The value of sending them North

This topic has been discussed on the forum before but now is the time. I think it's the best thing you can do for a young dog. Lots of birds (most years) and the chance at multiple contacts and wild birds. Gets a pup fired up and hunting and if far enough along they can come home broke, but for sure conditioned and ready for the bird season. Not sure short of having your own ranch to run them on if there is any other way to get them as far along as a summer up north.

Even at the end of the day road birds give pups a chance to sniff and point wild birds. Here is pup of mine on a ditch parrot on the way back to camp.

Woowee! Looks like a dandy right there!

Good looking pup. Forrest

I send em every year. Have two in North Dakota now. Another cpl weeks when the young birds get going good and it'll be great exposure for them. Worth the effort and $ for sure.

That's a nice lookin pup Chet. What breeding?

Does your trainer run young dogs with a cc on wild birds? I just turn mine loose so they can learn to hunt and point on there own

She's by RU Champion Jayhawk Thunder (Covey Rise Offlee Amazin and a nice daughter of Sinbad)..out of a daughter of Erins Wild Justice.

When he gets a dog off the wagon to work a road bird you bet, control is most important in that instance. When working under normal conditions no cc although I'm sure there are circumstances when he might.

She's looking good Chet!

Chet I have a very good young 2 yr old Sinbad bitch as well as a 11 mo old Offlee Amazin bitch. The Offlee Amazin bitch is by Dunns Tried N True out of George Hickox Amazin Grace and she's up north now. I bought her from George last December. She's gonna make a fine one.

You've got some good ones there.

This is the Tried N True pup.

I like her! I think it’s a great idea to send pups north to train, they’ll be a lot better for it. I just never have been able to justify paying someone else to train my dogs.How hot is it up there right now? I’m guessing they’re in Wyoming? I was in Iowa/Minnesota last week and it was 98F.

Mid 50s in the morning and upper 70s afternoon. Pretty nice, couple weeks back they had some high 80s but been good for a week or so and the forecast is for the same. It was 107 here and I checked Lemmon, SD and it was 77.

Nice! I had a morning several weeks ago in Wisconsin in the 50’s.

77 in N Dakota. The time and money spent will advance pups or started dogs 4 fold. There is no substitute for the exposure to all the young wild birds. I've seen what it does for a young dog. Not to mention the travel and stake out experience. They do much better in every aspect if they have any desire whatsoever. Besides buying well bred dogs, it's the best money I spend on em.

While it isn't as productive as YOU taking the dog north, it the clearly better than keeping them in the yard all summer.I haven't sent a dog north for years , but when I did, I always liked the results. Usually when a pup went, I got a started dog back that was ready to put in the field opening day. The cost wasn't far off the cost of boarding a dog for the same period when I did it
Lots of opportunities for wild bird contact in the Dakotas. In good years you can actually train by driving the farm roads and working dogs on ditch birds.
As for the heat, remember the days are long up there mornings and evenings are cooler. Most trainers up there are out at daybreak and do yard work or chores mid day when it is hot.

Wish mine was just a little bit older, and could go.
She's only 4 1/2 months.

If she will recall--and she should by that age--I'd take her north. Just don't shoot oner her or let her in the field on a driven pheasant hunt.

I wouldn't be the one with her. It would be sending her to a summer camp.
She's line bred, with a lot of NFC in her bloodlines. Tons of drive, but not what I would consider reliable recall in the field yet. That's fine with me. You can't put drive in one, if it's not there, but you can put a handle on them. Should have her recall tightened up by 6 months old.

I am missing the heck out of my dog and it has only been a month. He is up in Hardesty with Tim Hidalgo on wild quail and pheasants. He went up there as Jeff Spicolli and I am hoping to get the Terminator back. I’m thinking he is going to appreciate those bed privileges a little more when he comes back.

Montana is starting to crack down on pressuring young birds for training during off season Many trainers run a huge amount of dogs.

I'd like to send a dog or two north but only if I could go with them. This danged record heat in Arkansas is about to kill me and I'm beginning to wonder if the poor quail birds in west Texas are making it because it's even worse out there.

Not sure how well the quail are holding up.
But after being out in the field today, there is a bumper crop of ticks.

Its hot and dry. Maybe we'll get some much needed scattered rain this weekend in Texas.

Some rain out west right now.

I have been to and sent dogs north to the prairie in the past with several trainers. Some great experiences and some not so good. If you are sending a potential field trial pup or derby up there and the trainer sees a potential to make some money with him trialing, your dog is going to get worked and probably finished. If you are just sending your hunting dog up there, you probably just helped pay for gasoline. Think about that one.

NTB is right about there being guys who take dogs to meet expenses and sometimes more than they can work well and so some get shorted. This is why you need to call around and get some references. There are pros that will give you your moneys worth. I sent two female littermates to Manitoba years ago (and have used pros since) with Robin Gates, these were not the kind of dog Robin would get excited about just good going quail dogs. I was actually worried about to much pressure. When I dropped them off I made sure he new I just wanted stanch, desire, lots of birds.

When I got them back they were both flat broke. Robin didn't say anything other then they were both nice dogs and did real well over the summer. He said they both were solid on point and pretty good bird finders. First time out was a put and take plantation in Ga. pre-release birds and a nice find and back. I shot and missed as is my practice. Turned to find the dogs both standing like a picture. Robin and his crew are honest and hard working and there are others out there.

Value? Cost? What's the going current monthly rate?

In the past, it all had to be paid up front. $1500-$2000 for 2 months up there. 7/15-9/15.

Last two pros I sent dogs with were $1200 and $1100.

$1500 from middle of July to the first week in October per dog. Sounds like the bird crop is looking pretty promising so far. P

Where did you send them, the states or Canada?

Stacy Perkins camp about 25 miles from Lyman South Dakota.

Those prices are very reasonable.
Just sending one to training runs from $600-$900 per month.
I will be the first to admit, $900 is a little to steep for me.