Own a dog, Think Turkey

[charlie elk]

Last season I set out on a quest to learn to turkey dog. Most on this board might feel like they know Vic my turkey hunting partner. Contrary to the generally held view that turkeys are easier to kill with a dog, which was what I thought too; not so fast in the assumptions. Many turkeys will continue to get away. Turkey dogging is experience that is out there in league all by itself. Anyone who claims to be an addicted turkey hunter must try turkey dogging.

Any dog that has a drive to flush birds could be trained to hunt turkeys. Most dogs given the chance can hunt multiple species so if you already have a hunting dog there is no harm in refining it into a turkey dog. Our dog will love you for it.
At the start of last season Vic was barely 9 months old. On opening weekend we killed a nice gobbler together.

Vics First Turkey.jpg (66.92 KiB) Viewed 484 times

With a few more turkeys to his credit and WI pheasant season open we tried our luck on them.

vic 2 pheasants.jpg (92.96 KiB) Viewed 484 times

Then some quail hunting

Vic Partridge web version.jpg (110.62 KiB) Viewed 484 times

More turkey hunting, my favorite

IMGP2187.JPG (101.3 KiB) Viewed 484 times

Back for some late season pheasants

IMGP2177.JPG (47.23 KiB) Viewed 484 times

Late season turkey

Vics bird hunting and first winter turkey 004.jpg (97.61 KiB) Viewed 484 times

Last turkey on 12/31/11

New Year Eve Turkey 12312011.jpg (102.61 KiB) Viewed 484 times

January 2012 we got bored and went rabbit hunting, the only season left open

vic rabbit.jpg (94.25 KiB) Viewed 484 times

We also killed some grouse but my camera malfunctioned so there are no pics.
My point is not to brag, although I am proud of Vic's rookie year. Rather I would like to motivate others to take their dogs out turkey hunting. Turkey hunting will not ruin them, it will expand the dog's horizons.
Each time Vic flushed a game bird I yelled out the name of the bird so that he knew I approved. As the season came to an end Vic was hunting species on command. If I told him pheasants he went for them, if turkey he went after turkeys and it was the same for grouse and partridge.

[Gopherlongbeards]

Looks like a blast Charlie. When I finally get around to picking up a hunting dog in the next couple years I will probably give them a shot at turkeys.

[dewey]

Looks like Vic had an awesome rookie season Charlie and thank you for sharing. I have no idea how hunting turkeys with dogs works so if you could tell me how it works it might also be a good learning experience for other hunters. I mean do you try to flush turkeys like you would pheasants?

Thanks for sharing the pictures of Vics first season and I look forward to seeing more posts from you come fall season.

Dewey

[AWTHDA]

Thanks for sharing, Charlie - good hunting. Vic is an exceptional turkey dog with quite the vocabulary. The only limitations to a dog doing it all, is ones we put on them ourselves. Glad to see you never limited Vic. He's definitely the T&TH 2011 Versatile Turkey Dog of the Year.

[charlie elk]

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words. Turkey dogging brings a whole new dimension to turkey hunting. It has challenges all its own.

I have no idea how hunting turkeys with dogs works so if you could tell me how it works it might also be a good learning experience for other hunters. I mean do you try to flush turkeys like you would pheasants?

Just for the record Tom Carpenter's piece in the T&TH fall edition does not reflect the practice or attitudes of turkey doggers. I might have more to say on that article later.

I set about training Vic to understand the different birds and techniques needed to hunt each one. My previous post of pictures could lead one to think we killed those birds opportunistically as they flushed. That is not the case. When Vic and I go pheasant hunting we are targeting only pheasants, if a turkey were to "flush" I would not shoot it then nor would I shoot a grouse or hun. I believe this would confuse his species specific training.

When it comes to turkey Vic and I practice the traditional flush/breakup/callback strategy. Vic ranges out about 200 yards searching for turkeys. When he finds them, he should independently charge, scatter the flock and bark. We are working on the bark part. Usually I hear and/or see the cackling flock, a truly inspirational sight and sound.

I move to break location to gather up Vic and settle into a setup for callback.

Looks something like this.

can we go yet.jpg (93.87 KiB) Viewed 445 times

His lead is tied to something so that at point of shot he is kept behind the gun.

As the turkeys approach, Vic usually picks them up first and rigidly points while laying, in the direction of the approaching birds. It is my job to get the turkeys in range to close the deal. There is point when Vic's vibrations of excitement will rattle the leaves or something giving the turkeys a heads up. The heads up is my que if they are in range the deal is sealed and Vic is released.

vic turk at kill site.jpg (49.62 KiB) Viewed 445 times

So he can enjoy the smell of success!

