Understanding Bird Scent – Part 4 The Dead Bird
After my three part series on scent in the April, May & June 2017 issues of the Versatile Hunting Dog, I’ve had several people ask me why their dog can point a bird at 100 feet but run right over a dead bird. Although odor chemistry is complex and poorly understood, let’s see if we can answer this question.
During the process of a bird boeing flushed and then shot, several things happened to the bird scent. First, when flushed, the bird undergoes what we refer to as wind wash. That means that the combination of the several ingredients that create body scent are washed from the bird during flight. This includes the dead skin cells, the small pieces of capsules that surround new feathers, dust and the ingredient that combines them all….the uropygial gland oil. The uropygial gland is used when the bird is preening. The heat from the body of the live bird allows the above concoction to rise and create the scent cloud.
However, when the heart stops and the bird is dead, the body begins to cool immediately. So, most of the ingredients of the scent cloud have been washed away during flight and the remaining ingredients are rendered useless. Therefore, no body scent from a dead bird.
And, here’s another contributor to the reason your dog can’t find the dead bird. Also a contributor to the scent cloud is breath. Have you ever noticed that your dog will find a wounded bird much more quickly than a dead bird? A wounded bird has lost most of its body scent through wind wash, however, it’s still breathing. Birds breathe through both their mouth and nostrils. Bacteria in the mouth create scent. When the bird stops breathing, the scent from the mouth stops.
Another point to keep in mind regarding loss of the scent cloud are electrical signals. Through a heart beat, the body operates on electricity. In fact, everything a body does is controlled by electrical signals running through the body. When those electrical signals stop, everything stops; including scent.
Hopefully, this short piece on scent will help you understand why your bird dog, the one with an incredible nose, can’t find a dead bird. That’s a freshly killed dead bird. A few days after the death of the bird, putrefaction begins. That’s the bacteria in the intestines beginning the decomposition of the body. Yes, scent will now be present and your dog may find the bird…but not in the condition you want for table fare.
Regarding your bird dog, your author likes what we refer to as a broke dog. For safety reasons, we don’t want our dog chasing a flushing bird. Usually, a broke dog must remain steady to the flush and shot. I don’t want my dog chasing, however, I will allow liberal movement to mark the flight of the bird and the drop. This helps immensely in locating a dead bird.
About the Author : Paul Fuller
Visit authors website | View more articlesPaul Fuller is host of Bird Dogs Afield TV. The show is available on his website birddogsafield.com and his YouTube Channel [youtube.com/birddogsafield]. Bird Dogs Afield has 3.3 million views on YouTube. Paul and Susan, his wife, travel across America and Canadian provinces to film and share their upland hunting experiences with like-minded sportsmen. He has published the iconic DVD series titled Grouse, Guns & Dogs and most recently, his new book titled 21st Century Pointing Dog Training. Paul loves all bird dogs, however, his personal choice is the German shorthaired pointer. Paul can be reached at [email protected].
Related Aritlces
Understanding Bird Scent - Part 1 The Birds
In his book Best Way To Train Your Gun Dog, Hall of Fame Trainer Delmar Smith said: "No one's ever understood one thing about scent." Add this: Odor chemistry is complex and still poorly understood. (The Science of Smell, Iowa State University May 2004). Now we can understand why few, if any, have dared enter this research field of bird scent and pointing dogs.
Bird Hunting Partners
Few living today knew the days of wild bird (quail) hunting on foot on ordinary farms across much of America. I did, and it kept me sane and gave me much joy.
Harmony in the Field: A Symphony of Bird Dogs and Wild Birds
In the timeless pursuit of the perfectly honed bird dog, the age-old adage rings true: "It takes birds to make a bird dog." Yet, how often have we pondered the profound layers concealed within this saying? The interplay between a bird dog and a wild bird emerges as an intricate dance, a narrative woven by the instincts of the dog, the natural behavior of the bird, and the dichotomy between untamed wilderness and cultivated training grounds.
