Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs How warm is too warm to hunt?

Well, fall is upon us and I would like to get the Vizsla out to some controlled shooting areas. How warm is too warm? Supposed to be about 80 degrees around here today. Should not be a issue for a short hunt with plenty of water?

If it is going to be 80, I would go out as early as possible.

Roger.

I only time in the afternoon so I passed, waiting for some cooler weather

Watch your dog and look for behavior changes which could be minor when they start to heat stress. Had my dog in the hayfield behind the house when it all was new to me and didn't pick up on the change soon enough. Came on fast, by the time we got back to the house I had to wet him down. I'd take a couple gallon jugs of cold water with me to be safe, 1/4 to 1/3 water, freeze, fill before leaving. If they get to nonstop panting and excessive drooling wet down immediately.

Some years ago it was in the low 80's for the pheasant opener and tragically too many good dogs were lost because the owners let them run too long and weren't prepared to cool them down immediately.

You are wise to not hunt the afternoon.

I took out one of my dogs on the dove opener and it was at least 85 at dawn. We had an irrigation ditch with water nearby so I didn't worry.

We will hunt our S. Az quail opener in early October with the morning low as high as 75 degrees. We try not to work more than two hours early in the morning if we can't get to a stock tank as part of the hike. Wouldn't even think of hunting them in the afternoons as it could be 95 degrees.

We always carry water bottles for the dogs even if a stock tank is in the loop. The time hunting depends on conditioning and age of the dogs. No stock tanks we limit it to two hours or less.

Hope you have some fun bird hunts this fall.

In early hunts, we basically hunt from creek to creek, puddle to stock tank.

And that's just because I just have to get out. Realistically, anything over 60 degrees and they don't smell much, if at all.

I still go out, just don't count on good dog work.