"How you evaluate" seems so much better for the WWW.
x2...I like raising the whole litter for a little while.
I test them for winding and locating at about 8 weeks old. I do this several times a week for several weeks. I start them close up and then increase the distance.
I then test a few times on trailing. I am constantly observing for pups that are natural winders, trailers and locators, also looking for the negatives like overly dominant or hyper behavior.
I then test to see if I have a natural bay dog or how much exposer the pup needs to make him bay or work. I like smart pups that learn easily or are born to do it naturally.
I also try not to pick a shy or hyper pup.
at 3-1/2 months to 4 months I test the pups for natural free casting. I look for a pup that circles and not runs out in straight lines.
At about 3 months I cull down to six pups
at 4-5 months I cull down to 4 pups
at 6-7 months I try to cull to 3 pups but might hang on a little longer...
the longer I hang on to the pups before culling, the better they usually are.
When I say cull I mean that they are not making the cut for me but it does not mean that they will not make good hunting dogs.
I am trying to select the very best from the litter because that is the only way I know how to improve a strain/breed of dogs...
