Upland Hunting Archives

Tips for Keeping Your Dog Cool in Warm Weather

September 4, 2018 by Joe Scarpy

Keep Your Dog Cool in the Summer Heat

Hunting in hot weather can easily lead to a dehydrated and overheated dog, with both conditions being dangerous. Hunters can easily allow their enthusiasm for the hunt to cloud their judgment when it comes to the health of a pet. Here, tips for keeping your dog cool on warm days will be discussed.

Keeping your dog cool

Carry Water and Ice
Keep water for your dog in your vehicle and with you at all times during the hunt. Even if the temperature feels comfortable to you, remember that your dog will be working much harder and is unable to sweat. Keep large amounts of water in your car, such as 1 – 5 gallon jugs, and portable water bottles in your field bag or vest. You should also stock a cooler with ice in case of emergency.

Do Not Rely on Natural Water
While some streams or ponds may be safe for your dog to drink from, never encourage this behavior. Natural bodies of water can contain highly toxic algae and bacteria, as well as chemical runoff from farms.

Water Your Dog Whenever Possible
Since dogs cannot sweat, they are not able to cool themselves as efficiently as humans. You can help your dog cool off by keeping his or her coat wet throughout the hunting or training session, thereby allowing evaporative cooling. Soak your dog’s fur (ensuring the water reaches the skin) on warm days. If your dog is on the verge of heat stroke, cool your dog by pouring water on his or her tongue, throat, belly, groin, back, and ears.

Avoid the Heat of the Day
When the temperature is especially warm, opt for early morning or early evening hunting and training sessions. These times of day are generally produce the best hunting.

Use Hydrating Products
Even though dogs don’t sweat, they still lose necessary vitamins and minerals when they work hard, which can lead to dehydration. Look for products that replace lost nutrients in hard-working dogs, similar to sports drinks for humans.

Know the Signs of Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is extremely deadly for dogs, but can typically be managed if caught in time. The symptoms of heat stroke include excessive panting, disorientation, ignoring commands, glazed eyes, incoordination, staggering, and collapse.

Know the Treatment for Heat Stroke
Heat stress and heat stroke are very serious conditions that must be treated immediately. If your dog is showing the signs of heat stroke, he or she requires attention from a veterinarian ASAP. In the meantime, cool off your dog by pouring water on sensitive areas of the body and encouraging him or her to drink, if the dog is conscious. However, do not force your dog to drink water if he or she is unable or unwilling. When transporting your dog to the veterinarian, ensure there is plenty of ventilation in your dog’s crate or trailer. If possible, put your dog in front of an air conditioning vent in the cab of your vehicle.

Quartering a Field – Teaching a dog to Quarter in the Field

October 17, 2017 by Joe Scarpy

Teaching a dog to Quarter in the Field – Quartering a Field

Regardless of where you live,Teaching a dog to Quarter in the Field is the same. Most all field-bred sporting dogs love working and quartering a field. What is quartering? This term simply means having your dog work in front of you to find birds. For example, a lab will go quartering to find a cripple that has been knocked down into thick brush. This skill is very simple to teach. In fact, the most difficult aspect is determining which command you will use: “find ‘em” or “hunt ‘em up.”

Step 1

Like any skill, quartering should be taught over a series of days, in small increments. On day one, you should start by throwing a bumper in front of your dog. It does not matter if your retriever sees the bumper fall. Give your dog the command to find the bumper, and then give him or her praise for a job well done.

Next, throw a bumper in the opposite direction from the first bumper that you threw, such that your dog is working side-to-side in front of your location. Continue throwing side-to-side while saying the command you have chosen. This drill should be a lot of fun for your dog. As your dog progresses and begins to understand the point of this exercise, throw a couple a bumpers at a time. For the first 1 – 2 days, simply spend 15 minutes just throwing bumpers and having your dog retrieve them in a back and forth manner.

Step 2

The next step of the quartering process is to establish bumpers by dropping them and remembering where they are. The overall goal is to be able to walk through an “aisle” with bumpers on either side and for your dog to work side-to-side to find them. After you have established the bumpers, leave the area and return a few minutes later. Stand facing the area where the bumpers have been dropped and give your dog the “find ‘em” command.

