# Need ideas for using dead Pheasants



## SteveK (Aug 4, 2009)

Hey All,

So I happen to have a couple pheasant bodies and a load of wings on hand and I am trying to think up useful training drills for my pup. Finn (the dog) is about 4 months old. He is coming along with basic obedience and gets some marks thrown a couple times a week with dummies. He does well, always bringing the dummy back. 

I have used a few wings so far in the last couple weeks. Simple and close marked retrieves just to get him picking up something new and get him the taste of feathers to hopefully stoke desire. I have also done simple "find" drill where I hide a wing in light cover and then work Finn into the wind past the wing to get him to scent it and find it. I then go to him, raise like crazy and get the wing back (eventually). He seems to do really well at this at times. His first time I was merely trying to move him to a good start position down wind when he spun a 180 just after passing the planted wing about 10 feet away. He went birdy and hunted it out. 

So now I am short of ideas on what to do with the wings and bodies. I don't want to just do the same two or three things and have him get bored or start developing bad habits. I would like to get him exposure to new concepts but it will be awhile before "FORMAL" hunting training starts (he is only 4 months). 

Antone have ideas for making use of the feathers I have? Drills to start encouraging use of his nose to find birds. Retrieve drills using the bodies? any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Steve


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Hum, let me think. Right now I am drawing a blank, but I think if one of the other trainers see this (people are real busy this weekend) maybe they will have an idea. Finn sounds like he is going to be a lot of fun to train! I look forward to more updates on you boy.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

I don't have any suggestions for you, but wanted to share my pup with you. They are littermates.

This is Piper (and Ruby who is Drake's half sister and Sarah's niece):









So far with my pup I've worked with clip wing pigeons and paint rollers. I'm just doing single marks, nothing fancy yet (lots of socialization and puppu obedience classes). Piper should be ready for force fetch in another couple of months-her canines are just peeking through now, so in another couple of months her mouth should be in pretty good shape. Hopefully I can get a chance to run her in a couple of club events this winter (the local retriever club has club trials once each in Jan-April), but if we keep getting snow/wind/cold like we've had the last few days it doesn't look hopeful!


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I used to take the wings and duct tape them to a bumper so I had a few winged bumpers.

Are the pheasant bodies fresh? If I had fresh pheasant bodies I would fillet them aright quick.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Keep a few of them whole. Take em out of the freezer for throwing marks or to plant in the field for quartering drills. The pup is probably big enough now to be retrieving full sized pheasants in marking drills.


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