I'm looking for a "BLOOD TRAILING DOG" (PUP)to blood train wounded deer! I also need info on books ,vidios, or sites that could help teach. Whats the best dog for this ????? Thanks for Your help ...Jeff
No better breed than a Lab...
Sat. the 23rd.I shot a doe and made a bad hit.I left the camp to get my yellow lab the next morning after a couple hours he found it with not a drop of blood.I have a thread on it "Bad shot no blood but sonny" and he posted on the highlight section if you are intrested in the story.I am a firm beliver in using dogs with no blood train especially in palmettoes where I hunt and I trained him as a pup to follow deer blood with a weiner as a reward.This deer was going to die for sure with a gut shot so I knew I had to find it.Kip
Just about any dog properly trained can follow a blood trail. I have German Drathar that has a great nose but they are a little pricey.
Do a search, plenty of good threads about this subject...
Check into weiner dogs. There are some threads about some long hairs that are bred for blood trailing. We taught our old weiner dog to Pheasant hunt. He would go in under brush the other dogs would go around. He flushed a lot of pheasants during his lifetime.
The name of the book you want is "Tracking Dogs for finding Wounded Deer" by John Jeanneney. I think you can buy it at www.born-to-track.com. (http://www.born-to-track.com.)
My lab has found 11 deer and 4 bear. Most of it due to the book.
Bowmania
Got a six month old lab from a trainer about two weeks ago - gonna work him to blood but his main focus will be birds. He is a started dog that is making training easy! (thank the Lord, cause I amnot that good!LOL)
Am starting him onblood that I got from a hog killin the other week. Tip I got from the tradgang was to dilute the blood just to make it last longer - and the watery blood from store bought steaks works as well. Makes the supply last alot longer - whoever that was THANKS.
last day of deer season helped a guy track one down and I wish we wouldv'e had a dog at that point in time! man was that a rough track.
Luck everyone
J
Jeff
Do as Todd suggests and get John's book, it is a great resource and gives great information on breeds, training, handler motivation etc etc.
As Curt suggests, look at past threads - several guys around here are seriously into this - I have posted several times about our pup this fall/winter as well.
My wife and I had been thinking a long time about a tracking dog and did A BUNCH of research before getting our pup. We went the Dachshund route (they are used VERY extensively in Europe for tracking) and were very careful with our choice of breeder to be sure to get a dog with good hunting/blood tracking bloodlines. There are a handful of breeders in the US serious about blood tracking dachshunds (or Teckels as they are called in Germany and France).
Be aware, developing a good tracking dog is a huge commitment, and be honest with yourself about how much time and effort you are willing to invest. You might be able to have a tracking dog and put him on 2 or 3 deer a year and be OK. To fully develop your animal, though, most people that are serious about tracking do way more tracks than that and give up substantial hunting time for it.
I know there are several folks with dogs in Ohio - you might want to contact one and meet thier dog and discuss this with them as well. I may be travelling to Zanesville, OH in the next couple weeks as the lady that bred our dog is delivering a pup to the area and I'd be glad to meet you there and talk more if not too far for you to drive.
We couldn't be happier with our little buddy and he's verging on spoiled (sleeps in the bed) ;) . I'm really glad we put in all the groundwork beforehand and got the right dog for us.
Ryan
There will be a blood tracking workshop in Southern Michigan (Marshall) May 15-16. The 17th there will be a tracking test. Here is a link to more info.
http://borntotracknews.blogspot.com/2010/01/upcoming-blood-tracking-workshop-ubt.html
There will also be a tracking dog/hunting workshop in North Carolina in March. Search the web for "F3 Hunting Workshop" and you'll get details about that one.
Ryan
Great story Kip. Way to go! I'll use a track dog in a heartbeat!
I have had two labs that I trained to track. The last dog I did a much better job with and he recovered around 65 deer for me. I guess I bragged on him to much as some one stole him. From a personal note the only problem I found with a good dog is that I nearly lost the ability to trail myself, and "was" considered a pretty good tracker. It makes for a stress free hunt even in hard rain. You know that dog will bail you out.
I had an old black and tan coon dog my neighbor a coon hunter gave me. He would run deer and a coonhunter hates that. He found a lot of deer for me and friends. Even when I had good blood I would go get him and let him trail. He loved it and I loved to hear him moan and howl. Deeeepp voice that was music.That being said I think I would go with a smaller dog. The hound would drag me through briars and have me bloody in thick country.But finding a deer that would have been lost was worth it.RC
QuoteOriginally posted by NDTerminator:
No better breed than a Lab...
i agree they are hard to beat!
Thanks ..... I also heard Labs are great "ANTLER FINDERS" too! :)
I remember growing up we had a rat terrier on the farm. That dog would always follow a blood trail of a Deer, can't say we ever worked with her to get her to do it, but she was raised with me as I grew up squirrel hunting.
I,ve got a black bab that I use for duck hunting, everytime I would bring a deer gome it would go crazy over it. I started taking him and putting him on deer that I knew I made a good shot on and he started finding them and just gets better every time. He has found several that probably would not have been recovered. Now I have people calling me to find their deer.
My wife and I breed Duchshunds and I've yet to have one that won't trail anything you put them on.
They don't need specific training for it,just a gentle start to give them the basic idea an their away.
The best of them are our wirehairs,their a little tougher and quite a bit more calm an steady about things than the standard smoothes.
Really,any good nose/hound/bird type dog will work at it because it's just in their nature to track/find/retrieve ect.
