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Started By
Message
Deer Blood Tracking Dog
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:14 pm
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:14 pm
I have said for a few years I would like to train a dog to track wounded deer. I have been reading on it the past couple of years and have just purchased 2 books written by John Jeanneny on the subject. Have any of you read the books? Any suggestions for someone about to start the adventure? If you do this, what type of dog do you use?
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:20 pm to Old Man and a Porch
quote:
Any suggestions for someone about to start the adventure
Basically any dog on earth has a good enough nose to do it. They need the drive to do it and the discipline to handle easily to be great at it.
It often involves stuff you may not normally do, like boat rides, four wheeler rides, trailing next to a highway, etc. A dog that handles well makes all that so much better.
Get a garmin alpha tracking training collar. Totally worth it, even though I did for a long time without it.
My best dog was half lab half bloodhound. Also know of successful purebred labs , blue lacy, a rat terrier, a pit bull, some basic mutts.
I got to where I liked tracking deer more than hunting them. It's damned fun when you have a good dog. Don't worry about finding work. Word will get out quick and there's lots of people crippling lots of deer out there.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:25 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:Hell just area 4 in Louisiana could keep you busy
Don't worry about finding work. Word will get out quick and there's lots of people crippling lots of deer out there.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:26 pm to Old Man and a Porch
My only advice is to go on every track you can. I have a 15+ year old lab hound mix. When she could go she was amazing. I would take her to track a deer laying in the middle of the patch just to have a good result. All my family and buddies knew to wait on the dog even on obvious tracks. She found every one. She found a whole bunch we never would’ve. If the deer was dead she would find it. I wouldn’t even look for blood. I’d just let her out. I’ve seen her catch yearlings to 8 points. Amazing dog that has earned her retirement.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:47 pm to Old Man and a Porch
I appreciate the feedback so quickly. I was with a guy one night who tracked one. He used the tracking collar as mentioned and also had a bell around the dogs neck.
His dog tracked off leash and I believe he shocked it to come back. Any pros or cons to tracking off or on leash ?
His dog tracked off leash and I believe he shocked it to come back. Any pros or cons to tracking off or on leash ?
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:52 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
I agree with this. Was hunting in Monroe and some baw from Arkansas had a 15 year old cheweenie that was a hell of a tracking dog. Would just let him lick some deer blood and he was ready to go.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:54 pm to Old Man and a Porch
Watching these dogs work is truly impressive.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:54 pm to Old Man and a Porch
To what the first guy said. Get a garmin
I prefer a cur dog. Only draw back is it will not bark if the deer is dead. Hence the garmin. The plus is she will bay it if it’s alive and if the deer is wounded bad enough she will run it and then bay it.
Put them on every deer you or your friends shoot especially if it runs off with a blood trail . Doesn’t matter if it runs 40 yards and you hear it crash. Put the dog on it.
Hope this helps
I prefer a cur dog. Only draw back is it will not bark if the deer is dead. Hence the garmin. The plus is she will bay it if it’s alive and if the deer is wounded bad enough she will run it and then bay it.
Put them on every deer you or your friends shoot especially if it runs off with a blood trail . Doesn’t matter if it runs 40 yards and you hear it crash. Put the dog on it.
Hope this helps
Posted on 1/16/24 at 8:56 pm to Old Man and a Porch
quote:
Any suggestions for someone about to start the adventure? If you do this, what type of dog do you use?
I currently have a chocolate lab but if or when I get another I will probably get a catahoula cur for strictly tracking. My lab was supposed to be a duck dog and I trained him for that but due to lack of birds quit duck hunting.
As DSF said any dog will have a good enough nose for tracking and some of the best are the short dogs (wire haird dachshunds) the problem with them is being able to catch a deer if needed. Beagles can track but don’t handle very well and can be very difficult to obedience train.
Then you have to decided what do you want out of the dog for the other 8mt your not tracking, potlicker, family pet, subdivision walking companion? Not all breeds are suited and people get pissed cus their “hound” barks all the time or terrier digs all the time or lab stays in a ditch or pond.
Once you get lined out on a breed then start running tracks and always remember trust your dog not the guy who swears where the deer was or went, if they were that good they wouldn’t be calling you. It’s fun and addictive but it gets in the way of your personal hunting and can be very tiring and demanding. Be prepared for calls at 7pm 40miles away and track through cutover for 2-3hrs get home at midnight and have a call that someone wants you to go on the next morning and then try to decide to track or go hunt and track after.
