Considerations for Upland Backpack Hunting
Having a bird dog in the field with you is an awesome experience, especially on a backpack upland bird hunt trip where adventure abounds at every turn. Caring for the dog on the extended trip takes more preparation to make sure you can stay in the field vs. hunting out of a truck. Having a plan for hydration, food, sleeping, and first aid while you are miles away from the truck is important. Many first-time backpack upland hunters, who are used to hunting out of the truck or withing known areas, are caught off guard by the extra preparations required. Some items to consider are listed here.
Hydration for your Dog while Upland Backpack Hunting
Proper hydration is one of the most common mistakes upland backpack hunters make when first getting into long adventures. Planning a route can help in these regards to make sure you are going to pass by known water sources. However, sometimes, you’re not sure if the stream will be a year-round source or if the spring is still active in the fall. Before leaving the truck, put out water in a bowl for your dog and relax until it drinks some. You can put a little kibble or honey in the water to encourage the dog to drink as well. Take extra water for your dog in addition to you, plan for both of you to have adequate water consumption. The amount of water to bring will depend on the weather conditions and distance from known water sources. You’ll want to at least plan your camp around known water sources, and, on hot early season days hunt around known water sources such as a stream or known springs. Then carry a liter or two plus for your dog. A small collapsible bowl is also a good idea to prevent waste from pouring water into a dog’s mouth. For several years we have used a water bladder and hose and sprayed the water into the dog’s mouth. This seems to work well on day hunts, but the drawbacks are you can’t easily monitor the water consumption and there is a lot of waste. As such, carrying in a water bottle is our go to method these days. Monitor the dog for signs of dehydration such as a swollen tongue or in the worst-case loss of balance. Stop and take breaks in the shade at a frequency depending on the temperature of the day. For warm days, this is every 20 minutes or so. For cool days breaks are often not needed but just some hydration.
Dog Nutrition for Upland Hunting
Packing nutrition during the hunt and hike for the dog can be a good idea as well. Some folks recommend bringing a bottle of honey or other fast acting source of nutrition for your dog while hunting. We have tried these without much luck over the years. A dog typically hunts best on an empty stomach. This is our preferred approach with perhaps a light feeding in the morning and a heavy feeding at night. You do not want to hunt your dog with a full belly of food because their stomach can twist and cause an emergency.
Takeaways
- Carry an extra water bottle and collapsible bowl for your dog
- Hydrate and rest every 20 minutes if hot
- Plan hunts around known water sources
- Camp at known year-round water sources
- Hunt dogs on empty stomachs or light feedings
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