Overall, it is important that this drill involves no collar pressure; it should simply be a fun game to your pet.

Step 3
Now that your dog understands what you are doing, pepper an area with bumpers or birds to get your dog really excited. If you do not have birds, attach duck feathers to your bumpers. Use the space that you have available to complete this drill – it can be effectively done in a yard that is 25 yards long, or 500 yards long. Start in low cover and send your dog into the highly peppered area by giving the proper command.

The most important aspect of this drill is that your dog learns to use his or her nose. If you knock a duck into heavy cover but do not know where it is, your dog should understand the concept of “find ‘em” or “hunt ‘em up.”

Step 4

Finally, the last step in teaching a dog to quarter in the field is to throw a bumper into thick cover and walk away. Stay away from the area for 10 – 15 minutes. Then, when you turn back, give your dog the command to find the bumper. Your dog should learn that whichever direction you are facing, he or she will find a bird.

5 Necessary Items for Your Sporting Dog

September 20, 2017 by Joe Scarpy

Essential Items for Your Sporting Dog

At HuntEmUp we know that the bond between a sporting dog and owner is a special one. Countless hours of training and time spent together creates a unique working and personal relationship. When you commit to taking on the responsibilities of owning and training a dog for sporting purposes, there are additional supplies that can make your life, as well as your dog’s, easier. Listed here are five necessary items for your sporting dog.

Kennel

Owners of sporting dogs need a kennel that can stand up to the wear and tear of transportation and field use. A crate is the safest place for your dog during

Ruff Tough Kennel

travel, and you should look for a design that can be tied down in the bed of a truck or cargo area. When you are in the field, the kennel is the safest place to put your dog in case of emergency or when you need to contain your pet. The Ruff Tough Kennel is perfect for sporting dog needs, as it is stackable, can be tied-down, and is one of the most durable on the market.

Tracking Collar

No matter how well-trained your dog is, letting your pet out of sight can be stressful. Even the most trustworthy dog can get turned around in the field, leaving the hunter searching for hours – or even days – until the trusty companion finds his or her way home. A GPS tracking collar eliminates this risk by updating the owner of the dog’s location in real time.

Dokken DeadFowl Trainer

If you are training your dog to retrieve waterfowl, this training tool is

Dokken DeadFowl Mallard Duck

indispensable. Dokken DeadFowl trainers are available in a variety of duck and goose styles. This dummy has the same look and weight of a real bird, and teaches your dog proper handling. The body is made of soft foam that can be injected with scent, while the head and feet are comprised of hard plastic. This design ensures your dog only picks up the bird at the body. To discourage violent shaking, the head of the trainer is free-swinging, and will give your dog a sharp rap on the nose if he or she shakes the dead fowl replica.

Whistle

Sport dogs require clear commands that can be heard from a great distance, no

The_Answer_Whistle

matter the weather conditions. A training whistle fulfills these requirements. You can use a whistle to train your dog commands such as recall, stay, heel, etc. by simply overlaying the whistle tones during training. A single, clear tone that can be heard across the field – like the one emitted from the Answer Whistle – will save you time, and breath.

First Aid Kit

Every dog owner should have a first aid kit handy, particularly anyone who takes his or her dog for outings into wooded areas far from town. You should always be prepared to stabilize injuries or illnesses such as dehydration, broken bones, cuts, scrapes, thorns, or puncture wounds. The Field First Aid Kit has everything you need to address any emergency situation, as well as a handy field first aid guide.

Sporting Dog Parent Clubs in the US

August 1, 2017 by Joe Scarpy

Sporting and Gun Dog Clubs Located in the United States.

If you are in the market for a Gun Dog Clubs or a specific breed, I highly suggest contacting a breed specific club and they can direct you in a direction to help you find the right hunting partner for you.

