Woodcock Banding with Citizen Scientists (and Dogs!) with Bailey Petersen

Bailey Petersen helps facilitate Minnesota's woodcock banding program, which enlists the help of volunteer dog handlers. Dogs have to pass a control test before they're approved to join. We talk about steadiness in a bird dog, protective vests, and breeds - from Münsterländers to Llewellin setters. Plus: Grouse hunting in Minnesota... what to look for and what differentiates grouse habitat from woodcock habitat. 1:30 A little woodcock 'splash' for your sniffing pleasure, everyone 3:30 Harvesting wild rice... it involves a 'ricing buddy', a canoe, and tools called 'knockers' 7:00 Agencies working hand-in-hand with non-profits on habitat restoration 10:00 When a professional interest in healthy lakes leads you to appreciate waterfowl in a new way 11:00 Small Münsterländer; Llewellin Setter 13:00 Finding 'your' dog breed 15:00 Skijoring with your dogs 22:00 Minnesota's woodcock banding program 24:00 Recruiting new human/dog woodcock-banding teams 28:00 Testing dogs: It's about steadiness and control 32:00 The 2-week banding season overlaps with hatching 34:00 Finding a nest is an exercise in extreme caution 38:00 Steadiness training... start with "whoa," then add a temptation 43:00 Band return rates on woodcock are 11%, which isn't too bad 45:00 "If you have a cooperative dog, then it's really just an exercise of repetition." 46:00 Grouse hunting Minnesota, a pep talk  47:00 Hunter walking trails on OnX 50:00 Woodcock cover vs. grouse cover... "It becomes grouse cover after it's been prime woodcock cover." 52:00 For grouse, look for fruiting shrubs (chokecherries, highbush cranberries, hazel, birch) 58:00 Protective dog vests 1:05 Seeds embedded in dogs... #problems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices