ESPN Hunting

One thing is for sure, when you hunt ducks, things may not go as expected. For instance, birds don't always fall where you expect. Normally, ducks will oblige us by falling on the water's surface or land over which we are hunting. Variations in our hunting terrain exist, such as fields, thick cover behind a blind, perhaps flooded timber or even row crops such as standing corn. Nonetheless, birds will usually be found on the ground or at the water's surface and our retrievers are accustomed to searching in areas where they have been trained to look and places where they have found game previously — at the surface level.

Occasionally, you will get a bird that will fall into a place you just didn't expect and one you just didn't prepare your retriever for — like a dense brush pile, on top of a large mound of earth or a beaver dam. If your dog has never trained for this type of situation, their inability to locate the bird may surprise you.

Just this type of retrieve was experienced last season by one of our experienced duck dogs, Bob. While hunting in Kansas with Wildrose employee, Reuben, a shot bird fell atop a huge pile of brush adjacent to a flooded agricultural field. Another dog, experienced in both competition and on the hunt, first attempted the retrieve. After repeated handles and a careful search of the area by the dog, there was no success. The retriever failed to locate the bird because he was totally focused on searching on the surface, just as he had been trained to do, not due to inability but rather a lack of preparation.

Bob was called to the job. Reuben lined Bob for the pile of debris, stopped him just at the pile and gave him the hunt command. He first searched the surrounding surface area, then he began to look and smell upward, attempting to catch scent. Success! Duck fragrance was well off the ground. Quickly he climbed up the piled brush to pick the bird to the surprise and delight of the hunting party. No surprise here, really. He had been trained for this.

Now, let's go back a few months to where this story really began. Bob's indoctrination to off-the-ground finds started with a challenge. Reuben worked Bob daily preparing him for the season. Reuben was fond of occasionally attempting to upstage Drake, the Ducks Unlimited mascot, with Bob in the field by making impromptu challenges.

Just such a day brought Bob and Drake to a field sporting two very tall brush piles located in the middle of the field. Atop of one of the 6-foot tall brush piles was a small, feather-laced bumper. Bob never before experienced such requirements for a retrieve. After a diligent search of the surface area all around the piles, he was called up. Drake then made short work of the blind, first with a search of the surrounding area, then making his way to the top of the pile.

Reuben took to quickly filling this glaring gap in Bob's training by following a simple training progression we use to teach off-the-ground finds. Bob was ready when the day finally came in Kansas to put his newfound skills to the test.

Let's get your dog prepared to tackle these off-the-ground finds just as we trained Drake and Bob. Obviously, you'll need a brush pile. Any type will do — logs, sticks, limbs, even mounds of dirt. However, always begin on land. Water work will come later.

Use small-sized bumpers in a color that will blend well with the surroundings and tape on a few feathers. We want our dogs to locate the bumper by scent, not sight.

Begin by setting the bumper along the side of the pile about two feet off the ground as your dog watches. Set up a trailing memory by turning away and heeling the dog back about 20 yards, then line the dog for the memory you just dropped. Try to hold the dog in the correct area with hand signals if necessary while giving your "hunt dead" command. Quickly, the dog will catch the scent, look up and climb for the bumper.

Next, place several bumpers at various heights along the sides of the pile as your dog watches. Send the dog from different positions as you walk around the brush pile.

Follow up by running a memory from a longer distance for a bumper placed on top of the pile. We want the dog to climb for this retrieve.

Run this type exercise as a permanent blind with bumpers hidden at various heights. The goal is for our hunter to become accustomed to diligently hunting the entire surface of the pile on all sides after no bird or bumper is located in the surrounding area. After completing these exercises, your gundog will likely have the idea.

The last step is to do the same exercise on water. Here we simply pile brush into a nice mound in water, duplicating a beaver dam. Place the bumper or bird on top of the pile and the "game" is on.

Practice this training scenario a few times on any old brush pile and your retriever will be ready for the unexpected. You never know when it will come in handy.