A dogs' normal field pattern?

[Jedi Woodsman]

How do dogs track pheasant?

I was with a friend of mine yesterday. All Rusty would do was a zig zag arround us. The 2 X's would me me an my friend. The Z is Rusty.



Z Z Z Z Z
Z Z
Z Z Z Z Z Z
Z X Z Z Z X Z Z Z

Z Z ZZ Z Z Z Z
Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z


Think of it as us facing continously at the words walking forward in the field.
That is Rusy's pattern the whole time, going across. After he would finsh the front, He would repeat behind us following his past pattern. I know it's kinda vague, But would anyone here understand what I'm showing? It looks better when typing it. Posting is difficult. The easiest way I can describe it it continuos figure 8's.

[Lance]

I'd say he's probably patterning pretty well with maybe the exception of him coming around behind. I don't know if you tried this but slow down your walking and wait for him to get out front before moving forward again. Hunting to front is something you can coach a dog into doing more as you go along. It just takes time afield together.

As far as how they track pheasant I'm usually happier if they keep there head up and wind them than if they are running nose down. It seems like if they're running nose down I've only got about a 50/50 shot of a good point vs bumping the birds and flushing out of range.

[OldSchoolSpringer]

What kinda dog? if its flusher thats what you want going into the wind.

[BIRDHUNT]

I'll bet he got a bird up behind you some time or another..........he'll learn to stay in front and to the side..........he's a flusher I presume?

[Jedi Woodsman]

Rusty is a Brittany. Far as I know he's a flusher. I'm not sure. He does go on point.

[10Gauge]

Being a "pointer" man all my life and watching a lot of flushers in the field it sounds like "Rusty" was doing what a flusher typically does! The owner may want to correct his back tracking and should strive to keep the dog out front while hunting unless he is searching for a dead bird.

With my pointers I work on a dead bird drill where I drop a dummy or dead bird near me call the dog in and give the "dead bird" command. During this routine I encourage the dog to work close and zig-zag in front, behind and on both sides of me. If you can combine two or three dogs it gets really exciting and the dogs seem to compete for the "prize"!

In addition, I like my pointers to "search" with their head high....this is why I like english pointers so much....and use the wind as an aid whenever possible. If I'm working a fence row and the wind is blowing across or quartering the fence row I work the dog accordingly. Some guys like to work directly into the wind and this works very well too provided your dog quarters properly. Sometimes you may need to hunt an area where the wind is at your rear and if the dog began working behind you I would stop and let him do so....his nose is better than your or mine!