It's great to have a retriever when you're hunting over water, but isn't it more trouble than it's worth when you're hunting fields? I would leave my dog home if I went on a goose hunt.
I've thought the same thing somewhat myself...
However on those wing-tipped running/half-flying birds, a fast dog can actually catch them where a hunter may have to walk/run 3/8s of a mile or more walking/shooting to put them in the bag. :shocked:
I trained my Lab b-itch, 2 Labs ago, to sneak, alongside of me, in a low crawl on geese. She already knew the "Down" command, and I just worked on that by low crawling out in the field and giving her the command "Waay Down" and she'd sneak along head on top of paws making sneaks with me.
My now retired Lab, Dancer, seemed to always sense the need to be hidden from working birds, and on her first trip to the field for Geese I was pleased that she'd hunker down in the Tumbleweeds next to me and hide from the birds when they were coming in. :applause:
My latest YLF, Sparky, hasn't gone out field hunting yet, so the jury's still out. She'll probably need more training, but if that's what it takes, that's what she'll get.
:cheers:
