Woodcock hunting: does it really exist? Is it possible to hunt down the queen of the woods in the company of a proclaimed trialer or not? One of the possible answers to this question, perhaps the most correct and simple one, would be: “not only can we, but must”.
Many speak of trialers and few are able to describe such a beautiful and complex creature. Whether it is proclaimed or not, the trialer, the real one, you recognize only on the playing field, and when it comes to hunting and woodcock the playing field is inevitably the forest. Not everyone does it, but it would be a good thing, rather fruitful for the hunter, to associate the idea of a forest, hunting and woodcock with that of a trialer. On the other hand, the trialer, even the potential one, is a godsend when you choose to hunt wild game for real, now a real rarity. Its intrinsic qualities make this dog a real specialist, a superb forest and mountain dog. If you suspect you have a steel-billed trialer next to you, here are some tips to recognize him.
Passion. It is typical of any auxiliary but in a steel-billed trialer the passion cannot really be lacking. On the other hand a hunting dog without passion for the woods and for his work he is a half dog: he may well possess all the qualities of the world, but he will never be able to perform as much as a passionate woodcock trialer. It is the first thing to look for in a puppy: you can't go on without it. On the other hand, it is the passion that pushes the dog forward even when there would be every reason to give up. A passionate dog takes a few more steps, searches for a few more meters, and this is usually the time when it meets its queen. The search for a passionate dog is an ardent search, which does not fear fatigue, which is never demotivated. Passion also allows you to forget the fatigue, pain, or tiredness and all the discomforts of some grueling hunting days. A passionate trialer is easily recognizable: he has an insatiable urge to meet and does everything to make this happen, should he explore the most inaccessible terrains or the most remote corners of the woods.
The temperament. It is different from auxiliary to auxiliary, but it must be there and have particular qualities. Finding two dogs with the same temperament is very difficult, practically impossible, just as finding two men with the same character is a rarity. The temperament is recognized immediately, from when the dog is a puppy, from the first training. The dog can prove stubborn, touchy, bold or shy and this will be the way in which he will relate forever with the world and with the cacciatore. When we talk about woodcock trialer, good temperament is the only possible one. A dog with a good temperament is an obedient dog, a dog that learns quickly, that does not take it out for reproaches but knows how to put them to good use, a dog that proves capable, right from the start, of establishing a great complicity with his mate, the hunter. Only in this way will it be possible to have control over the dog. The absence of a calm and good temperament will make all other skills useless as it will be practically impossible for the hunter to relate to the dog.
Intelligence. A woodcock trialer is not only a passionate and good-tempered dog, but must also be an intelligent dog. It is natural, all intelligences are different and are shown in different ways, but one thing is certain: if the dog is intelligent, it is immediately evident, from a puppy. And the best way to guess the intelligence of our dog is to take him to the woods, hunting. Intelligence is essential for a steel-billed trialer. It will allow him to get all the information possible from encounters with the wild, to understand it, to accumulate experience that in the short term will be indispensable to him to become a hunting ace. Intelligence will help him to adapt to many complicated and difficult situations, to learn quickly during the training phase and to establish a fruitful collaboration, right away, with the hunter. And again: he will be able to quickly familiarize himself with the forest, he will be able to recognize immediately, thanks to his accumulated experience, the best place for a meeting, he will be able to discard a priori areas that would probably prove to be devoid of game. In short, an intelligent dog always passes where the woodcock is and it is never about luck. It is a dog that can also make mistakes, but able to learn from his mistakes: he soon realizes the mistake and is able to fix the situation in a few moments.
The connection with the hunter. At this point, the last detail that can make your pet a five-star steel-billed trialer: the complicity that binds it to you. The dog must be tied to its hunter like a rubber band since a wide search, completely untied from its two-legged friend, would be useless. On the other hand that to the woodcock it is a particular, difficult hunt, and the connection required between hunter and dog is remarkable. No need for screams, whistles or gasping calls - a steel-billed trialer will know when it's time to go back to his hunter. Of course, finding a setter or a pointer that expresses all these characteristics is certainly not easy, but if you have found it, keep it tight, on a leash you have a treasure.