I start my pups by tying a deer hock to the line on a long surf casting rod,then drag it along the ground 16 feet or so along the ground parallel to me.
give it about 20 yards an leave a small bit of venison at the end of the trail.
I then put the pup on the start of the trail and encourage him or her to track it.
Pups that don't get the idea straight away,will work it out if I get an older dogs to do it while they watch.
I keep all the rear hocks from most deer I take,an let the dogs have them as chew toys ect.
The hocks have both the interdigital an tarnsal glands on them,and it's mostly that scent the dogs work "rather than an actual blood trail.
The gentleman that got me started with trailing/tracking dogs would put the tarnsel glands in a blender,mix with about 75% water an store the mixture in his fridge for later use.
He'd then lightly soak a drag rag with it an use the rag the same way I use the hocks.
I find working with the dogs to be just as enjoyable as the actual hunt,,,sometimes more so.
In an emergency, just leash up what you have and give it a try. You've already failed to find the critter so the dog isn't going to screw anything up. I've successfully used my Boykin 4 times. I keep her on a leash or she'd be down the trail too fast for me to follow.
When she finds the deer, she goes whacky. Growls, snarls, runs in and bites the carcass. All the time I'm praising her and getting her more excited.
I want her to know she's done good. I don't know why she doesn't trail deer when we're out after birds. Could have to do with the shock collar.
I heard of some dogs in Texas called Lacys. They are pretty handy. LGDA.com
Yeah, I heard there is one down Solana way named Cowboy that looks to make a good un.
Five Arrows Outfitters uses jack russell terriers. A friend of mine got a pup from them. He doesn't loose deer. She was a quick study too.
Lab - all the way, if you want an all around dog. I had one for 14 years that I used for every type of retrieve and retrieval and he was fantastic. We worked with deer blood on a rag to get him up to speed on tracking deer. Lots of articles and books on the topic out there but I'm only familiar with the older stuff.
Got a new puppy on the way so I'd better brush up on the topic myself.
I am trying what I have and that is a Border Collie and he is doing a wonderful job so far...hope to have him ready for September..
I forgot to add we also used tarsal glands, urine and untanned hide to help in the training. It didn't take much training.
Stay away from "over breeding" dogs like a chocolate that came from a long list of chocolates. A chocolate (which mine was) is the smallest slice of the genetic pie as far as labs go. Overbreeding for color is a problem. They can have heath problems (ears, eyes and nose to name a few) not limited to poor scent ability. Mine came from a black dame and a yellow sire. Neither had hardly any chocolates in a five generation pedigree.
Lots of breeds will do but the lab can do duty as a tracker, retriever, protection (great bark but too lovable to protect sometimes), pet and a great companion.
A Border Collie is a great choice. Just be ready with a brush or electric shaver for critter and sticker removal!
Bolong is right by the way. You'll get calls all hours of the day and night if your dog gets a good reputation. You might even get a few hunting invites as a bonus!
One final thought - it may be illegal in some states so check first on that.
I think any of the sporting breeds can be trained to blood trail. I'd guess the hounds have the most potential.
Personally, I have a Drahthaar. I don't recommend the breed for a first time owner or anyone who isn't ready for one huge handful of dog.
I have trailed many a deer with labs when I was in commercial bowhunting. They are amazing as I am sure other breeds are as well.
I have recently heard that some groups out west have been using the Standard Poodle (think that's the name). The big poodle. They say they are the best.
Standard Poodle? Absolutely! I waterfowl hunt once in a while with a friend who has a standard from Poole, England and what a retriever! That's the real poodle. A fisherman's and hunter's dog. Not what the French and the foofoo crowd have done to the breed. A lot like a Curly Coat with a heavier coat. There are some good breeders here in the states. Again, expect to be picking stickers and critters out of their hair for trailing duty. That's where a Lab has the advantage.
Nick,the French use standard poodles as police dogs,and have done for a couple of centurys.
You might try being a little less insulting to the people that developed the breed in the first place.
It's not them that ponce about show rings done up like flaming gays,they treat their national dog with far more respect than that.
You might also keep in mind who it was that helped liberate your own country while your poking crap at them.
I've got a Jack Russell, a yellow lab, and a lab/weimeraner mix. All three will find a wounded deer. The lab/weim mix and the jack are equally enthusiastic about it. I got them started by dragging around bloody butcher paper and giving them some trimmings when they found it.
I prefer to take Cash, the lab/weim mix for trailing. He doesn't get hung up as much as Taku, our jack.
I have two doxies that are in training for sheds and deer. It's great fun and good for the pups.
A bit off topic but apparently Michigan just passed a regulation that dog trackers must pass a test (don't know yet what it involves), get permission from Law Enforcement annually to participate as a tracker, call the Report Poaching Line before and after tracking every animal and have a concealed pistol license but only use it for self-defense. Any other states have regs like this?
I didn't mean to be insulting to the French about their national dog. I have first hand seen and listened to breeders who have tried very hard to breed every working dog trait out of the breed. Narrow heads, slight bones, etc. The breed has a great heritage that was altered by some for "other" purposes. None the less, I even bought one last week for my French/Canadian fiancee's daughter. If she thought I was knocking the French she would cut off parts of my body that she had no use for. As to the French assistance in defeat of the British in that skirmish called the American Revolution, I am eternally grateful. Those were certainaly not the French that spat on me while I was once in Paris in an American uniform.