Tracking Dogs

[tellico4x4]

No @gasman I don't need one , just didn't want to hijack your thread.

Just wondering if many on Tndeer have one? I got an awesome 9 month old Mtn cur pup from @OldFussNFeathers that I'm taking to a trainer down in Kosciusko Ms this weekend. He'll work with her for the next month on trailing using interdigital glands & blood, plus obedience training. Will pick her up on bow opening weekend. Have high expectations for her as she certainly has the drive.

Has been about 10 years since having a dog that would track and it has cost us some deer at club. Young planted pines & briars can make it extremely difficult to blood trail through and my old eyes aren't what they use to be. My last dog was a miniature Schnauzer that was just about 100% for 12 years. One problem with Zeke was that he wouldn't say a word. Had to hunt him on a leash and he'd drag me thru every thicket he could find . Other problem with him was that when you drug deer out of woods, he'd always be hanging on too, extra 20# to drag!

 

[Gravey]

Hit 'em right and you don't need no dang dog. Sorry just kidding. Be nice to have for sure but we don't have one.

 

[lafn96]

Been working with my vizsla some; she did the job last year on a doe I couldn't find, despite not any prior training on tracking deer. Took her about 30 seconds to cover the ground I had spent an hour on tracking the blood trail before I stopped. She found the doe less than a minute after that.

Now I have a 1 yr old black mouth cur that I also am trying to train as my vizsla is getting up there in years.

 

[timberjack86]

You can't go wrong with the mountain cur. I got mine finding a bloody pack of deer meat after making a fake track with it. Just need to shoot a deer when I go home for Thanksgiving and let him find it!

 

[tellico4x4]

I plan on using her to introduce my 12 yr old grandson to squirrel hunting with a dog after deer season goes out. She's already treed several around the bird feeders. The trainer told me not to encourage the squirrel hunting until he got thru with her & had a season of looking for deer under her belt. He said the instinct to tree is so strong in a cur that we need to focus on the deer first. Plan on using her as much as possible at camp this season even if the deer falls within sight. I may not hunt as much as normal as have told the guys to text me as soon as they shoot so I can bring her over.

 

[timberjack86]

My home guarding, chicken guarding, deer tracking ,squirrel treeing machine.

 

[timberjack86]

I plan on using her to introduce my 12 yr old grandson to squirrel hunting with a dog after deer season goes out. She's already treed several around the bird feeders. The trainer told me not to encourage the squirrel hunting until he got thru with her & had a season of looking for deer under her belt. He said the instinct to tree is so strong in a cur that we need to focus on the deer first. Plan on using her as much as possible at camp this season even if the deer falls within sight. I may not hunt as much as normal as have told the guys to text me as soon as they shoot so I can bring her over.

The last one I had, I started her the same way after she found her first deer I let her have the heart and I think it went to her brain. After that she forgot about squirrels.

 

[tellico4x4]

27 lbs of pure muscle & energy!

 

[timberjack86]

Good looking pup! Keep us updated how she does! I've never had one in obedience training as mine have always been easy to train. They are really to smart for me. I swear he listens better than my kids!

 

[tellico4x4]

T

Good looking pup! Keep us updated how she does! I've never had one in obedience training as mine have always been easy to train. They are really to smart for me. I swear he listens better than my kids!

Thanks & will do. She's extremely smart but I'm afraid that my patience & routine dedication is not what it used to be. I've got another Schnauzer that is super smart & I tried to train her to track like Zeke did. She did find a couple but once hitting the first briar, she's done & goes back to the Ranger, such a diva . Anyway, I was blessed that she didn't cost me anything and I wanted to make sure she would track, thus the professional trainer. The tracking program came with two weeks of obedience & for a couple hundred more could extend it to the whole 4 weeks. I thought shoot I'm in this deep, might as go all the way & give her best chance possible.

 

[OldFussNFeathers]

The last one I had, I started her the same way after she found her first deer I let her have the heart and I think it went to her brain. After that she forgot about squirrels.

My dad did similar. Let them have the guts after the shot and they went squirrel crazy. Other methods for squirrels my dad did with pups might not be well received but he sure can train a squirrel/coon hound.

 

[OldFussNFeathers]

View attachment 19224627 lbs of pure muscle & energy!

Fine looking dog!

 

[OldFussNFeathers]

Keep us posted. She has the pedigree.

 

[tellico4x4]

Keep us posted. She has the pedigree.

Will do, she is surely a pleasure. Thank you!