Dogs for Tracking

tree dancer · December 10, 2007, 03:45:00 PM

Bill I also have a Jagdterrier. Easy to train and just the right size.

BFinegan · December 10, 2007, 04:11:00 PM

here another link of interest for this subject

http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/

Bill Kissner · December 10, 2007, 04:12:00 PM

Glad to hear you like your jagd George. They are a great all round hunting dog and can be used for about anything. I have trained many bird dogs and several coon hounds but have never had a pup with the desire to hunt that my jagd has. Suzy absolutely goes nuts when she see's me getting her tracking harness out. There's no doubt that she knows whats up and loves doing it.

Kip · December 10, 2007, 04:53:00 PM

My yellow lab not quite mature yet will retrive and I believe will blood trail if needed.Every time I cooked deer this past spring, summer,fall took the blood and made a drag trail and reward at the end, some of the deer or a weiner.He loves to trail and loves the retriveing also.Kip

killinstuff · December 10, 2007, 05:02:00 PM

Shorthairs are great. Tracking is one of the many instincts besides pointing they have been breed for. I've had four and they all tracked shot deer and never ran deer that we were not tracking. The one I have now even tracked a poor hit bear to it's final resting place and I was glad to have her up front then me. But small they are not. 40lbs on up

Ian johnson · December 10, 2007, 05:07:00 PM

at my uncles deer camp where I gun hunt, we have a pack of four catahoula curs that are experts at tracking deer and hogs

JBiorn · December 10, 2007, 05:22:00 PM

And lets not forget some of the "working" breeds. My little Blue Heeler does a great job of finding---and it didn't take very much effort to teach her. The cattle dogs are highly intelligent and eager to please. Not only that, but you get a rugged dog that is small and manageable enough to be a great family friend the rest of the year(like Labs4me said earlier). I am trying to get a German Shepherd to do the same right now, and am seeing pretty good progress.

laddy · December 10, 2007, 05:42:00 PM

Although I think a tracking dog for poorly hit deer is good idea, In Iowa I'm not sure it is legal to use dogs in any way for deer hunting. we did use a griffon once and he did find the deer, but like I said I am not sure we were legal. We did make sure to leave the bowhunter that hit his first deer behind, then called him to let him know we found it.

Tim Schoenborn · December 10, 2007, 05:44:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by herkimerhunter:
Im looking into a German Shorthair for tracking deer and bird hunting.They say they are versatile dogs.Also, look into a Bavarian Mt. Curr if you want a dog for tracking only.Hard to locate but they say theyre unbeatable trackers.

Hey Bro.........

You find a dog that can handle birds and track deer you give me a call and we will be rich. Don't listen to all that NAVHDA garbage. I have been playing the bird dog game for over 20 years and have titled a ton of them.

Bird dogs and deer is where the common saying getting a degree from Spark U came from.

Without bird dogs and deer we would not have electronic training collars today......................

Tim :cool:

Robert Warnock · December 10, 2007, 08:38:00 PM

Compared to squirrels, rabbits and birds, a deer leaves a lot more scent. We can even smell a rutting buck when conditions are right. Almost any breed of dog could be trained to track and find them. We have a Chow that found the first deer she was put on with no prior work. I believe it is possible to have a dog that could double as a family pet and deer tracker.

Tim Schoenborn · December 10, 2007, 08:46:00 PM

Not all bird dogs do. And not just bird dogs I am sure there are a lot of dogs that can and will take to deer.

I am saying that the last thing I want one of my pointers doing is paying attention to deer. Be it dead or alive. A lot of the German breeds are used for this purpose to this day in Europe. One of the largest groups is the VDD group which is here in the states also.

In europe these dogs will carry a dowel attached to their collar by a piece of latigo and will return with the dowel in their mouth to indicate they have found game.

I actually worked with a german wirehair that was a german champion dog straight from Munich. This dog had passed the tough test along with all the other criteria involved in this type of accomplishment based on german standards which marks the tracking of fur at a very high regard.

This particular dog would go out and find birds and then return to me and push my leg in the direction of his find. Then would lead me the area and establish point. A serious and undesirable fault in the states based on our standards and criteria in how we test and trial dogs here. It can be construed as "Blinking" which is a disqualify under any U.S. standards being NSTRA or any other governing group for that matter.

This dog was finally shot by a farmer here in Washington M ichigan for continually attacking and killing his sheep.

My point being is that if you run dogs like I do, then you don't want a pure bird dog to chase any type of fur. Fur and birds don't mix at the level I expect from a bird dog period. And under any type of formal performance competition in this country such as Grouse Trials right here in Gladwin or field trials or hunt tests where the dog is expected to do what it was bred for (PointingBreeds) it is cause for immediate disqualification.

