Hello Lassies and Lads, I am looking for an E-Collar for training and upland/waterfowl hunting for my labradoodle. Any recommendations? Consider price irrelevant

Thinking about getting the garmin T 5x tracking collar. Can I just download the app and check my dogs location on that or do I have to buy a hand held thing or can I just use my phone?

Thanks!

So I have a gsp, and he’s gonna be 4 in December. I got him to hunt pheasants with but never had the time to properly train him. Ive gotten lazy with basic obedience training. Just wanted to see what everyone on here thought about it. Could I still turn him into a good hunting companion?

Anyone have experiences with these crates?

Not in a position to be able to spring the $600-$1k for a gunner kennel/variocrate/ or luck dog at the moment

The Cabellas is crash test safety rated, it seems like the ruff land has not officially passed but has made alterations to make them safer.

The crate would most likely be in a folded down middle row SUV (not the back of a bed), so I don’t need one with climate control solutions..

Just want to make sure I’m not compromising the dogs safety by going with Ruff land/Cabela instead of the more expensive options.

It seems like they may just be more expensive due to the accessory options and climate control solutions.

He’s a rescue boy that we never planned on using for any actual hunting jobs. But with absolutely zero training, he has turned out to be an amazing natural blood tracker. I shot a big doe tonight and had nothing but a few white hairs at the shot site. She had donkey kicked and taken off into the woodline. I poked in a few yards but didn’t see her or any blood sign, so I was afraid I had gut shot her. I backed out and went back to camp in a horrible mood. I know the right thing to do for a gut shot is to give them overnight to lay down, but I didn’t want to be tromping in the woods tomorrow because I wanted my husband to still be able to hunt. So I decided to take Chance to the shot site just to see what he thought. He slammed his nose right to the ground and pulled me straight off in the direction the doe had gone. I still didn’t see any blood or other sign, but Chance was pulling me along so excitedly that I didn’t really have time to look closely anyway. Lo and behold, he took me straight to one of the biggest does I’ve ever gotten, expired less than 50 yards from where I shot her. It wasn’t even a gut shot like I had feared, it was a heart and liver shot, but she just didn’t bleed externally enough for me to track her. Chance is my hero this Thanksgiving! He is my best boy!

The Best Hunting Dog Breeds for Pheasants and Sharptail Grouse in North Dakota

Hunting in North Dakota, especially for pheasants and sharptail grouse, can be an exciting and challenging experience, requiring the right tools and companions. One of the best tools for upland bird hunting is a skilled hunting dog. Choosing the right breed is essential to ensure success, as the diverse terrain in North Dakota—ranging from cattail sloughs to CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) fields and shelter belts—demands a versatile, hard-working dog. Here’s a guide to the best hunting dog breeds for these conditions, along with recommendations for dog vests and electronic collars that can enhance performance and protect your dog during hunts.

