First of all welcome to the forums..
Looking to point, hold, flush, and retrieve to hand.
To point, hold, and retrieve to me is OK, but when you throw flush into the mix well? that will confuse the dog as to what you want it to do. You get it to point and hold point, but why not you flush the bird up? Having the dog point and hold, then get it to flush to me is saying stop holding and pointing for me. Flush em up buddy it's ok so the dog thinks it's ok to flush and then the next thing you know it's no longer pointing for you. I think you get the idea on what I am trying to say.
I am not sure about Michigan but here in maine it gets pretty darn thick, especially in those growing up cuttings. I enjoy hunting with the Irish Setters up here, I can let them run out ahead quite a ways or hold em back if I want to. Here are a few pics of a year ago whenI was giving one a practice run in the spring.
