Im red green color blind, Im fairly good at tracking a healthy deer with no blood, but that just isnt good enough for finding wounded game.
And Im bad at that, at least until winter when all you have is old grey hued leaves which I can see new blood on.
I have read about dogs trained specially for that that which outfitters use. Has any one trained a dog for themselves?
I have a blue/green issue. I have trouble seeing red on green. If a animal runs thru grass I have great difficulty tracking. And small drops of blood forget it. I cant hunt alone anymore because of it. As in not camp and hunt alone. As long as I can go get tracking help I am good.
I am going to start carrying a small spray bottle of hyrogenpyroxide in my pack. I have used it HP with good success on making sure a small drop is blood.
No dogs though.
I will also say that the Grizzly head has help me with this making tracking jobs either short of causing profuse bleeding.
I have a buddy with the very same issue, he swears by the new blood tracking flashlights.
gr
My dad is very colorblind and cannot follow blood unless it is in snow. He has a very good bloodtrailing dog...ME!!! I've tracked more than a few deer for him. To tell you the truth, I rather quite enjoy it...Mike
I started a pup on bloodtrailing last season. If you have a dog that will track by blood,it is one of the most rewarding thing you can do. When you find that first animal that would have otherwise been lost, it makes you wonder why you haven't had one years earlier. I have used Suzy (a jagdterrier) on numerous tracks and she is doing great and is not yet 2 years old. We have been on 3 tracks so far this season and found 2 animals that would have not been found without her. I would actually rather track with Suzy for someone else. than go hunting myself. It is that much fun!
In my opinion everyone should have access to a good tracker if their state allows it. Most any dog with hunting instincts can be trained for this. Some have a better or "colder" nose than others but most of us are on the track within a few hours so a dog with the most extremely good nose is not needed. If you want the absolute best dog for the job though, a hunting bred wirehaired daschund is supposed to be it.
I'm red/green and a little blue/green colorblind. I think that it is neat that I am that way, but I can't see blood for ****! Very frustrating when in the field. I'm sure that dogs would work miracles for me, but I'd rather get a buddy to help me than go buy an expensive dog. -Lee
Yes I have trained dogs myself. First step is to put them on blood trails that you KNOW has a dead deer or hog at the end - preferably you see or hear it go down - then go home and bring the dog back - let em smell the arrow - on a leash follow the wagging tail to your prize. EASY. Easier if you have a buddy or 2 within driving distance to boost the body count during a typical fall session. DO NOT walk along the trail looking - and DO NOT put the dog on trails with uncertain outcomes. ALSO - always put a large canvas collar - ORANGE or reflector with a bell on the dog.
Dogs will learn this very quickly - just 2 or 3 times and they will begin finding game later that you would not find without them. I like Labs - Terriers - and one of my buddies has an awesome beagle - I have heard mongrels work best?! -
Do this right and the dog learns to trail - not to run tracks. NEVER fool around with deer scents or crap like that - stick to the real show - be disciplined and it will work out great. I tend to keep the dogs on a leash even after they are trained - this reinforces training rather than possibly deteriorating performance. Dogs gotta know this is serious business - zero tolerance for breaking and running game.
Good Luck<>< <-----------------<<<<<<<
It's funny you should mention that, my three hunting buddies are all color blind, now you got me thinking, I'm being played for my dogs, LOL!
I'm with you all cause I'm red/green colorblind. I see the wetness from blood but no color. Need someone to help me track when I shoot one. Very Very frustrating. Wish a set of glasses could be made for us who can't see blood. I bought the flashlights and guess what, I own two very expensive flashlights. Don't help worth a lick. IMHO. Never tried a dog. Hmm. I got a 1 year old black lab. Gotta think this one out. I have used a mut a time or two. His name is longbowben up top!!!! :biglaugh:
Mike
My brother in-law is red/green color blind, I guess you could say I'm his trackin dawg!! :bigsmyl: Just makes for more fun.
One thing about red/green color blindness and the flash lights.
There are 2 kinds of red/green color blindness. One doesnt have red receptors and one doesnt have green receptors. The effect is very similar in function but the light only helps one.
Dad is the same way. I have to be careful when he calls "found blood"... he may not have.
I'm NOT color blind but I use my tracking Wire-haired Dachshund all the time. Tilly is a much better tracker than me anyway :) Plus tracking with a dog is Great Fun...just another added dimension to hunting! Doc
I have an older dachhound. He's found many deer for myself and others that would have been lost otherwise. Cory's got the training right. If you've got a dog that shows some interest in trailing, anything, giv'em a try. Dogs are great!
ch
I have 2 dachshunds-didn't know they were such good trackers. I am also somewhat color blind and really struggle at times. My dad, brother, and friends have tracked many a deer for me that I would not have found without them.
I think the German wired hair dachshund is the right one from what I have heard. I have never seen one in action, but it sure sounds like fun. Mike
Wow, I guess colorblindness is more common than I thought?
I'm not color blind, but I just got the book Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer (http://www.born-to-track.com/book/order-info.htm) and I'm starting out my 3 year old Clumber Spaniel.
The book is good, but it's written by an easterner, for the east. (No offense intended to anyone.) I am not so sure how it will translate into the sagebrush country out here. Also, we have far fewer opportunities to take deer, so the chances for training on a real deer trail are practically non-existent. I'm curious about other westerners' experiences with tracking dogs. I realize it's not legal a lot of places. But I'm working on that here anyway. ;)
VERY frustrating to be color blind, I think, its all I know. Can't tell the color of most things just know it is different. I am lucky to have several friends with tracking dogs, beagles, hounds, labs, muts but the best of them all in my oppinion is a young Jagd Terrier. This little dog is ferocious, cute, friendly, determined and seldom barks while working. The little things loves hogs. When he looks at you he seems to be smiling or thinking we are the dumbest things on two feet. He wont go near a snake. The others get the job done but not as much fun to watch. The beagle and Jagd get around in the brush a lot easier than the others. Both are good little family dogs. Good luck.
A friend and I train our dogs and dogs for buddies by using bottled, frozen blood from previous kills and deer hides. There is always a "deer" at the end of the trail and we practice cold and hot trails during the offseason. It has been very effective for us and we have used it on everything from dachsunds to beagles to labs. For us the beagles have been the most troublesome with wanting to run other game, but as stated before, if you keep them on leash and give them plenty of practice they will grow out of it. There's nothing like the excitement of a dog when it finds it's "prize".
Illegal here - unless you are a licensed service through NYSDEC.