Close hunting English Pointers

From reading this forum regularly, it seems that most here like a wide ranging dog. Anyone else here that prefer your bird dogs to stay within 60-100 yds of you while hunting? Am I in the vast minority here or are there others who feel the same as me? What pointer bloodlines have consistently produced "close" hunting English Pointers? Do I need to be looking at another breed? Not picking a fight, just really wanting to talk about bird dogs until I can get back into the field!😄😄

GSP,
my setter runs big too, but I hunt on a Ranger so not a problem

I always liked close in working dogs, but it was different type hunting that most on here do, if (which is doubtful) I could get back into upland birds, would still prefer close working dogs.

pharmvet, you need to buy foot hunter bloodlines. Field Trial Champion bloodlines are not the best for you. Maybe check into some northern bloodlines that typically hunt in tight timber... like Elhew lines... from up north. Not from field trial lines so much.

A good bird dog should hunt the country given to him with you in mind.

Tight/Thick=closer
Open Country=let 'em roll esp. if hunting from a UTV. If on foot, the dog should only be as far as you can handle him. That is a different distance for every dog and hunter.

There is a helleva lot of difference between just running big and running with a purpose. Just get your dog to a distance that you are most comfortable with.

Every dog I own or have owned have been out of major horseback field trial champions. While on foot, I can keep them within 50 yards of me if I wanted, but two long toots on the whistle, I can send them over the hill, out of sight. I guess what I am saying is I can put them where I want them and always to the front.

I have two pointers. One just over a year the other about 7 months. They stay with in about 150 yards. If they get out farther than that I call them in. This is their first year hunting. They are also trained to whistle command to come in.

GSP.

You'll be hacking most pointers for a long while to stay that close. A long time ago I liked my dogs a closer, then I saw what nice, big running dogs could do. My pointers stay at 250-350 yards and will open up a lot further if I let them, which I do if I'm in open country. I have a young American Brittany that is already running at 250 yard at 7 months old. My shorthair is a 100ish yard range. You may want to look into a different breed.

I’ve had GSP, English Pointers and Setters. Close working dog was my gsp. Every now and then he would open up but was a great thick covered dog. I️ once had a elhew bitch that would work really close 50-200 yards but she was the exception. All my other dogs work from 200-400 and more if the country allows. You might look into a gsp if you want that close working dog.

I think it's possible to find EP lines that are bred more for foot hunting and closer ranges. Like bobcat mentioned above, a lot of folks in northern and eastern states breed pointers more for tight cover/timber hunting, some specifically call them grouse lines. If you're looking at trial champions as a criteria, choose NSTRA and NBHA walking trial pointer champs. Some good lines that I feel are more suited for foot hunting in this region include Pike Creek, Crow's Little Joe, Black Magic, and some Elhew stuff. Both of my young pointers stay in well... 1 is a Miller bred female and 1 is a Rebel bred male.

How about a started EP. Then you know what your getting

http://french-brittany.com/champs.htm

If you're looking for a foot hunting dog call Bill or Kathy Dillon at plum creek kennels and get on the waiting list. I picked up Kate from them a few years ago and she's a fine dog that will stay with you and covers a LOT of ground. She has no quit in her.

They breed for the foot hunter but mine opens up big when I'm in the Mule. I was proud of her this morning, she found 4 coveys in an hour foot hunting as hot as it was. She usually stays in sight depending on cover, was easy to train, and handles well. These folks have been breeding the French Brit longer than just about anyone in the US and were the first to take their dogs back to France and title them. If you want to wait I'll have a litter next year.

I hunt woodcock in the woods. Any dog I have must work close or they are of no use to me. My GSP fits the bill nicely. I am thinking very, very hard about one of those Plum Creek French Brittany pups also.

How is your new Brittany doing?

He’s doing great Bill. Part of the family now. Very sweet boy. If he’s half as good on birds as he is on butterflies we will be in business come next month.