Quail Scent

[Bo Curtis]

When hunting quail with the Labs, they are able to pick up the scent and follow it to the bird (maybe not from the same distance as a GSP)(delete maybe). So can anyone please shed some light on why when the bird is shot dead, the dog can literally be standing over the bird and not know its there??!!

[Prue Winkfield]

Bo - this is very common and don't think anyone really knows the answer. It happened yesterday and it always amazes me that the dog seems completely oblivious to a bird under its nose and ten minutes later can do a spot on retrieve! Suggestions are that birds can somehow shutdown their scent and also scent comes from the vegetation around the bird. For instance a bird lying in clear ground is often more difficult for them to pick up on than one in cover. I have also seen this with rabbits - one particularly memorable occasion when a spaniel with its title could not scent a rabbit lying in clear view and we thought we wer going to have to climb over the fence and pick it up ourselves ! Prue

[Brian Kennedy]

Hi Bo, like Prue suggests I don’t think any body knows, but one theory I heard is the quail is air washed when they take of in flight.

Regards Brian