A old hunting buddy of mine told me he had a springer 20 years ago that could tell the differants between hens and roosters. I had a great springer named Lou for 12 years. In are years together he ran and putup 12 to 15 hens for every rooster.Is it possible to train a dog to only scent rooster? I wouldn’t myself because the flush hen or rooster is the joy of my 11/2 year old springer and always a thrill.
By smell ???
When my dog goes on point and I kick up the bird then yell hen he will turn right around and hunt again but he points every bird hen or rootie!
I THINK they would smell the same! Thats just my guess though!
By smell ???
When my dog goes on point and I kick up the bird then yell hen he will turn right around and hunt again but he points every bird hen or rootie!
I THINK they would smell the same! Thats just my guess though!
I have a 9 year old lab that definately can tell the difference….i can tell by the intensity of the chase or point.She still bust hens bust u cant definately tell whats going to fly 
.i think she learned by retrieving only roosters ….your dog is young so u got alot of fun ahead of you. Start watching your dogs reaction… the dog will act differently over time…good luck!
I have a 9 year old lab that definately can tell the difference….i can tell by the intensity of the chase or point.She still bust hens bust u cant definately tell whats going to fly .i think she learned by retrieving only roosters ….your dog is young so u got alot of fun ahead of you. Start watching your dogs reaction… the dog will act differently over time…good luck!
Sorry guys but I hear this story from time to time about some guy claiming that his dog can tell wheather a bird is a rooster or a hen…. These guys are pulling your leg (REAL HARD). A hen or a rooster smell exactly the same so you can rule that one out. Next time someone tells you that one ask him to prove it and you might want to put some money on the side to make it a little more interesting. Until the day I am physically present and see it for myself… I will never believe this “Bird Dog or Upland Myth”. I vote NOT POSSIBLE………….
Grif says, “Get ready theres a Rooster in there.”
birdhunter88
Sorry guys but I hear this story from time to time about some guy claiming that his dog can tell wheather a bird is a rooster or a hen…. These guys are pulling your leg (REAL HARD). A hen or a rooster smell exactly the same so you can rule that one out. Next time someone tells you that one ask him to prove it and you might want to put some money on the side to make it a little more interesting. Until the day I am physically present and see it for myself… I will never believe this “Bird Dog or Upland Myth”. I vote NOT POSSIBLE………….
Grif says, “Get ready theres a Rooster in there.”
birdhunter88
Guys i gotta comment on this one. I know my brittnay’s reactions are diffrent when shes pointing a rooster or a hen. Shes more aggressive when its a rooster and tries to get in closer or right on its tailfeathers. Believe me i wouldn’t make up a story like this if i wouldn’t have seen it lots of times. Her lifting of her paw isn’t any diffrent but her attention and agression twards her homeing in on a rooster is definately diffrent than a hen. She locks up more intense on a rooster, maybe thats because we shoot only roosters and thats the smell shes used to retrieving, i don’t really know but i can definately tell the diffrence, not on every single point but on most of them.
Guys i gotta comment on this one. I know my brittnay’s reactions are diffrent when shes pointing a rooster or a hen. Shes more aggressive when its a rooster and tries to get in closer or right on its tailfeathers. Believe me i wouldn’t make up a story like this if i wouldn’t have seen it lots of times. Her lifting of her paw isn’t any diffrent but her attention and agression twards her homeing in on a rooster is definately diffrent than a hen. She locks up more intense on a rooster, maybe thats because we shoot only roosters and thats the smell shes used to retrieving, i don’t really know but i can definately tell the diffrence, not on every single point but on most of them.
Take this into consideration, If you think about this , this is true. A doe deer smells diffrent than a buck especially in rut, bowhunters know this very well. A female dog in heat smells diffrent than a male. Im using these two for examples of them being in heat because its easier to understand, but they smell diffrent than eachother even when not in heat. A female human always smells diffrent than a male, you get the idea. I’ll bet my next months paycheck that a rooster smells diffrent than a hen. Im not eienstein but i’ll bet most, if not all, the species on earth smell diffrent from one sex to another. A dogs nose is 100 times more sensative than a humans and a fishes system is 100 times more sensative than that dog. I’ll just bet a dog can tell the diffrence on the smell it’s pointing. I don’t mind my dog pointing rabbits and i know she points a rabbit diffrent than a pheasant. I know that a females oils and fluids smell diffrent than a males and i’ll bet thats in most species.
Take this into consideration, If you think about this , this is true. A doe deer smells diffrent than a buck especially in rut, bowhunters know this very well. A female dog in heat smells diffrent than a male. Im using these two for examples of them being in heat because its easier to understand, but they smell diffrent than eachother even when not in heat. A female human always smells diffrent than a male, you get the idea. I’ll bet my next months paycheck that a rooster smells diffrent than a hen. Im not eienstein but i’ll bet most, if not all, the species on earth smell diffrent from one sex to another. A dogs nose is 100 times more sensative than a humans and a fishes system is 100 times more sensative than that dog. I’ll just bet a dog can tell the diffrence on the smell it’s pointing. I don’t mind my dog pointing rabbits and i know she points a rabbit diffrent than a pheasant. I know that a females oils and fluids smell diffrent than a males and i’ll bet thats in most species.