Best Hunting Dog Breeds for Pheasants and Sharptail Grouse

1. Labrador Retriever
   • Overview: Labradors are known for their intelligence, endurance, and excellent nose. They are versatile dogs that work well in diverse terrains such as the cattail sloughs and CRP fields of North Dakota. They excel in flushing and retrieving and are highly trainable.
   • Best for: Pheasant and sharptail grouse hunting in both upland and wetland environments.
   • Advantages: Labrador Retrievers are natural swimmers, making them ideal for retrieving birds from water or marshy areas.
2. English Springer Spaniel
   • Overview: This breed is particularly adept at flushing out birds from thick cover. The Springer Spaniel's small size allows them to navigate through dense cattails and thick shelter belts where larger dogs may struggle.
   • Best for: Flushing pheasants and grouse from heavy cover such as cattail sloughs, shelter belts, and brushy areas.
   • Advantages: Energetic and driven, this breed has an excellent work ethic and is known for its strong scenting ability.
3. German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP)
   • Overview: Known for its versatile hunting capabilities, the GSP is an excellent choice for upland bird hunting. The breed is highly energetic and has a keen sense of smell, making it great for locating and pointing pheasants and sharptail grouse in open fields and brushy areas.
   • Best for: Wide-open spaces like CRP fields, but also does well in thicker cover when trained properly.
   • Advantages: The GSP is tough and durable, handling the extremes of North Dakota’s weather conditions.
4. Weimaraner
   • Overview: The Weimaraner is a versatile and energetic dog that excels at pointing and retrieving. Known for its stamina and speed, it’s a good choice for covering large areas quickly, especially in open fields.
   • Best for: Long-range searching in wide-open fields and upland habitats.
   • Advantages: It’s a high-energy dog that works well in diverse terrains, from fields to wetlands.
5. Pointer
   • Overview: English Pointers, or Pointers in general, are renowned for their intense pointing ability and are commonly used in upland bird hunting. Their speed and style make them ideal for covering larger tracts of land such as CRP fields and grasslands.
   • Best for: Pheasant and sharptail grouse hunting in open areas.
   • Advantages: Pointers have a natural tendency to point and hold birds, giving hunters the time needed to approach for the shot.

The Weimaraner is a versatile and energetic dog that excels at pointing and retrieving.

Protective Dog Vests for Harsh Environments

When hunting in environments with thick cover like cattail sloughs, shelter belts, or CRP fields, it’s important to equip your dog with the right gear to protect it from injuries caused by thorns, burrs, or harsh underbrush. Here are a few high-quality vests that can help:

1. Ruffwear Track Jacket
   • This vest offers visibility and protection in dense brush and low-light conditions. It’s lightweight, durable, and water-resistant, making it a great option for wet environments like cattail sloughs.
   • Features: Reflective trim for visibility, durable fabric, and adjustable fit for comfort.
2. SportDOG FieldTrainer Dog Vest
   • Known for its rugged construction, the SportDOG vest is designed for active dogs that need both protection and mobility. It’s especially suitable for navigating through thick fields and shelter belts.
   • Features: High-visibility color, water-resistant materials, and reinforced areas for durability.
3. Hurtta Torrent Coat
   • Ideal for colder climates, this vest provides warmth and waterproof protection. It’s great for North Dakota’s harsh weather, especially during early or late-season hunts when temperatures can drop quickly.
   • Features: Waterproof, insulated, and reflective strips for visibility in low-light conditions.

DT Systems Electronic Collars for Better Control

Remote trainer with vibration, tone, and adjustable static stimulation, making it suitable for various training needs.

Electronic collars, like those from DT Systems, can be invaluable tools for training and controlling your hunting dog in the field, especially when they are out of close range. These collars can reinforce commands, keep your dog on task, and improve safety in challenging environments. Here are some top recommendations:

1. DT Systems R.A.P.T. 1400
   • This collar offers a long-range (up to 1,400 yards) and comes with multiple stimulation levels for effective training and control. It’s an excellent choice for wide-open spaces where your dog might range far.
   • Features: Remote trainer with vibration, tone, and adjustable static stimulation, making it suitable for various training needs.
2. DT Systems H2O 1820
   • This collar is designed for durability and waterproofness, making it a great option for hunting in wet environments like marshes and sloughs.
   • Features: 1,200-yard range, waterproof, and multiple stimulation settings to suit different training scenarios.
3. DT Systems Micro iDT Plus
   • A smaller, more compact option that is perfect for smaller or more sensitive dogs. It offers the same range as larger models, with adjustable stimulation.
   • Features: Compact design, waterproof, with a range of 1,200 yards, and customizable levels of stimulation.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right hunting dog breed and equipping them with quality protective gear and training tools will ensure both you and your dog enjoy a successful and safe hunt. Whether you’re after pheasants in the shelter belts or sharptail grouse in the CRP fields of North Dakota, breeds like the Labrador Retriever, English Springer Spaniel, and German Shorthaired Pointer are all fantastic choices. By pairing these dogs with protective vests and reliable training tools like the DT Systems electronic collars, you can help ensure both your dog’s safety and success in the field. Happy hunting!