This post might have made all of this sound really easy, trust me, it is not easier hunting with a turkey dog. The added complexities and companionship make it all the worthwhile and rewarding.
As any experienced fall hunter will attest you can put a lot boot miles on finding fall turkeys they are wide ranging.

Come on fall. In the meantime we turkey hunters are reduced to this--

Vic watching TV Turkey.jpg (73.53 KiB) Viewed 445 times

Well not all the time, its August time for scouting and field training.

[turkey junky]

hey charlie thats a great story and pics & now that my puppy is around 15 wks & a versitile hunting breed like vic the vizla my dog is a small munsterlander it was breed to do all the things you did with vic from fur to feathers & they also were breed to track/trail wounded game its a very old 13th-14th centery breed from germany i would really like to someday train my dog to hunt turkey & we will also be hunting upland game from prairie grouse to woodland grouse to pheasants & duck & geese so thanks for the inspireation!!!

also charlie in the pic labeled partridge is that a bob white quail??? as its not a gray aka hungaration partridge or ruffed or spruce grouse other game birds commonly called partridge??? thats a true site for sore eyes as all our bob white quail in MN are released i have seen some in SE MN but who knows if they were released or not??? they are way more common down south or out west... please let me know if you got bob whites & huns last season???

[dewey]

Thanks for the clarification Charlie. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Good luck to you and Vic this fall.

Dewey

[charlie elk]

also charlie in the pic labeled partridge is that a bob white quail??? as its not a gray aka Hungarian partridge or ruffed or spruce grouse other game birds commonly called partridge???

Good observation tj, I mislabeled it as a partridge, it is a quail, there are good numbers of quail in parts of WI. We have a quail season open statewide with a 5 bird daily limit. A couple of times out Vic and I got a limit. I took to referring to them as partridge because the huns and quail are frequently in the same areas, figured there would less confusion for Vic. With both of these birds Vic reverts from a hard charging turkey dog to a more classic pointer.
Congrats on your new Musterlander pup, I have no experience with them however I have heard they are excellent hunters and there are some fellers in VA & NY I know who use them for turkeys. Maybe, I can get them to post some of their pics here.
There is a school of thought, that dogs can only understand a certain number of words before their vocabulary is "full". I don't know if this is true but just in case, I did not teach Vic any of the pet tricks like shake, play dead, beg etc. Instead I focused on all the obedience commands then added turkey, pheasant, rabbit, partridge, woodcock; well you get the idea.

[turkey junky]

yes i herd turkeydoghunter on this forum talk of his BOYTEL SPANIELS hunting turkey & they are just a mix of BOYKIN SPANIELS & GERMAN WATCHTEL HUNDS "aka german hunting spaniels" hints the BOYTEL NAME... turkeydoghunter dose not answer his PMs or any other type of message i try to leave him so i gave up trying to comunacate with him!? you charlie are much more help to me by far!!!

that would be so sweet if you could get a pic up on here with a SMALL MUNSTERLANDER hunting turkeys it would make my day!!! most people have never even herd of the breed... they are true versitile hunters water land fur feather retrive & point even track & bay if needed... i just dont do that much actually any fall turkey hunting so im not sure if i want to imbarck on training a turkey dog also upland game & waterfowl will keep us BIZZY this fall im sure...??? i do think my dog would be smart enuff to trian to turkey hunt like you have vic trained its just am i smart enuff to train her to do so??? lol

man charlie you can blindfold me & or do what ever you want so i cant find my way back to your stomping grounds but i would love to maybe just share a hunt with you someday for quail or huns??? charlie im serious i would only need 1 OF EACH SPECIES TO BE HAPPY... i would love to invite you on a prairie grouse hunt here in MN charlie you can get vic on some prairie grouse & you dont even have to apply i found the area to hunt in MN just let me know if ur interested??? i know buying a out of state license sucks when u have all that game to chase in WI but it may be a great time??? im planing a september grouse opener prairie grouse hunt as we speak just let me know charlie... also great pics & story hey upload a pic of a hun if you have one charlie i miss them little gray jets!!!

[charlie elk]

charlie elk wrote: Just for the record Tom Carpenter's piece in the T&TH fall edition does not reflect the practice or attitudes of turkey doggers. I might have more to say on that article later.

I missed it...please fill us in.

The article is "Fall Free-For-All" by Tom Carpenter published in T&TH fall 2012 issue. I received mine in the mail the day after I started this thread and do not want anyone to confuse Vic & my efforts with those espoused by Mr. Carpenter.
You can find my detailed thoughts on it under magazine feedback "Fall Free-For-All"