American Kennel Club – www.akc.org

American Brittany Club – clubs.akc.org/brit

American Pointer Club, Inc. – www.americanpointerclub.org

American Water Spaniel – www.americanwaterspanielclub.org

American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association – www.awpga.com

Clumber Spaniel – www.clumbers.org

English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, Inc. – www.ecsca.org

English Setter Association of America – www.esaa.com

Curly Coated Retriever Club of America – www.ccrca.org

English Springer Spaniel – www.essfta.org

Field Spaniel Society of America, Inc. – fieldspaniels.org/

Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America, Inc. – www.fcrsainc.org

German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America – www.gspca.org

German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America – www.gwpca.com

Golden Retriever Club of America – www.grca.org

Gordon Setter Club of America – www.gsca.org

Hunting Retriever Club – http://www.huntingretrieverclub.org/

Irish Setter Club of America – www.irishsetterclub.org

Irish Water Spaniel Club of America – iwsca.webs.com

The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. – www.thelabradorclub.com

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club – www.nsdtrc-usa.org

Spinone Club of America – www.spinoneclubofamerica.com

Sussex Spaniel Club of America, Inc. – www.sussexspaniels.org

The Vizsla Club of America – vcaweb.org

Weimaraner Club of America – www.weimclubamerica.org

Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America – www.wssca.com

Please note that this list is offered as a convenience to our readers with the understanding that in no way am I responsible for the content.

There are indeed more clubs that can be found, but this is a good list of reputable Gun Dog Clubs that are interested in improving their specific breed.

10 Things Every Hunting Lease Agreement Should Cover

June 19, 2017 by Joe Scarpy

Hunting Lease Agreements

Growing numbers of landowners throughout America are coming to realize that they can put their land to good financial use by making it available to hunters. Doing so typically involves a hunting lease agreement between landowner and hunters. The lease agreement sets out the rules governing the use of the land so that both parties know their rights and responsibilities.

According to the American Hunting Lease Association, leases can be offered to individual hunters, groups of hunters, or even establish hunting clubs. In any case, they suggest that the following 10 items (at minimum) be covered in a hunting lease agreement, regardless of who it is offered to:

1. Types of Hunting Allowed

A lease agreement should directly stipulate what types of hunting are allowed. This means hunting with bows, shotguns, etc. This is important because local ordinances may prohibit certain types of hunting practices. It may also be important if the size of the land will not support every kind of hunting that is generally practiced in the local area.

2. Available Game

A landowner may want to stipulate the available game based on current circumstances. For example, a farmer may be having a lot of trouble with deer and wild pigs to the extent that he wants hunters to focus on them exclusively. He could stipulate in the lease that no other game is allowed to be taken from his property.

3. Daily Hunter Volume

Between landowner preferences and local ordinances, there are almost always limits on the number of hunters allowed on a piece of land on a daily basis. This is both a safety issue and a matter of practical land management. At no time should a hunting lease agreement be proffered if a daily hunter volume is not established within its provisions.

4. Total Hunting Area

When landowners want to restrict the movement of hunters to certain parts of the land, the total hunting area needs to be stipulated in the lease agreement. If hunters are to be given run of the entire property, its boundary should still be listed in order to avoid any confusion.

5. Hunting Lease Insurance

Landowners may choose to purchase hunting lease insurance on their own or require the insurance be carried by those leasing the land. How insurance is taking care of should be detailed in the lease agreement. No agreement should be signed until insurance is in place.

6. Length of Lease

Typical hunting lease agreements are offered on a daily, seasonal, or annual basis. The length should be stipulated in the agreement.

7. Extra-Lease Costs

There are times landowners choose to assess extra-lease costs in order to cover care and maintenance of the land. These may take the form of kill fees, for example. All extra-lease costs must be contained within the lease or they are unenforceable.

8. On-Site Accommodations

If on-site accommodations (e.g., hunting cabin) are included, the lease must stipulate how those accommodations can and cannot be used. If accommodations are not included, the landowner may want to restrict the use of temporary structures.

9. Vehicle Use

It is important to specify how vehicles can be used on the property. Some landowners want to protect their property by restricting the use of things like ATVs and trucks.

10. Hunting Dogs

Lastly, hunting dogs present unique liability challenges for both landowners and hunters. A good hunting lease agreement will stipulate whether hunting dogs can be used or not and, if so, any restrictions surrounding their use. Landowners also have to be cognizant of their neighbors when considering hunting dogs.