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Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 190 Location: Washington State

As I may have mentioned I have always hunted forest grouse primarily, alone and dogless. We have a dog, but she is not a bird dog, just a loving family member. She's smart, sometimes too smart for her own good. She loves to retrieve and if I hunted tennis balls she'd be the best hunting dog one could hope for.

Last week my wife and I went to our "cabin" to spend some time alone, celebrate turning 55, and hunt some grouse. However the "orange bloom" has hit with deer season opening and the trailhead to my usual coverts looked like a KOA campground. Since the deer hunters were going uphill, I decided to head downhill. I headed for the lowland and some valley quail. But wait, I don't have a gundog. Hmmm...

So, just for grins I decided to bring Sasha along. She really doesn't have much of a nose for birds, but then she just might do some thing right, who knows. She knows "whoa" and if she's not in full chase mode on a furry creature she listens.

We geared up with plenty of water as the Okanogan is still fairly warm this year. Several hundred yards into the cover and I spot a section of heavy brush and a maple poking out of the middle. I suspect pheasant instead of quail and wait at the edges as Sasha heads into it. Cackle, cackle, cackle and three roosters emerge overhead, a clear shot at all, but the season doesn't open until the 20th. Sasha makes a carbon copy move on the next brushy cover with the same results. Next saturday should be interesting when we return.

Finally we find some likely cover for quail and sure enough as she busts into it a covey of 10 or so erupt from the cover. The 28ga full of Bismuth 7 1/2's drop two like rocks. Here's where it seemed to unravel. Remember I said Sasha doesn't have a nose for birds...? She has no concept of finding dead or wounded birds either. Some 20 minutes later I had found one but the second seemed to have evaporated into thin air.

Some elements of the game were registering with Sasha, but there's an awful lot she doesn't get. When all was said and done though we had a great time hunting and did bring home at least one bird. It will go on the grill with a grouse that I managed to bring home the day before.

So with no further fanfare, meet Sasha...

Guest

If you're going to hunt with a poodle, you need to finish the picture and have a sisitory on your arm..... just kidding. Actually when the poodle was first breed in France, I've been told it was as a sporting dog. It's the show people that have taken whatever natural hunting ability out of the dog like they do with most of the show dogs. I always figure hunting behind an average dog will get you more birds than hunting dogless...

Good hunting in the future

Roper: Wonderful story and photo. Thanks for sharing. I've heard that American Standards can make good bird dogs if you find the right line. I sure like their personalities.
Good luck on the grouse.

*Last edited by brdhnt on Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:47 am; edited 1 time in total*

About 30 years ago, I was pheasant hunting in Indiana at one of the state areas. When I stopped by the office to check in, I got to talking with a fellow and his son. He was active Air Force and had just done a stint in France with the embassy there. When we got to the hunting area, a white poodle jumped out of his truck.

Imagine my surprise when it worked very well as a flushing dog both flushing and retrieving pheasants and also a cottontail that was shot by the son. He told me that he had bought the dog in France where there were still lines of hunting poodles available.

I often wish that I would have invited him to grouse camp just to see the reactions from the dogs and the hunters when a white poodle joined the setters and brittanies in the kennels.
________
Gm foods

Guest

Great story, and you know you have half a Pudelpointer there.....

Pudelpointer= Poodle X English Pointer

No reason she shouldn't get on birds. Happy Hunting.

I lived in Alaska and was witness to a guy running Standards in the Iditarod. They did OK for a non sled dog breed. It was the mid 80s.

Member Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Olympia, WA

I learned a long time ago not to question or comment on a man's choice in women, religion, politics, or dogs. I have hunted pheasant, grouse, & quail over Beagles since I was 14 & I'm 57 now. If I had a dollar for everytime someone made a wisecrack about me bird hunting over a Beagle I could buy a new Merkel & have money left over for a Leg-O-Mutton Case! Heck my son-in-law & 3 grandsons pheasant hunt with a Jack Russel Terrier, and; they take a lot of birds. Just keep hunting with Sasha & she'll become a grand bird dog!

Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 13

I compete in and judge UKC retriever hunt tests here in the Southeast. We have 2 ladies from Georgia who train and hunt standard poodles. They do pretty well, interesting to watch run, they kinda stag leap.

Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 14 Location: Northern Ohio

Actually, I think the original poodle (Pudel) was developed in Germany. Maybe it was just the poodle's predecessor??

Bill

a "Timberpoodle", cool find - one more way to hunt with family!!

I have serious dog envy these days - especially after loosing a teal in the grasses yesterday - I'm a good flusher/retriever but I have a hard time with the nose part of finding the game...

Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 30

I trained a standard as a duck dog. Some of them even point. Very good eyes, very smart and a good nose. He was a real clown, He would get bored if the ducks did not fly, he would find some way to get in trouble just to entertain me. One time I had my boss on a hunt (He did not like dogs amd it showed). My dog took a dump in his open shell bag, that went over real big. I lied and told him the dog liked him and was claiming him as a friend. I told him the the dog would always bring his ducks back first. I had to make sure I droped the first duck of each flight, so that the dog would pick up His duck (the last bird down first) He bought the story,and when he told the story at the office every one had a good laugh. . The dog loved cold water, but it was a chore getting Louisiana marsh mud out the coat. I use to grease him up with afro-sheine, it helped to repell the mud and waterproof the coat. Every time I used it ,he would drop 5 IQ points. I quit useing it when he got as dumb as a lab.

JD

Member Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 40

A few years back I had an opportunity to hunt pheasants in Kansas one morning with a fellow and his big male Standard Poodle. It was a fun experience; the dog did great.

Several years ago I raised an Australian Cattle Dog to use around the farm. While he was a pup I started taking him along with me hunting with my GWP. He showed so much hunting ability I started working with him seriously. When the GWP would point in rough cover I would send him in for the flush. After the GWP passed away I pheasant hunted with him for two seasons while getting and training a new young GWP. He hunted as well as many flushing dogs, loved to retrieve both land and water and even retrieved a few ducks. He would launch himself like on the TV show Dock Dogs. Heck of a watch dog also. It was his truck and no one had better get near it. Downside, if there was a skunk within miles he would find it. He’s gone now, I miss him very much.

Roper: You have a great hunting dog and don't know it! Get that girl some bird wings,get out in the yard with a handful of treats and show her what you want her to do. These dogs are very intelligent and learn quick!

The standard poodle is not from France, They are however the National dog of France. They originally are from Germany, used as Duck retrievers clear back into the 1700's. Their ancestors were water Spaniels.

A couple sites to show you what you missing!

http://www.geocities.com/huntingpoodles/Hunting.html

http://www.lakelandhuntingpoodles.com/

http://www.barkbytes.com/history/poodle.htm

http://www.clearlight.com/bedog/Touley_rev_c.pdf

Here's our boy Riley just yesterday! He also hunts Grouse and retrieves doves.
The looks and comments you get from other hunters when they see what you're hunting with are priceless. Its only in this country that Poodles are thought of as being only show dogs.But thats not the case at all as you can see. So get out there with Sasha and show her how to be a hunting dog! Keep the training sessions short and fun, she'll be delivering the birds to you in no time!

Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 190 Location: Washington State

Riley's a fine looking dog.

Sasha and I hit the valley on Saturday but four trucks were already there with hunters in the field. Lots of banging going on so we headed the other direction. No birds up for the longest time and then she took off and rousted two roosters about 50 to 60 yards off, well out of range. I'm going to do some more intensive training with her. She got hard of hearing on "whoa" so that's what we'll need to start with.

Thanks everyone for all the great replies!

Well, it sure sounds like Sasha has the desire to hunt! Just have to reel her in a little bit.
I would lay bird wings out along a course, and then walk the course with Riley encouraging him to "find the bird"! He soon learned that he would find more birds closer to me than running all over creation. When he found a wing I'd tell him to "bring it", ask him to "sit" and drop it in my hand, then he got a treat. In two or three evenings he had it down pat, didn't even care about the treat anymore, just a game he loves to play.
Get your hands on a good dog training book, keep it fun, with lots of praise when she succeeds and I'm sure she won't disappoint you.

Best Regards, R Rambler