Good points but Deer/Dogs/humans have babies!
Birds lay eggs! So do they go into heat? I have no idea!
If the birds did have differnt smells why wouldnt everyone just train with roosters! There should never be a hen point.
When buster was a pup he used to mouse, differnt smell! that was fixed he no longer mouses, if the scents were really differnt you should be able to stop pointing hens. When someone can do that then I will believe it. 
Good points but Deer/Dogs/humans have babies!
Birds lay eggs! So do they go into heat? I have no idea!
If the birds did have differnt smells why wouldnt everyone just train with roosters! There should never be a hen point.
When buster was a pup he used to mouse, differnt smell! that was fixed he no longer mouses, if the scents were really differnt you should be able to stop pointing hens. When someone can do that then I will believe it.
this debate has raged for ages… Ive had many that said their dog can tell… Ive not seen it in the field myself… my dog pointed all kinds of things…. deer, rabbits, even skunks.. and she was a Setter!…. she was so intense on birds it was scary… so solid on point I had to drag her off sometimes….. I could never tell the difference between hen and roo.. she was the same…. some others say they can…. who knows? if there is ANY scent difference a dog with a good nose sure COULD detect it…. and in some types of animals there is a scent difference… in pheasants? dont know
this debate has raged for ages… Ive had many that said their dog can tell… Ive not seen it in the field myself… my dog pointed all kinds of things…. deer, rabbits, even skunks.. and she was a Setter!…. she was so intense on birds it was scary… so solid on point I had to drag her off sometimes….. I could never tell the difference between hen and roo.. she was the same…. some others say they can…. who knows? if there is ANY scent difference a dog with a good nose sure COULD detect it…. and in some types of animals there is a scent difference… in pheasants? dont know
HERES MY OPINION,
IF A POINTING DOG IS LOCKED IN MORE INTENSLY ON ROOSTERS THAN HENS MOST OF THE TIME, MY BELEIF IS THAT THE DOG HAS A VISUAL ON THAT BIRD. IF A DOG CAN SEE THE COLOR OF THE ROOSTER, IT KNOWS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SHOOTIN COMIN. 
HERES MY OPINION,
IF A POINTING DOG IS LOCKED IN MORE INTENSLY ON ROOSTERS THAN HENS MOST OF THE TIME, MY BELEIF IS THAT THE DOG HAS A VISUAL ON THAT BIRD. IF A DOG CAN SEE THE COLOR OF THE ROOSTER, IT KNOWS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SHOOTIN COMIN.
I would believe that if a dog can see the bird and is locked down tight like you said that maybe it is possible that there may be a differance with a sight point.
But the guys that say their dogs Only Point Roosters is Absolutely Bull. No Way! No How! This is the Myth that I am talking about. I have been hunting pheasants now for a long time and I will be the first to tell you that yes a hunter can learn to read his dogs actions as to what is going on. Just the same the dog also learns to read the hunters actions in the field. This is the reason hunters have dogs and love to hunt with them. There is nothing more beautiful or amazing then watching a hunting dog in the field. I compare it too Artistic Motion being Created on a Visual Realtime Canvas. This is the reason why any hunter that has ever hunted with dogs and has owned such dogs would never really think about going pheasant hunting without a dog… just not the same. Cuz it really is all about the dogs.
I can tell what is going on with the dogs just by the way the tail is moving, the way they hold their heads in the air (winding), the way they sweep or trail a scent, the speed of the dog, the way they hold their point, the way they hold their tail, and also just by looking at their eye’s while they are point. I can tell if the bird is still there and exactly where it is at by reading all of these things or wheather the bird is on the move. Every dog reads alittle differant but one thing that I will never beleive is the myth. “My dog only points rooster’s !” These guys should be politicans cuz that is the biggest crock of bull I have ever heard….
jmo bird 
Opening Day Results: All 3 are GSP’s Jeter, Grif and Abbie (daughter of Grif).
I would believe that if a dog can see the bird and is locked down tight like you said that maybe it is possible that there may be a differance with a sight point.
But the guys that say their dogs Only Point Roosters is Absolutely Bull. No Way! No How! This is the Myth that I am talking about. I have been hunting pheasants now for a long time and I will be the first to tell you that yes a hunter can learn to read his dogs actions as to what is going on. Just the same the dog also learns to read the hunters actions in the field. This is the reason hunters have dogs and love to hunt with them. There is nothing more beautiful or amazing then watching a hunting dog in the field. I compare it too Artistic Motion being Created on a Visual Realtime Canvas. This is the reason why any hunter that has ever hunted with dogs and has owned such dogs would never really think about going pheasant hunting without a dog… just not the same. Cuz it really is all about the dogs.