Good luck
This post was edited on 1/16/24 at 8:59 pm
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:02 pm to Ol boy
My bird dog does great tracking. But if he comes up on a randy deer that’s still alive he won’t fight it. A catahoula will track and take the soul out of a wounded deer
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:06 pm to Old Man and a Porch
quote:
Any pros or cons to tracking off or on leash ?
Well, it's often illegal to track off the leash. Take that for what it's worth.
I never liked having my dog on a leash. He was big and strong and would basically kill me when I had to track on the leash. It honestly is probably better but my dog wasn't really trained for it. He weighed 90 pounds in his prime and had an incredible nose and did not like waiting around for me. We worked best together loose. When you and the dog click it gets ultra fun.
Loose dog is way more fun. It can turn from tracking to deer fighting in a hurry. This is why it's so important to have a dog that handles well. Beep to return can work well but it's not very simple. Some dogs won't hunt far and it isn't necessary. Some will chase a deer out of the country if you let then. It just depends on the dog and what kind of dog work you like doing.
Pro tip - you and the dog together are not man enough to whip a deers arse if he isnt 99% dead already. Don't touch it, just shoot it.
This post was edited on 1/16/24 at 9:08 pm
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:13 pm to Ol boy
You hit the nail on the head. I will still track for the public if someone can’t fill it. But there’s enough people who live to track and prefer to do that than hunt. I’m the opposite.
I started off on a leash first , i think it really helped me learn the dog. And also taught her to work at the pace in which i can follow her. We spent the last 2 years using the tracker, and i much prefer that as it allows me to walk around briars, obstacles, etc.
Always trust the dog, the dog is right. I’ve only had one time where she was wrong and that was due to it being 100 degrees and in a drought her 2nd year.
You will learn a lot with your first blood tracking dog, and what you would do differently the next time. My dog is a beagle and a house pet, and because of it , she doesn’t have drive. She has the drive to track and has found deer since she was 6 months old, but she isn’t about to go bay or get into it with a live deer. Pack of coyotes get on the deer, she’s outta there. Her sole purpose is to find a dead deer, collect her foot to chew on and call it a night.
Already have a Heeler that I’m working on to work with her, he has the drive but doesn’t seem to have the nose at the moment. It’s all a work in progress but takes patience sometimes.
More important , have fun with it, it’s definitely rewarding to see the smile on everyone’s face when you have found their deer.
I started off on a leash first , i think it really helped me learn the dog. And also taught her to work at the pace in which i can follow her. We spent the last 2 years using the tracker, and i much prefer that as it allows me to walk around briars, obstacles, etc.
Always trust the dog, the dog is right. I’ve only had one time where she was wrong and that was due to it being 100 degrees and in a drought her 2nd year.
You will learn a lot with your first blood tracking dog, and what you would do differently the next time. My dog is a beagle and a house pet, and because of it , she doesn’t have drive. She has the drive to track and has found deer since she was 6 months old, but she isn’t about to go bay or get into it with a live deer. Pack of coyotes get on the deer, she’s outta there. Her sole purpose is to find a dead deer, collect her foot to chew on and call it a night.
Already have a Heeler that I’m working on to work with her, he has the drive but doesn’t seem to have the nose at the moment. It’s all a work in progress but takes patience sometimes.
More important , have fun with it, it’s definitely rewarding to see the smile on everyone’s face when you have found their deer.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:17 pm to TurkeyThug
My “new” dog is a cur. She found a big arse doe my buddy shot tonight. She never barked. I could tell she was on it and plowed through the briars. She’s very obedient. She doesn’t know what a leash is. Our shite is way too thick to try to leash a dog. I do wish she’d bark when she found one. My old lab/hound never barked either. I’d call her back to me then follow. Finding a deer is exciting as shooting one to me. I will always have a dog in some sort of training to find a dead deer.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:21 pm to WeagleEagle
Not many dogs will bay a dead deer. Plenty of them will bay a cripple and that's what's really important IMO. If the deers dead and they know you're looking for dead deer they'll bring you to it.
When I started out with no collar, I had to run through the woods trying to keep up with the dog. As he got better, I could hang back and he'd come get me after he found it. When I got the collar, I just kinda screwed off till he stopped, and walked to wherever that was.
