I say you will find more birds and save steps with a big running dog. What say you?

I think you find more birds with a big running dog that is hunting. Some are just running just to feel the wind blowing through their ears.

as long as you have a second dog that is hunting in the gap between you and the big running dog.

I have the second dog that is as good as I have ever hunted behind. But when she is down with my All Age running setter, you would be surprised how few birds she finds behind him. He does not miss many. It does happen occasionally though.

Yep. For every bird my closer working dog finds my big runner will find 10. Year after year. From Idaho chukar to Texas woodcock and everything in between

I love a dog that knows where the front is and runs big. That dog I will trial. For bird hunting I want them no more than 150 to 200, I like to see them and enjoy them making game once in a while. GPS is great but much rather see them stick a covey then hear about.

What is a big runner?

The answer is very subjective....it will vary with every hunter. What is a short race to me maybe long to the next guy and vice versa. Like Chet, when I am on foot, 200 yards max is all I want out of one, only then with a tracking collar. If I am on a horse or in my mule, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL! My older dogs know the difference. They will hunt well either way. But I love seeing that big white setter of mine handling at 1/2 a mile and going to the next objective. Long, dug up limb finds are the best! Right Chet?

Assuming the bird handling skills are the same--the big runner will find more birds. However, the big runner has to be a better bird handler.
The longer the dog is on point, the more likely the birds are to run or flush. It does take quite a bit of time to cover 300 yards as opposed to 50 yards. This year, we hunted behind several dogs that would get out 500 yds. and go on point--that takes a good bit of time to walk when it is over root plowed ground and you are pushing 70. Usually when we had a dog down that far out it would self relocate twice before we saw the dog.

Couldn't be righter

Chet,
Tell us about that pointer in your sig line. That is one fine looking animal. Are you trialing her? (looks like a her) What is the breeding?

That's Ace, a tight bred Elhew female that I unfortunately sold with the rest of my dogs about a year and a half ago. The health issue that caused me to do it has been taken care of but she and Beau (a fine animal that was recently named RU Champion at the Eastern Open SD Championship) and a couple of nice pups out of Ace and Beau are gone. I have a Millers Online pup (Frank) that I think will do some winning in the future and some pups on the way, but Ace was a truly fine quail dog and I miss her..

This is Frank with a backyard stop to flush

Love a big running dog. I'm happy at 800-900 yards when on horses. They need adjust while foot hunting but even then I like them to stretch out.

Chet,

That is a great stop to fence...I mean flush.

I bet the boogerman was in the lot on the other side of the fence.

I agree. I do like those trial dogs to the front looking like an aspirin with a tail working like a windshield wiper cracking high and then the slam point. Nothing in the whole wide world prettier than a sliding slam point. But that's just my opinion.

Do most of yall hunt West Tx or the Panhandle? Sounds like it with 800 yard dogs. I hunt on foot only and my < 100 yard dog does fine in the thicker stuff in South Tx. He stays active and moves a lot but just doesn't have the range or speed. He has a good nose and high drive to find game so am happy. My next dog will be one that ranges further and quicker however.

This was a slam point. Cracker was 300 yards out when she hit it. She never moved a muscle.

That's Awesome Bill. Jammed up!

I like for them to run hard in reasonable range. 800 yards is not reasonable for me. I'm not packing binoculars to watch a dog and don't have a helicopter to get to one pointed at .456 mile. 300 yards is plenty wide for me and in most places I have access to put a dog 100-200 is sensible range.

I am a rookie compared to y'all, but I have a hard time processing "big running dog" and "woodcock hunting" in the same thought. I normally can't see more than 30-40 yards max - usually much less. If Jenny didn't work close I would be doomed. A few times she has been pointed within 40 yards of me and I didn't find her for 15-30 minutes.

Yup

That is almost like comparing apples and oranges. Different methods for each hunt. I will say that the smart quail dogs will adjust their range for thicker, tighter terrain. I don't find it too hard to get my dogs to hunt a little closer when I am on foot and in thicker cover. But, I hardly ever quail hunt in areas thick enough to hold woodcock. A spot here and there but not continuously. West Texas Panhandle range land is mostly what I cover.

My big runners will run 300 yards in woodcock habitat. 600 to 800 yards on the prairies. That's if birds are scattered and low numbers

Maximum Bird contact with dog out of sight is more important to me than keeping the dog in sight to watch him hunt with less bird contact

I vote big runner all the way, but you need both.

...and these 60 year old legs are happy to get the closer ones these days.