I can tell what is going on with the dogs just by the way the tail is moving, the way they hold their heads in the air (winding), the way they sweep or trail a scent, the speed of the dog, the way they hold their point, the way they hold their tail, and also just by looking at their eye’s while they are point. I can tell if the bird is still there and exactly where it is at by reading all of these things or wheather the bird is on the move. Every dog reads alittle differant but one thing that I will never beleive is the myth. “My dog only points rooster’s !” These guys should be politicans cuz that is the biggest crock of bull I have ever heard….
jmo bird
Opening Day Results: All 3 are GSP’s Jeter, Grif and Abbie (daughter of Grif).
I have the same opinion as Al Clark(birdhunter) on this subject.Anybody that spends alot of time in the field knows that a rooster and hen smell the same.Now guys might think their dogs act a little different on some points but I think their dogs are seeing the rooster,it’s not because it knows that it’s a rooster or hen.I have a female setter who is a good hunting dog.I have ran hunting test with her,field trials,and hunted her many many times in 10 years.This dog has pointed 1000’s of birds and NEVER have I EVER been able to tell it is a rooster or hen UNLESS I can see the bird.Same as a dog,maybe the dog will see the rooster and act different.Best of luck to all you hunters and your dogs!!
Ryan Hale
I have the same opinion as Al Clark(birdhunter) on this subject.Anybody that spends alot of time in the field knows that a rooster and hen smell the same.Now guys might think their dogs act a little different on some points but I think their dogs are seeing the rooster,it’s not because it knows that it’s a rooster or hen.I have a female setter who is a good hunting dog.I have ran hunting test with her,field trials,and hunted her many many times in 10 years.This dog has pointed 1000’s of birds and NEVER have I EVER been able to tell it is a rooster or hen UNLESS I can see the bird.Same as a dog,maybe the dog will see the rooster and act different.Best of luck to all you hunters and your dogs!!
Ryan Hale
I don’t believe that a dog can be trained to point only roosters and pass up on the hens, the odds are just to high to get that kind of performance. Some of the cover we hunt is very very thick and to me ole zach couldn’t see a bird more than a foot in front of him. The moisture on the ground would be perfect to hold scent and he’d pull a point like it was a rooster that was 4 ft. in front of him. I’d tell him to get em! Darned if it wasen’t a rooster. The next point and he wouldn’t be so excited and it would be a hen. I don’t know for shure guys but it shure as heck looks like ole zach could tell the diffrence. I know that some are going to tell me to get my eyes checked but thats the stuff we all laugh about. A huge subject full of discussion i know! 
I don’t believe that a dog can be trained to point only roosters and pass up on the hens, the odds are just to high to get that kind of performance. Some of the cover we hunt is very very thick and to me ole zach couldn’t see a bird more than a foot in front of him. The moisture on the ground would be perfect to hold scent and he’d pull a point like it was a rooster that was 4 ft. in front of him. I’d tell him to get em! Darned if it wasen’t a rooster. The next point and he wouldn’t be so excited and it would be a hen. I don’t know for shure guys but it shure as heck looks like ole zach could tell the diffrence. I know that some are going to tell me to get my eyes checked but thats the stuff we all laugh about. A huge subject full of discussion i know!
One things for shure, we know our dogs and pheasants!
One things for shure, we know our dogs and pheasants!
Kind of off the subject but how do birds know when to mate?
Would there be a scent differce certain times of the year?
Thats kind of intresting, I have been told one rootie will fix #’s of hens. And hens will have more then one (litter) 
of chicks in a season?
So do roosters always pester the hens? All year long or just certain times of the year?
Kind of off the subject but how do birds know when to mate?
Would there be a scent differce certain times of the year?
Thats kind of intresting, I have been told one rootie will fix #’s of hens. And hens will have more then one (litter) of chicks in a season?
So do roosters always pester the hens? All year long or just certain times of the year?
Brian hens will only have one good nesting a year.They do not nest 2-3 times a year as people sometimes think.If a hen loses her nest(eggs)or day or 2 old chicks she will try to nest again.Also 1 rooster can breed alot of hens,must be nice 
.
Ryan Hale
Brian hens will only have one good nesting a year.They do not nest 2-3 times a year as people sometimes think.If a hen loses her nest(eggs)or day or 2 old chicks she will try to nest again.Also 1 rooster can breed alot of hens,must be nice .
Ryan Hale
I’ve always heard the same. If her nest is distroyed she will nest again and i’ve heard until it reaches a point thats too late in the spring after many attempts. This is probably why we see late hatch roosters that have minimum tailfeathers that are hard to decide weather to shoot or not. About nesting two or three times, i doubt it because if her first nest is succesful she protecting and teaching those chicks what to eat and how to fend for themselves. To busy to nest again.
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