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Any idea what dogs would be good for thick bush grouse hunting as well as retrieving migratory birds in the water and on land. I know a lab will flush grouse but with how think the grouse bushes are I would think that something that would point them in one way or another would be better.
Laugh hard if you want but I used to use our deer hunting beagle that would not hunt deer as a grouse flushing dog, he was the best pet ever but never hunted anything but grouse and once in a while rabbits.
Most of your continental versatile breeds will fit that bill, German shorthairs, wirehairs, Vizsla etc. Check out NAVHDA on line for more info on versatile breeds.
Springer Spaniel ,Cocker Spaniel as well as a Brittany would be your best bet as a versatile breed if your looking for a smaller dog. My Springer is awesome in thick cover and she can out perform a bigger dog in this type of cover. I do not do any late season duck hunting with her and have a Labrador Retriever as well for this purpose.
I lost a dog after sixteen years this past summer, she was dynamite on the grouse and a pretty fair retriever on land and water and more than once proved her worth on tracking wounded big game ... check out Small Munsterlander.
I had been looking at Brittanys, Springers and the duck toller, the tollers are hard to find and a lot of money, plus they are supposed to be crazy like a border collie and we need to leave for work daily.
How are springers with cats? BTW, I love shorthaired pointers but the short hair would be tough for them in the winter, I need to go a little more rugged.
Never looked at the Munsterlander.
a hunting buddy of mine has a german wire haired pointer. he uses it to point grouse and rabbits, and even uses him for late season duck hunting in cold conditions. however he had some trouble retrieving huge local geese in one field hunt we hunted together. but he still chased them down and did his best to bring them to us, but just couldn't pick up some of them for very long. he'd still help you locate a lost big goose though I am sure ..
The locating part would be the ticket, there are marshes where I want to hunt ducks but there is no way I will because unless I drop them in the water and wade out to them I will never find them, too much grass or too many alders.Quote:
Originally Posted by bowj
I also want to hunt doves and that would be a big problem I could see.
A Brittany will retrieve ducks but is near impossible to get to stop moving. I think after an hour in a duck blind you would want to shoot the dog.
A Deutsch-Drahthaar will fit your needs .