Mixed Bag LIMITS On A TINY Hole In The MARSH | Duck Hunting 2023

I've always wanted to go duck hunting on sheet water pond and this hunt was everything I had dreamed of! After watching lots of mallards, teal, and pintails dump into these marsh holes on opening day we decided to setup on one in the hopes of a mixed bag morning. We had birds decoying into the spread throughout the morning, and even had a flock just about take our heads off. Hope you enjoy!
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[@hardwaterfreaks1828]

Great corrective training and not letting your dog run rampant

[@FreelanceDuckHunting]

Great job being consistant with Rue and not loosing your cool about her breaking. Its way harder than it looks to do as good of a job as you did with that dog.

[@HokeOutdoors]

I appreciate it! It's definitely been a struggle at times! Lots of rookie handler mistakes to iron out this season

[@tylergagner8984]

Wow you guys pounded birds! For the dog- Metal stake, tether and a choke collar. Dog won’t brake, will correct itself, and you can focus on the hunt. You probably won’t even need to use if very long before she figures it out. You can not yell at her either- which your viewers and hunting buddies will appreciate. Great vid, keep up the good work!

[@Yellowlab247_NC_Outdoors]

I was about to say the exact same thing. need to tether the dog if they’re going to hunt and not focus on running the dog. With a young dog you can hunt or you can run the dog but you can’t do both.

[@FreelanceDuckHunting]

Dogs are really smart. They learn when they are tied on a leash and when they are not. For most dogs this isn't a good way to teach them to be steady. Thomas was handling it the right way. Sometimes you have to struggle through days like this to teach dogs. Once you start tying them on a leash you'll probably never have a truly steady dog.

[@Yellowlab247_NC_Outdoors]

I had the opposite experience when training my first lab. Because I hunted solo, I did not want her breaking and learning bad habits from a young age. A wise trainer once told me, "you can hunt, or you can train your young dog, very hard to do both". So I would actually put the gun down a lot in her first year and just focus on instilling good habits if I didnt have her tethered. Slowly as time went by, I would not tether her and she learned to be steady regardless. In my experience, it becomes increasingly harder to break habits as the dog ages. Just want to make sure the dog is safe and you are respectful to the other hunters. Everyone has their methods! @@FreelanceDuckHunting

[@tylergagner8984]

@@FreelanceDuckHunting I respectfully disagree and I'd rather hunt with the dog/ guy with a tether, no yelling and breaking than the constantly yelling/ breaking/ training during a hunt. There are better ways to correct behavior than constant yelling. Tether is an effective method to do that, and there are others.

[@FreelanceDuckHunting]

@@tylergagner8984a guy constantly yelling at his dog over time is certainly annoying and should be avoided. But a well trained dog who is just needing some correction early in his/her career need not be tethered. It’s all about the level of training the dog has received. In this case, Rue has received a lot of proper training and knows better. It will likely only take a hunt or to of strong correction to break this problem. That’s why in this instance tethering this dog is not the answer.

[@manbearpig6026]

Alaska looks like a waterfowl haven, great hunt!

[@HokeOutdoors]

The hunting slowed down pretty quick but it’s still been an incredible time up here!

[@tylerrobinson9747]

Rues looking good! Should be real happy with her, her drive and responsiveness is impressive bro!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Tyler! Gotta give all the credit for Rue to Cory, I’m just trying my best to get her some retrieves!

[@shawn5141]

Great couple hunts Thomas. Was wondering the other day if you hunted the VA goose opener but got the answer with video one. Looks like a great time and I was getting ready to ask about the calls and if you were still working with them when you showed it Keep it up and be safe.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Shawn, I appreciate it! It's been a blast up here so far and still got a couple weeks left! Didn't hear great reports from my buddies about goose opener, sounds like the geese were a lot harder to find this year compared to normal

[@shawn5141]

That they have been. I have a flock fly over the house every day 10 minutes after shooting light ends lol

[@reesejenkins2840]

I personally think a place for your dog helps the breaking but that’s me. If the dog knows it’s place it will break less great vid.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Reese! Having a kennel or place board for her definitely would've helped, just didn't have access to one in Alaska unfortunately

[@aaronsnatic2446]

I know you started with the big camera first, to be able to film in the low light. I noticed that it went back darker a little later. Is that when you switched to the Go Pro? Great hunts so far! Like others said and you said, put the gun down for a little while and concentrate on Roux. It will pay off for sure.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Aaron! Yeah that’s change in the lighting is the switch from the big camera to the GoPro. These newer GoPros do a lot better in low light but they’re still not great

[@DeeplyDrivenOutdoors]

What part of Alaska did you go to?

[@geminioutdoorz]

Another banger dude slayin em!! 2 weeks left till normal duck opener here!!!

[@HokeOutdoors]

How’d the duck opener go??

[@larrygolden167]

I love my chocolate but sometimes they can get hard headed. Great job not rewarding bad behavior.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Larry! Have you been out yet this season?

[@larrygolden167]

@@HokeOutdoors no unfortunately not do to work.

