, come when I call). I plan to start hold conditioning (his version of FF) in the next month or so, that way we are ready come springtime for some formal retrieving work.

I have shot 2 grouse and 3 pen raised pheasants over the dog so far. Might be jumping the gun a little but she hunts well.

Boat would be a 19’ aluminum deep V. I am familiar with rough water as we live near Green Bay and fish Lake Michigan.

I’ve done some looking at the map and see that most of the west shore is grassland, so that wouldn’t be the focus. Appreciate the insight so far.

 

[KurtR]

Training has been reward based, so far following the Dogbone Hunter puppy and foundation videos. Most training so far has been focused on the basics (sit, stay, heel, come when I call). I plan to start hold conditioning (his version of FF) in the next month or so, that way we are ready come springtime for some formal retrieving work.

I have shot 2 grouse and 3 pen raised pheasants over the dog so far. Might be jumping the gun a little but she hunts well.

Boat would be a 19’ aluminum deep V. I am familiar with rough water as we live near Green Bay and fish Lake Michigan.

I’ve done some looking at the map and see that most of the west shore is grassland, so that wouldn’t be the focus. Appreciate the insight so far.

it would better to just come after some snow as that would get birds to hold and most every one is gone. Beaching a boat can be tricky on lots of the lake and the boat ramps are out of the water by then so doing it solo is a real pain in the ass.

I listen to some of his podcast. While i follow a more traditional way ( freddy king and mike lardy) he has some good info and seems if you take a lot of time has some nice dogs.

 

[Wrench]

If you do choose to hunt wild rootys with a young lab, bring a check rope or paracord to keep the dog from running too far. It won't do it any good to get a collar burn....and you'll not get hoarse, perhaps even kill some birds.

I had one of the greatest pheasant labs to live and it took him a few years to learn to get ahead of the birds and block them.

 

[WoodDuck]

I do plan on hunting wild roosters with her next year. I will have access to pen raised birds spring and summer for training, so hopefully she will be ready. I would be curious what you guys would do given the situation.

Come September, we will be hunting early teal and mourning doves in Wisconsin. Toward the end of September will be wood ducks for the first two weeks of the Wisconsin duck opener.

October will be more focused on grouse in northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan, but I was considering taking one trip west toward the end of October (ND for ducks and pheasants, or SD/NE for pheasants). I have hunted SD for pheasants before, but all late season busting cattails. No experience with upland in ND or NE.

We will plan one more trip west for pheasants around thanksgiving and another between Christmas and New Years. Considering northwest IA for one of those.

Thoughts? I know it sounds ambitious, but I want to get her nose on as many birds as possible.

 

[Wrench]

Once she learns to hunt birds that don't run 1/2 mile at 20mph....she'll get the finesse figured out. Wild rootys are a bitch until the dog figures out how to work them.

After age 2, assuming they hunt well....it'll all come together nice. If you do hunt rootys, just bring a 50' piece of para cord to use as a check and expect to run.....alot.

 

[jmez]

The more wild birds she's exposed to the better.

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

 

[Moserkr]

Cast n blast!! Sounds epic. Ive done it before on oahe - its fun, and a workout. Pheasant numbers havent been great though where Ive been, so not sure what you will see. Just figure that if the water is too rough, you can always hunt public, ditches, or ask permission. Walleyes are plentiful too, Id say go for it! Just set pheasant expectations low. Grouse and partridge are possible too, and it just takes 1 pocket of pheasants to make your day. PM me if you’d like some intel.

 

[chad.vis]

Dont over think it. Come to Sd and hunt birds. Train for recall and collar condition before season and have fun. There is some public land N or S of Chaimberlain that will have birds the whole season if you get out and walk a ways. Enjoy!!

 

[voltage]

 

[KurtR]

At 9 months was my the first time I took my lab out but he was 100% on recall and collar conditioned. He is a naturally close worker and his whistle sit was on point so if a bird flushed i made him sit. Benefit of living here i know where birds are and where they will hold from past experience. Upland is kinda secondary for us as were are training for both our hrch and mh but at 3 will get his upland title. If your dog is a firebreather a check cord is a great idea. I dont think a collar is part of the program you are following which will add time in training.

 

[WoodDuck]

That episode from The Flush inspired the idea. The boat adds another element to the simplicity of an upland trip but seems like more of an adventure.

I appreciate the insight so far. We will 100% be making a trip to South Dakota next year, but not sure if the boat will be in tow. Lots of dog work to be done between now and then as well. She is my first dog and I have already made some mistakes, but I think she will turn out well. I have really enjoyed the process so far.