Personally I love to hunt with a dog. Especially when you get a point and you just know one's going to bust out cackaling and getting your blood pumping. But since you are w/o a dog you will have to slow down and bit and to make sure you cover as much ground as possible. Another thing is once you shoot a bird make sure you mark it good and if you hit him and ar unsure if he is dead put another round in him. I have hit birds 5 yds. infront of me no kidding and they have ran and I have lost a few like that. The hardest part w/o a dog is finding your birds sometimes so be sure to get a good mark on where your bird goes down. Other than that just have fun!!