How many??

Roy B

Roy B

Active member
I'm curious to know how many dogs do you guys take to the field with you? Is 1 enough? How many is to many?
I hunt with 1 maybe 2 if I go with someone who has another dog but can't imagine hunting with 3 or more. Seems like it would be chaos.....
Advantages and disadvantages?
 
I have two Labs and hunt them both together, I normally hunt alone, sometime my brother can joint me. When alone I need to be on my game watching them both, as it is easy to focus on one and that is about the time the other flushes a bird. When I was younger my dad, brother and I hunted together lots and we always had two or three labs. Never hunted with a larger group then three, or had dogs I did not know hunt a long side my dogs.

One advantage is having two noses working the cover, and each dog has individual strengths. One of my Labs is great on running cripples, while the other is restlessness in pushing out a rooster from the thickest thorny cover. For me and my hunting style two dog are perfect.
 

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I am a single dog (GSP) guy, I have all I can do to stay with him. Usually hunting solo, if not, half those times, it will be just my dog. It might be nice to have a pair, if I took a dogless guy or 2 out, but I would rather stay solo than have to try to deal with 2 dogs all the time. The GSPs I have been around would go nuts if I tried to leave to hunt without them and leaving one in the truck would likey be a decision one would soon regret...I will stay with just one.
 
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1-2 normally, many times 3…not saying it’s smart, sometimes there’s a few dogless guys with…kinda chaotic, but birds are harvested consistently..I’m a softy, have trouble leaving any behind…my old girl has some shoulder issues, I’ve been leaving her behind this trip and many days last trip. Most of this season, she’s just following me, but she makes retrieves and contributes…
 
We had 5 on one walk today, it was after lunch when they all had the fresh taken out. Had a nice point with two backers stacked up behind her.. most situations 2 is plenty imo.
 
I have two Labs but one is retired but I still take her and she just walks behind me usually, every once in awhile she will make a retrieve, but she's basically retired.
 
If the conditions are nice (IE cool/cold) I usually hunt 2 sometimes 3, if it is hot I usually alternate to give at least one a rest. Likely I would do just as well with 1 dog on the ground, but I enjoy having my dogs with me and they are pretty disciplined. If I am posting I only bring one to sit at heal.
 
I have 2 and hunt them separate to keep them fresh, especially with the oldest coming on 12. I will generally get in 10 miles myself when hunting so the dogs are triple that. Besides it has been way to warm this year to hunt them together all day.
 
I normally put 2 in the field because I don't like leaving a dog in my truck when I'm by myself. 3 or more is ok if the dogs are all well trained and know each other. More than 3 probably isn't needed unless you have several hunters covering a big area.
 
I generally drop all four on the first area I hunt out west, just to burn off their energy. In the open prairie, it's not that chaotic, but can be. Generally run two at a time though. This past trip to Nebraska I ran all three frequently, rotating breaks as needed. In the grouse woods only run one at a time.

Pros - I think more noses on the ground more birds contact. Not all dogs scent equally and I have kids that show a dog on point downwind of bird and two running mere feet away unwind and never scent. I also think it can help cut off or pin running birds as one is tracking an the others are casting back from further out. Helps with cripple recovery too. The joy of seeing pointing and multiple dogs backing. Like running young inexperienced dogs with vets to build their confidence.

Cons - Expense of buying system that can handle 3 or 4 dogs. Chaos if dogs are not listening or just keeping track of them when running silent, GPS collars help that. Can lead to bumping birds. When dogs are birdie which one to follow, have had the issue of multiple dogs on point, I go to least steadiest first, then to next if they are still on point.

Just my two cents.
 
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I can definitely see where 2 or 3 would be a good number out west on the open plains. I hunted sharptail with just Maggs and felt like we were probably missing birds due to so much ground to cover.
My biggest worry of having 2 or 3 on the ground would be keeping track of them all.
 
I think breed of dog and hunting style makes a huge difference. I hunted with two dogs last season and will forever do my best to limit those types of hunts. One man, one dog. That's the ideal ratio, IMO.

The challenge with more than one flushing dog is that you have to watch both, which eventually becomes an impossibility when they each get on a different bird. I would also think it would be easier having several pointers where you aren't watching the dog as much as waiting for the game boy to beep and then looking at your gizmo to walk over to where it's holding the bird. ;)
 
Roy B said:
I can definitely see where 2 or 3 would be a good number out west on the open plains. I hunted sharptail with just Maggs and felt like we were probably missing birds due to so much ground to cover.
My biggest worry of having 2 or 3 on the ground would be keeping track of them all.
Click to expand...
That’s why I’m adding a setter, need to take a bigger swath out of the prairie.
 
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