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Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

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Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

Old 03-06-2008, 06:49 PM
  #1  
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Default Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

Recently my local bird hunting farm (pheasants, quail, and chukar) held winter trials. It was separated by flushers and pointers like many field trials. While I hunt with my 4 year old English Springer Spaniels named Dozer, Arrow, and Maggie, I enjoy watching all kinds flushers work. I grew up around labs and spaniels and love the way they hunt. At the trial, it seemed like all the handlers of pointers were gioving the flusher handlers the cold shoulder and seemed to act like their dogs were superior. I have no problem with pointers. In fact I hunted with a Wirehaired Griffon for 3 years before he passed due to cancer. I just wonder why some people would thnk a pointer is "superior". Flsuhing and pointing are two different schools of brid hunting. Flusher hunters have to be constantly with their dogs and ready for the flush. Pointer hunters can stay back and wait for the point and have much more time to ready for the bird. I just wonder why handlers cant see each other dogs and disciplines as equal.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:05 AM
  #2  
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I love the adrenalin from a flusher. I love the beauty of a locked up pointer.
When I was younger, I prefered flushers -- now that I'm an old fart, I totally enjoy
hunting behind a pointer (Pointing Labrador).
I love all hunting dogs, regardless of how they do it.
Last September, I ran Casey in the Pointing Division of Bird Dog Chalenge. At first the
"pointer folks" were pretty skeptical -- when Casey took 3rd in the state, their opions changed.


.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:51 AM
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I sure hopw that wasn't the case. If it was then what has bird hunting come to. I have a Choc lab and love hunting behind her. I hunted behind both flushers and pointers and prefer the excitment of the flush. If they want to get technical. Ive seen pointers do a wonderful job, but when it come to retrieving they have a harder time. Overall dog I would say is a flusher, but both bring strength and excitment to the field. To each there own and what they like.
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Old 03-07-2008, 11:09 AM
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I think some people confuse preference with superiority. DocE's signature says it all.
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Old 03-08-2008, 02:50 AM
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

If it was just upland bird ft's then it can get alittle more involved. For pointers, every judge and handler is looking at the way the dog hunts, is he scenting air borne particles or nose to the ground as he runs? His running style, does he lops? Is he a digger, ie. uses front paws or hind leggs? And how the dog hunts, wild or with a purpose? Then its a matter of how well he honors or backs, is he stylish on point, does his tail flag? There's alot to evaluate.

For retrievers, I would imagine is alot different. The strength of a retriever is in retrieving like 200-300 yards blind marks. Also, I would assume most retriever trials are held somewhere with water. I would like to know what the judges base this particularretrieving trial on.

So, in this case, the trials are not going to be geared towards retrievers but for pointers. And the reverse is true. Hold the trial with bumpers and water and see how many pointers actually come back with them if they don't drown.
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Old 03-08-2008, 09:21 AM
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I believe the reason that they are seperating the pointing breed and the flushing breed is more because of style and ability. It's not that they do that to put the flushers in the backseat, and true that the pointer guys do look down on the flushers but it is also vice versa as well. What you didn't mention is if they were timed or not. If they were it was for the reason that generally a pointer would cover more grounds than a flush would and also sometimes faster. That is just the breeds are built, but not always true. Do they score you on how many birds you took or how many shells you have left over. Is the time stopped once you killed x amount of birds or not. You have to take all this into consideration. As for Mite, how much do you know about pointing dog field trials? As for me I have been actively running trials for several years now and also have been training dogs for about 10 years now. I am also an AKC recognized judge for field trials and also hunt test pointing dogs.
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Old 03-09-2008, 10:01 AM
  #7  
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

They scoring and rules are as follows. Runs are timed the same for flushers and pointers of 20 minutes. You must flush and take 5 birds to recieve no time penalties. Missed shots, pointers bumping birds, pointers not holding on the point, no taking all birds, additional shots, failed retrieves or dogs not retrieving to a stationary handler, or dogs catching brids on the ground as many flushers have done will award you time penalties. I am aware there are more penalties a pointer can recieve, but it just seems the overall attitude of pointer handlers is that there dogs are "superior" and deserve more recognition than flushers. I am wonderinf if anyone else has experienced this before.
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Old 03-09-2008, 10:26 AM
  #8  
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

Here's the pic of the winners when I ran Casey in the Pointing Division of
Bird Dog Challenge.


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Old 03-10-2008, 03:06 AM
  #9  
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I attended a few AF field trials.I neverowned a dog thatwas capable of competing at that level. Where I currently live, there isn't that many AF trials, although I may attend the chukar championships because aperson I know has hisdogqualified. I once thought to head in the this direction as a career or something close(at 14yrs old) but gave up that thought after they made me care for 30+ dogs for three days.
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Old 03-11-2008, 08:21 AM
  #10  
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Default RE: Flushers shouldnt take the back seat

I have5+ years old Springer that has never been to a field trail, so I cannot honestly comment on the attitude of others.

My experience is very simple, our contact with other bird dogs is during hunting season. I have never felt any other hunter and his/her dog ever showed any signs of superiority because of the difference in breeds. I conside that a very fortunate thing.

I have hunted over GSP's and just love their style. It is truly a pleasure watching a fine pointing dog work to his/her potential. The same can be said of the flushing breed. To watch my dog and other flushers work the fields is also a thing of beauty.








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