My statement is such............

True bird dogs do not chase fur. And I am not alone in my thinking as there literally thousands of guys who campaign dogs in this country that feel the same way.

The comment about the collars was a little bit of a joke but true.

Why do you think Tri Tron ics has a long range collar called the "Trashbreaker"?

Not to mention dogs running live deer in Michigan is illegal.

Tim ;-)

Tim Schoenborn · December 10, 2007, 09:00:00 PM

And in Michigan dogs used for tracking purposes must be kept on a leash.

Just a little FYI

Tim

Shawn Leonard · December 10, 2007, 09:22:00 PM

I have seen several blood trailing dogs work and the best by far was a fat old girl named Ginger. She was a Welsh Corgi, I think a lot has to do with the owner dog relationship. If the dog really wants to please its master they can have an average nose, as they make up for it in hard work. Shawn

Labs4me · December 10, 2007, 09:33:00 PM

You have an interesting perspective on the role of "true" bird dogs. I've had the good fortune to be owned by a few good Labs over the years and can tell you that although they are bred to be "birds dogs", they most assuredly posess the aptitude and desire to be used to hunt/track virtually anything, including "fur", without it effecting their usefulness as a bird dog or "test dog". Incidently, on the way to earning their titles, my Labs have TAUGHT ME that the word "NO!" is infinitely more effective than a shock collar...and requires fewer batteries too.

Respectfully,

Labs

Tim Schoenborn · December 10, 2007, 09:36:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Labs4me:
You have an interesting perspective on the role of "true" bird dogs. I've had the good fortune to be owned by a few good Labs over the years and can tell you that although they are bred to be "birds dogs", they most assuredly posess the aptitude and desire to be used to hunt/track virtually anything, including "fur", without it effecting their usefulness as a bird dog or "test dog". Incidently, on the way to earning their titles, my Labs have TAUGHT ME that the word "NO!" is infinitely more effective than a shock collar...and requires fewer batteries too.

Respectfully,

Labs

And respectfully your dogs are retrievers....................

Labs4me · December 10, 2007, 09:47:00 PM

Correct...great with kids, jack of all trades (master of none) flushing, tracking, hunting RETRIEVERS...

tippit · December 10, 2007, 10:26:00 PM

Tilly...my wire haired Daschund that never got her whiskers

just tracked out my last doe that was hit high. When she's on the trail it's hard to stop her to mark blood sign. I track her on a 20 foot line...Doc

JImmyDee · December 10, 2007, 11:31:00 PM

(Just when I thought I was out of opinions...)

I had a cocker spaniel that earned his AKC TD under two years (could have been sooner, maybe...) and, if it hadn't been killed, I sure it would have earned a TDX in the next year.

Not just any cocker: a King Charles variety. 39# and 13". Worked well in a harness. Short legged enough that a 30' lead didn't frustrate it. Didn't make a sound when on track. Cast and quartered the track it was put on and wouldn't be distracted.

I know: when you think tracking dog, you don't think cocker spaniel. But it was an excellent tracker!

I wish I had time to raise another...

jrchambers · December 11, 2007, 12:58:00 AM

basadhound great nose verry slow paced

Slasher · December 11, 2007, 01:26:00 AM

the master tracker on our lease and for hire in the area is a mountain feist- aka rat terrier... I laffed when I was told the first season before the bow opener, if you shoot one leave the deer, call me as I'll be in camp with the dog and want to get the dog ready for gun season... well the lil doe made it bout 40 yds and folded up.. I heard it crash and said they needed to hurry... 15 minutes later here comes the pres with his lil dog... He went right to it.. nice pace to track with in the dark too... I've heard numerous stories of non fatally wounded deer to be tracked 2+ miles the day after and dispatched... no one whose seen it in action doubts this lil dog...

I doubted the lil dog, but my eyes have seen what that dog can do... but man that lil dog is tenacious lil tracker...
and the phone rings off the hook during gun season... a great house dog and also rides well in a milk crate strapped down on the front rack of a 4 wheeler... is an A-1 buddy to his master- not to mention he earns his keep and them some each year... This dog has good house manners and is very protective and will bark his fooled head off when someone pulls up to the house... He's getting older, but is great with kids and has as much heart as any dog I've seen twice his size...

BTW- I am a big dog guy with two wonderful labs in the house... but my next dog may just be a feist... not to mention a good squirrel dog for when deer season is over...