Continuing along with the Golden Rule previously written about, you should also know that first year hunting dogs can be easily confused with the ’stop to flush’.

It is not unusual for a hypothetical hunter to be hunting with his companion when suddenly a game bird ‘wild flushes’ from an area where the young dog has not hunted.  Therefore, it was not the young prospects fault.  If a bird flushes on its own without the dog being the cause, it is called a wild flush as opposed to the dog ‘bumping’ the bird unintentionally or ‘busting’ the bird intentionally.  Notice the difference in terms and use them correctly.

So the bird wild flushes and we shoot it.  Our reasoning was no harm, no foul.  Wrong.

The young dog that had nothing to do with the wild flush may get the idea that the rules of being steady do not apply in that location (and all locations if you keep doing it) since he was hunting (running) when a bird flushed on its own and you shot it for him.  In the young dogs mind, he does not know whether it was a wild flush, bump or bust.  All he knows is that he has new rules when afield.  Huh?  Yep. 

In this situation described above, it is possible that your dog will be confused and begin to bust birds intentionally.  Later, if not corrected properly, he can get the idea that he is suppose to bust, stop to flush, then retrieve.  Now you have flushing dog.  Not good.

This is why my addendum to THE Golden Rule is this:  Never shoot a bird not flushed EVEN if a WILD FLUSH!  (for young first year hunting dogs) Lets concentrate on pointing skills that first year in the field.  It’s about the dog, not the kill.  First year hunting dogs provide a means to hunt, not necessarily a means to shoot much game.  BTW, older dogs can develop this habit too.

Happy training and happy hunting to those folks who have a week or two of hunting season remaining!

Dave