Exactly this question, I know hunting dogs or just dogs that hunt in general do wag their tail, but I know tail wagging isn't just out of contentment.

Do dogs find it fun going out and hunting, do they treat it like a messy game of fetch?

I have a very, very high prey drive Wheaten Terrier (14 months old) that I’d love to get into duck hunting. I’ve been working a hold command with her, and she’s got that down. She’s very interested in fake squirrel toys and obviously real squirrels/birds. Do ya’ll have tips on where to get a dead bird to start the retrieving with an animal vs toy? (Can’t get a duck right now of my own. No license)

Would also love tips on how to continue training and enrichment for her?

Pic for cuteness.

Hey everyone, hope your seasons are going well whether deer or ducks or anything else. I’m hunting my 19mo Golden Retriever this year, trained her myself. She’s steady and loves to retrieve. With colder weather coming in my area, lows at 15 degrees and highs at 35, this will be my first time hunting a dog in cold weather and am looking for some experienced tips as to how to keep her warm. I’ll be carrying a Mr Buddy heater and a microfiber towel. I hunt her out of the MoMarsh invisilab dog blind to cut down her wind exposure and I have her in the Mo Marsh Versa vest. I will say we are weeks out from getting any ice so no concern there. Thanks in advance!

Edit: we’re hunting ducks on lakes and marshes, for reference.

I’m looking for a black field line Labrador breeder for my next dog I want to do hunting and sports with it aswell as service work any recommendations?

I have a Garmin Alpha 300 and two collars, a TT15 and TT25. I have looked all over the internet for a decent carrying case for this setup with maybe the option to add another collar or two in the future. The Garmin Case does not have dividers to separate the collars or store the units securely. I have also looked for some custom foam cutouts to go inside a pelican style case.

What does everyone else use? Or does anyone know of some good options?

Her parents are both wildly successful to help me shorten the curve with my first hunting dog. Working closely with the trainer to get her started as a pup and will do the bulk of the training myself with a lot of support from my trainer and program. Look forward to sharing her progress!

Anyone listen to dog-centric audiobooks? Always looking to learn and I don’t really have the time to read either 2 kids under 2 running around. Drop any you love!

4th state this year. Definitely will be returning.

I have an 8mo. old BMC. today on our daily run though the bushes and tall grass, she got on a sent but today it was different. There was no obvious visual trail she was following. I followed her lead cause it was fun. But she acting different. It didn't seem like she was even watching where she was going just blindly following a sent. I looked down and noticed deer tracks and some poop. I am sure that's what she was following. But from time to time she would stand up on her hind legs to see above the grass to look around and sniff the air. I would than ask her"what is it" then she would drop back down and off to the races again. We came to a low swampy area and she lost the sent on the ground but it took her seconds to find the sent again on the tall grass. We didn't go much further because I wasn't wearing the right boots to go through water. When we got home she actually tracked my wife in the areas she walked 30 minutes before we got home. After we got into the house it seemed to take her a while to "turn off". I never trained her to track anything. She was just simply doing it. Is something like this common in sent hunting dogs. I had a great time following but it seemed intense. Her energy during all that was like she was on crack.

We got a Shepsky a few months back (I would say she is about 6 months old), and I was curious if anyone has hunted, or heard of anyone using these dogs for hunting. She is extremely intelligent, picks most things up very quickly. If I tell her to drop something she drops it immediately, and comes and sits at my feet. I have done a ton of shooting around her, and she doesn’t flinch whatsoever. When we walk in the woods she for the most part stays right by my side. We have a ton of rabbits and raccoons on my property, and I thought it might be interesting to do a little training/hunting with her. Curious what anybody else’s experience is with these dogs, if there is any. TIA

I know this is a dog forum, but didn't know where else to post this. I'm looking to get into woodcock hunting here in northeast Texas with my Boykin. Does anyone have any tips? There are several public areas around that seem like they'd be prime habitat, but I don't know where to begin other than last year I was walking around scouting for ducks and spooked a bunch when I was walking around the upland area near a floodplain.