[@bobgiles2971]

Awesome video definitely lots of ducks congrats guys

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Bob!

[@richiecaelwarts1911]

Your dog braking isn't Abad thing if there's another dog in the mix she's just wanting to be first out there my old girl does the same thing when there's another dog with me . When your alone does she do it she's a good dog just be patient with her she'll come around. Good luck with her.

[@HokeOutdoors]

I appreciate it! I feel like we’re making some progress and a lot of it boils down to mistakes that I’m making as a handler. Gonna put the gun down more next hunt and really focus on being quick with corrections

[@bobbygreig2277]

I was gonna say that. Put the gun down n work the dog and it will pay off in the long run. Great video

[@logan4703]

I love the vids what part of alaska are you hunting?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks brother! I hunting in the south central part of the state

[@danielbrowne9344]

Those dogs are a huge help in a place like that. Those ducks can almost disappear in that grass.

[@joseantoniogarridoternero7445]

Como siempre precioso video con grandes lances y disparos muy buenos, enhorabuena.saludos

[@virginiaswampboys199]

Nice.

[@stevencarnes1839]

Also training not in the field using live shots in training is another great way to stop the breaking. Would like to see some dog training vids from you

[@nasserkuzbari2205]

Love it. What shots size were you using? 2 or 4?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Nasser! I was using BOSS #5s on this hunt

[@stevencarnes1839]

Understand the struggle of fine tuning your dog. I don’t have training experience but I’m having my dog trained now. Took him out for dove hunt and he isn’t polished. Definitely a trying timw

[@larrygolden167]

My cousin’s Lab was driving me nuts on a dove shoot. He kept running all over the field chewing up peoples birds. I finally told him he had to put him in the truck and not bring him back until he had him under control.

[@shadyroids]

A little tip if your dog is continually trying to break leash them up to you if your not shooting. Then when birds are killed make them stay there and you get the bird till the do what they are supposed to do. If they did it correct then send them they will figure out that if they don't listen they won't get to retrieve

[@HokeOutdoors]

I appreciate the tip! If she keeps it up I'll have to break out a tether but we've been making progress the last couple hunts so I'm hoping I can correct the behavior without having to put her on a leash.

[@caws.xo8]

I need labrador.. bro please :(

[@imamakeit2064]

At 10:08 your shot hit the bird not the other guy

[@richiecaelwarts1911]

I guess because there's not as many hunts there you can shoot 8 pigtails there they still fly south the rest of the states only one I don't understand this at all not bitchen just wondering why they do that . Any answers bud.

[@HokeOutdoors]

I think it’s the lack of hunters plus the lack of plumage on the birds, I don’t have the definitive answer though

[@chasecook3284]

What’s the GoPro your using as your background?

[@HokeOutdoors]

It’s a Hero 10

[@ahh7335]

❤❤❤

[@blainefettic6009]

You need to work Some more with your dog.

[@HokeOutdoors]

We definitely have some issues to iron out but given that I’ve never handled her before I’m happy with the progress that we’ve made

[@peytonsell7389]

She’s got a shock collar, use it

[@HokeOutdoors]

I have been, just wasn't as quick on it as I needed to be on the first couple hunts of the season

[@country_boy21]

Any dove hunting this year?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Unfortunately I won’t be unless it’s a late season hunt in VA. No doves up in Alaska from what I’ve seen

[@country_boy21]

@@HokeOutdoors yea not much in va right now

[@Realisticoutdoorsmen]

Good stuff, her breaking will disappear with time hopefully. Keep the content coming I only kill ducks because if you.

[@HortonBrosOutdoors]

It’s not a habit that just disappears. They will only get away with what you let them get away with. E-Collar training is key. Sometimes you have to just let others pull the trigger and you focus on working the dog.

[@Realisticoutdoorsmen]

@@HortonBrosOutdoors that’s what I mean. You can’t rush dogs

[@HokeOutdoors]

She’s been e-collar trained, I’ve just been too slow when using it. I definitely need to put down the gun some on the next hunt and just focus on being really quick with the corrections.

[@martincotter6370]

What shot are you using. Do you have to use steel or other non toxic or can you use lead. Martin UK

[@HokeOutdoors]

I was shooting BOSS #5s on this hunt. We have to use non toxic loads here so people mainly shoot steel, bismuth, or tungsten

[@michiganoutdoors9347]

Your dog is gonna continue breaking, awful that you are letting her continue that habit

[@HokeOutdoors]

How am I letting her continue that habit? I do need to put down the gun to be quicker with corrections but I’m denying retrieves and using the e collar pressure. I’d really appreciate any further tips to stop her from breaking, it’s not something that I am trying to enable

[@Ca_Tule_Ninja]

@@HokeOutdoors You are following through and making progress, man. That’s 100% enough to make a good dog. Don’t listen to the haters on this stuff. Keep up the good work!

[@hardwaterfreaks1828]

@@HokeOutdoorsdon’t reply to worthless trash like that. Dudes trolling you hard. You literally stopped your dog on every break