Training dogs for pheasant

[Westernduck]

Hey guys,
Anyone know of any good trainers in Northern California for pheasant? Books or online coarse recommendations would be appreciated as well.

A little background, my dad is retired and wants to take up pheasant hunting again. He offered to buy a trained dog if I take care of it, but a third dog is out of the picture for me currently. I have a 5 year old lab that was a good duck dog, but I sold my boat 2 years ago and she’s been retired since then. She’s gun broke and will retrieve birds. I also have a 1 year old WPG with high drive, but she’s never been hunted. I’m currently getting her used to feathers and using her nose.

I’ve been working on the basics with both of them, but I’m lost when it comes to pointing and flushing.

 

[KurtR]

Can’t help with the pointing part . The flushing part is easy take them hunting and get exposed to birds. Just make sure they have good obedience and natural ability takes over.

 

[MOwhitetail]

I second what Kurt says. I’ve got a Chessie that’s hell on pheasants. I’ve spent a ton of time training him to retrieve ducks, but essentially no dedicated time retrieving pheasants. Only “training” thing I did was buy some pen raised roosters and set them in a small piece of CRP so his first “hunt” would be short, action packed, and most importantly successful. I just worked him downwind of the birds til he picked up the scent and went to investigate. The birds flushed, I shot, he got to retrieve. The next two hunts after that we just went somewhere that I knew we’d see some wild birds. After that he had it pretty much figured out.