Looking for ideas to keep my dog stimulated during deer season. I don’t like having my dogs in the woods during deer season for both safety and courtesy. Normally I take my dogs coyote hunting or just walking in the woods. I’ve taken them on walks on leash but 1 it’s extremely time consuming and 2 I don’t like walking them on the side of the road in the dark. And 3 I don’t feel like they enjoy it as much now that they’ve been spoiled with hunting. Last couple winters we had a decent amount of property that they could run on. Now we have a smaller backyard so I’m just trying to figure out what to do with them when I can’t hunt with them.

Hi guys, I was thinking of ordering a Garmin Alpha 300 for my dog ​​(GWP) and a GPS collar for it. Do you have any experience with this model? Is retailer named GPS Okey in Madrid, Spain (gpsokey.com) familiar with and is it a reliable company?

I'm curious if anyone here is from Illinois and might have a good recommendation for a trainer. Completly new to hunting and training Bird Dogs, so I am looking for some help.

Thanks!

SOLD -- Thank you all for your great ideas! Sorry if this is not appropriate, but I'd like to sell my Garmin dog tracking system bundle. I am very familiar with eBay, but so many problems with buyers claiming an electronic item doesn't work and getting refund and returning their broken one... don't need that headache. I'm just and older lady who wanted to keep her 'over the moon' energy rescue safe on our rural properties. It worked great!! Facebook marketplace might be ok and expert in shipping. Thought if I could 'target' a group that would have interest I'd start there. Thanks for any advice/help. If it is allowed to say what I have I'll edit. ~

EDIT: I have one Garmin handheld Alpha 200i that has never been used as my first one was replaced under warranty. I also have two TT15 X collars. One still has a warranty; both work perfect. Garmin actually replaced my first Alpha twice... turns out there was nothing wrong with any of them as it was the charger that was defective (figured that out on my own). I ended up with this new one. I charged it up and added my two collars to test the 3 devices... all good. Total of 3 batteries that are good for the 200i; all the cables you could want including car charger, and their 'go' bag to store/tote everything around. All boxes and instructions, etc.

My neighbor needs to rehome their female husky/lab mix. She’s just under a year old. I met her yesterday and she has a lot of retrieving drive but didn’t naturally bring the bumper back (ran around and played with it).

I love hunting labs and I’m in the market for a new retriever for dove and duck hunting. I also have a heart for rescues (my last hunting dog was a stray and did decently well). Does anybody have any positive or negative stories about hunting a husky/lab mix? Is my heart for trying to help rehome this dog killing my judgement here? All advice appreciated, thanks!

I have a terrier mix who needs a lot of enrichment, but not just the basic level. He is still being taught new tricks, but I’m running low on ideas for new things.

He has a clear interest in sniffing things out, and loves to be under blankets or under the bed, he will play with movement under blankets and “dig” at the blanket.

I’d like to take him to hunt down like rats or prairie dogs or just something but in an ethical way. I could potentially recall him before he bites the animal but it’s something I can’t guarantee because it’s a new situation. He currently is cued to chase birds from our backyard but I don’t see him actually killing one if he got it. I think if allowed the chance to hunt and kill small animals though he would.

I’ve been on a google hunt, but most seem to be related to me hunting (I don’t hunt) with him, or professional classes and training for tracking small animals.

Arizona location, so we have plenty of digging animals. But again, trying to be ethical with how a do this and not give my dog any diseases.

I want to train my pup to be a hunting dog, for TRACKING not killing, so that i can have an easier time during outdoor activities.

Any tips on how to do it, besides just saying go on YouTube and google it. She is highly trainable and already showing great attention to her surroundings, which i am terrible at.

I would appreciate books or common tips and tricks that have helped, yall make your dog a great hunting companion.

Thank you for any helpful advice. Please don’t comment just to be rude.