When hiding birds, whether placed by hand or thrown into cover, you need to keep track of where you put them. "We use one-inch wide plastic tape in blaze orange tied to pieces of vegetation or attached to lightweight rods three to four feet long and stuck in the ground or in the mud to mark the spots where we've set the birds. This makes it easier to see when the dogs are closing in on the birds so we can better direct and encourage them," Rieser says.

"We sometimes pair a pup with an older, more experienced adult so that the younger dog will follow the older dog as a way of learning from example," Rieser says. "If the experienced dog stays in the search zone, the pup will usually stay close by and join in the hunt for a dead bird.

"In some instances, adding more dogs to the mix creates a competitive factor that keeps all the dogs working harder. But sometimes too many dogs just creates chaos, so be careful when you do this," Rieser advises.

Finding dead birds is a big part of any gun dog's job on a hunt for upland game or waterfowl. Though most breeds will have an innate instinct to look for shot game on land and in water, this natural ability to search for dead or wounded birds can be enhanced through some simple training methods.

The dog handler's voice tone and body posture are also factors in creating the "hunt dead" mode, Rieser feels. "One of my hunting buddies was the first to notice something I didn't realize about myself when he pointed out that our dogs responded to my long drawn out 'hunt dead' verbal command. Likewise, the dogs seem to react to my hand and arm positions and slightly stooped body as visual cues to go with this 'dead bird' search," Rieser adds.

Repetition of these training experiences is the key to making any breed of dog into a good dead bird finder, Rieser has found. "Don't miss an opportunity to put your dead birds to work in teaching your dog how to 'hunt dead'."

Conclusion
"We're looking for a big 10-pound Canada goose we dropped in this little patch of cattails," one of the hunters standing on the edge of the gravel road said when other hunters in a passing truck stopped to ask what they were searching for.

"Sure, you can use your dogs to look for the dead goose," was the answer to the question, "Would you like some help from a Labrador retriever and a German shorthair?"

The two dogs jumped from the truck and bounced into the three-acre slough and, on the "hunt dead" command, put their noses down and started the search for the honker.

After several months of training for exactly this kind of "hunt dead" opportunity, here was a sort of final exam for each of the canines. When 15 minutes had gone by, however, nothing was found where the two hunters said the goose had gone down.

The two dogs were moved over 100 yards toward the other end of the cover despite the objections of the hunters, who felt the bird couldn't have fallen there.

A few minutes later someone said, "Look at this!" as the shorthair and the Lab came marching in, each holding on to one wing of the dead goose.

Which dog first found the bird? "Doesn't matter; either one could have done it after their lessons in 'hunt dead'," the Lab guy told the shorthair owner.

For most hunters having their dogs find shot game birds dropped and otherwise lost in heavy cover is a thrill as great as shooting the bird in the first place. With some regular training and practice in the "hunt dead" method, any gun dog can become good--even great--at recovering dead birds.