It's so nice when you get to that point. When you have 100% confidence in the dog and the gear to make it easy.
When I started out with no collar, I had to run through the woods trying to keep up with the dog. As he got better, I could hang back and he'd come get me after he found it. When I got the collar, I just kinda screwed off till he stopped, and walked to wherever that was.
It's so nice when you get to that point. When you have 100% confidence in the dog and the gear to make it easy.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:29 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
My old dog bayed a few. That was the only time she barked. I watched her little butt stand toe to toe with a good 8 point one time. She was definitely one that would come get me and take me to the deer.
The track tonight wasn’t very far but there was no blood to start with. I’m pretty sure the cur found it quick but just didn’t know what to do. When I stomped into to the thick stuff she took me right to it.
The track tonight wasn’t very far but there was no blood to start with. I’m pretty sure the cur found it quick but just didn’t know what to do. When I stomped into to the thick stuff she took me right to it.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:30 pm to WeagleEagle
I can see how a tracking collar would be beneficial.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:34 pm to WeagleEagle
It's damn expensive but good stuff. Mines 10 years old this year and still works great.
Posted on 1/16/24 at 9:40 pm to lsupride87
I have female Redbone coonhound.I started working with her when she was 3 months old.
I had saved a deer liver cut up in chunks with a string run through it,put some extra deer,blood in the ziplock bags,and freeze it.
I used a cane pole about 10 feet log with a string,I would tie that to the chunk of deer liver and drag it for the trail.At the end I put some pieces of cut up wiener for her reward.
Start out short and simple at first.Then make the drag progressively longer making R and L turns,lay the trail and wait increasingly longer amounts of time before starting.
She trailed her first deer at 8 months ,about 125 yards but there was a pretty good blood trail.
3 seasons she has trailed 10,some were artificial where I drug the deer around with my golf cart so a good bit of blood.
She has only tracked one that didn’t bleed and she did a good job,just a little slower.
I have a harness and use a 20 foot rope for a leash.She goes bananas when I get the harness and leash to put on her.
Tara Wildlife,a high dollar bow hunting place uses labs,I’ve been told they put their dog on every deer that doesn’t drop within sight of the hunter and they’ll catch a deer that tries to run.
A friend of mine had a dachshund that was really good,he found quite a few deer before he died.
Funny thing he would guard the deer and bite anybody that tried to touch the deer,including his owner.
I had saved a deer liver cut up in chunks with a string run through it,put some extra deer,blood in the ziplock bags,and freeze it.
I used a cane pole about 10 feet log with a string,I would tie that to the chunk of deer liver and drag it for the trail.At the end I put some pieces of cut up wiener for her reward.
Start out short and simple at first.Then make the drag progressively longer making R and L turns,lay the trail and wait increasingly longer amounts of time before starting.
She trailed her first deer at 8 months ,about 125 yards but there was a pretty good blood trail.
3 seasons she has trailed 10,some were artificial where I drug the deer around with my golf cart so a good bit of blood.
She has only tracked one that didn’t bleed and she did a good job,just a little slower.
I have a harness and use a 20 foot rope for a leash.She goes bananas when I get the harness and leash to put on her.
Tara Wildlife,a high dollar bow hunting place uses labs,I’ve been told they put their dog on every deer that doesn’t drop within sight of the hunter and they’ll catch a deer that tries to run.
A friend of mine had a dachshund that was really good,he found quite a few deer before he died.
Funny thing he would guard the deer and bite anybody that tried to touch the deer,including his owner.
Posted on 1/17/24 at 5:27 am to Old Man and a Porch
Camp neighbor has a Bavarian Mountain Hound. Tremendous tracker. He’s a scent hound, tracking the interdigital gland of a wounded deer. Blood doesn’t matter.
Posted on 1/17/24 at 6:17 am to 257WBY
Yea, that’s really how it works. None of the dogs are really tracking blood per se. The dogs are using the interdigital scent combined with the many other scents a deer put off, blood, guts, hair, etc.
Interdigital scent is given off in panic/fear as well. Sometimes in a miss situation my dog will trail the deer for about 30-50 yards and call it off herself. Because then she understands the deer is not dead.
Interdigital scent is given off in panic/fear as well. Sometimes in a miss situation my dog will trail the deer for about 30-50 yards and call it off herself. Because then she understands the deer is not dead.
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