V boards and dogs

Neal Haarberg

Neal Haarberg

Active member
The recent post on Vboards got me thinking I should make a few for divers. Then I got to thinking about my new pup. Then I had images of her trying to swim right through the middle of a V board then getting it tangled in the longlines and having a giant mess on your hands. So the Question for all you guys that use V boards have you had any issues with dogs trying to swim through them as if they were singles?
 
Seems to me you would have to run weighted droppers like on regular longlines. Hopefully they would go around the V board itself.

Just my thoughts.
 
Neal,

I have no experience with Y boards yet but if you are worried about the dog swimming down the center of them, you could possibly add another bird in the center of the Y to deter him/her from swimming through. You may have to make the legs slightly longer to get some more spacing, but its just a thought.
 
Neal,

My lab has hunted over a v-board spread many times. He has never tried to go through the frames and always swims around them. I did a little training in the yard early on using the v-boards and he got to see how they are arranged. (I doubt that had anything to do with his success since he is one of the more "intellectually challenged" labs I've met.)

More than likely, I think he sees the way the water moves around the v-board arms and recognizes that it isn't a clear path. Also, the spacing between the dekes would be a little tight for him to swim through. Whatever the reason, we haven't had a problem.

Frank
 
It has never been an issue for mine or any other dog I have hunted with. If it I a huge concern, I would imagine your pup would realize he/she can't swim through after a training session or two. Grab some and drag them along to the pond next time you go b
 
I agree with the rest of the guys. Most times they go around them. Even with (as someone put it) challenged dogs they learn after the first time. If your fortunate to hunt in shallow water you can even just do them as singles and mix them through. If your really worried about it make up a short rig and do some training in shallow water 3-4ft and let them get used to them. That way if there is a major issue you cant sort it out in waders. Deep water is just not the place to find out. Me and some of the guys i hunt with kinda live by the idea of "if its over your head and your not comfortable with it, taking dog may not be the best idea".
 
Welll it looks like I have just given myself a new project. Time to build some V boards!!! I think they would make a good filler in between the longlines.
 
I've used Y boards and sleds with a dog for many years. There were never any problems until one day an experienced dog made a bad choice and got tangled up in a bunch of sleds hooked together. I saw what was about to happen and jumped in the boat to go help her. In the time it took me to get to her she was so tangled she was going down. I pulled her in by the collar with all the sleds wrapped around her. She would have drowned in 4 feet of water.

NEVER send the dog through the Y boards. Wait for the bird to drift clear of them before you send her. Set your boards upwind as far as practical especially if they are on a motherline.

Mike
 
What happened Hank was that I had a set of nesting sleds tied to each other like a train with maybe 2' between each and anchored with about a 5lb weight. We were set up on the Yukon River in a pretty good current. She tried to go between the sleds and got tangled.

For my Y boards I clip them to a motherline with about 5' dropper lines. Its such a PITA system I hardly ever use them anymore. If each one was on its own anchor a dog might be able to drag one in, but on the long motherline she'd be pulled under for sure.

Again, the most practical solution is to set your sleds or Y boards upwind in the setup and not send the dog until dead birds clear the works.

Mike
 
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