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Message
Advice/tips for training a dog to track deer?
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:13 pm
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:13 pm
Had this good girl follow my truck home a few days ago. She was malnourished and was eating anything before it even hit the ground in front of her. Took her by the vet, not chipped, started the adoption process.
The vet said she's probably right around a year old. We started some basic commands and over the last couple of days she's began picking up enough to where she will actually come back to my voice instead of wandering.
I don't need her to be a hardcore working/tracking dog, but I would like to work her a little while I'm at the camp to help track deer. It would be nice to have if we needed it. Does anyone have any guidance on how to begin training her? I grew up with dogs, but never had one that we tried to train for anything like this.
PS. before anyone asks, I live a decent ways down a dirt road in a very small town. We think someone couldn't meet the demands of a dog and just dropped her and left her. Also we got some treatment for her coat to help clear up these dry patches.
The vet said she's probably right around a year old. We started some basic commands and over the last couple of days she's began picking up enough to where she will actually come back to my voice instead of wandering.
I don't need her to be a hardcore working/tracking dog, but I would like to work her a little while I'm at the camp to help track deer. It would be nice to have if we needed it. Does anyone have any guidance on how to begin training her? I grew up with dogs, but never had one that we tried to train for anything like this.
PS. before anyone asks, I live a decent ways down a dirt road in a very small town. We think someone couldn't meet the demands of a dog and just dropped her and left her. Also we got some treatment for her coat to help clear up these dry patches.
6
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:28 pm to bradygolf98
I’ve trained a lot of dogs, but never a blood dog.
But, I had a friend who told me he saved a couple jars of blood and the hide from every deer he or his son killed.
He put some of the blood in a squirt bottle and would tie the hide to a piece of rope.
Wear rubber boots and drag the hide with occasional dribbles of blood.
He would put a big bowl of food at the end of the trail.
Start with shorter trails at first until the dog gets the idea, then gradually start putting some distance and cover changes, creek crossings, etc. into your trails.
But, I had a friend who told me he saved a couple jars of blood and the hide from every deer he or his son killed.
He put some of the blood in a squirt bottle and would tie the hide to a piece of rope.
Wear rubber boots and drag the hide with occasional dribbles of blood.
He would put a big bowl of food at the end of the trail.
Start with shorter trails at first until the dog gets the idea, then gradually start putting some distance and cover changes, creek crossings, etc. into your trails.
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:38 pm to bradygolf98
use a deer leg too, interdigital gland
start with whole blood and eventually thin it w water
start with whole blood and eventually thin it w water
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:53 pm to bradygolf98
Good advice from catsquirrel. All
dogs have the tools to track deer. We started with a squirt bottle of blood mixed with water. Our dog is a hound with a strong instinct to trail. She’s not perfect and we’ve never needed her to make a long track, but if a deer is dead, I trust her to find it. If it’s alive, we may never find her.
And we give her deer legs to gnaw on all season long.
dogs have the tools to track deer. We started with a squirt bottle of blood mixed with water. Our dog is a hound with a strong instinct to trail. She’s not perfect and we’ve never needed her to make a long track, but if a deer is dead, I trust her to find it. If it’s alive, we may never find her.
And we give her deer legs to gnaw on all season long.
This post was edited on 8/17/25 at 2:55 pm
Posted on 8/17/25 at 3:00 pm to CatSquirrel
I saved some deer liver cut in strips and saved some deer blood also and froze it.
I had about a dozen strips frozen in individual bags.
Thaw one out,tie a string to it and other end to a fishing pole and drag it on ground.At end of drag I had a cut up hot dog wiener for the reward.
First couple drags were short and simple,then started making them more difficult with 90 degree turns one way and then another.
Every deer I shoot that falls at shot I drag behind my golf cart for a good distance.If the deer runs a distance I start her where the deer was shot.
I’ve only had one really difficult trail for her to follow,one where the deer didn’t bleed and she did a good job,slower than with blood but she found it.
.
I had about a dozen strips frozen in individual bags.
Thaw one out,tie a string to it and other end to a fishing pole and drag it on ground.At end of drag I had a cut up hot dog wiener for the reward.
First couple drags were short and simple,then started making them more difficult with 90 degree turns one way and then another.
Every deer I shoot that falls at shot I drag behind my golf cart for a good distance.If the deer runs a distance I start her where the deer was shot.
I’ve only had one really difficult trail for her to follow,one where the deer didn’t bleed and she did a good job,slower than with blood but she found it.
.
Posted on 8/17/25 at 3:02 pm to bradygolf98
You want her to track what you ask her to, not just deer, if you want to get started now, use any type of liver and like the others said on a rope with rubber boots. Leave the liver at the end as a “treat” and give a TON of praise. I use mine to play hide and seek with my grand kids, they both enjoy it. Start short 10-15 yards straight line, then increase as she progresses
Posted on 8/17/25 at 4:06 pm to bradygolf98
This is how I trained my lab. I would put a kibble of dog food in the grass and would point at it until she got to where she'd run and sniff at whatever I pointed. I then took her hunting with me every time and put her on every deer I could. Id point at the ground at the first blood location. After 2 or 3 deer she knew if she followed the trail she would get to lick a bunch of blood off a deer at the end of it.
She's not the most focused lab out there but she finds 10 or 15 a year between me and my cousin. She found one 18 hours after itd been shot last year.
She's not the most focused lab out there but she finds 10 or 15 a year between me and my cousin. She found one 18 hours after itd been shot last year.
Posted on 8/17/25 at 6:51 pm to bradygolf98
Attain:
1- deer blood in 8 oz empty water bottle
2- deer liver cut half the size of dime. Put 5 or so in small ziplock
3- long skinny strips of deer hide
4- some flags..tiny with wire
Place bottle with livers in ziplock and freeze.(several of them)
Steps
1-Thaw out pack of of blood and livers
2-poke top of bottle with ice pick
3- splatter blood and mark with flags..drop pieces of liver along trail
4-tie deer hide on string at end of trail
Keep dog on leash and force him on the blood trail line..let him find livers and eat.
When he gets to hose at end of trail grab the string and play tug a war…
Give him treat and praise him
Once mastered, get tracking shoes whereas you put deer hoof on shoe and track deer gland scent…
1- deer blood in 8 oz empty water bottle
2- deer liver cut half the size of dime. Put 5 or so in small ziplock
3- long skinny strips of deer hide
4- some flags..tiny with wire
Place bottle with livers in ziplock and freeze.(several of them)
Steps
1-Thaw out pack of of blood and livers
2-poke top of bottle with ice pick
3- splatter blood and mark with flags..drop pieces of liver along trail
4-tie deer hide on string at end of trail
Keep dog on leash and force him on the blood trail line..let him find livers and eat.
When he gets to hose at end of trail grab the string and play tug a war…
Give him treat and praise him
Once mastered, get tracking shoes whereas you put deer hoof on shoe and track deer gland scent…
Posted on 8/17/25 at 7:44 pm to Out da box
Thanks all for the advice! Seems like everyone has the same general way of going about it. Like some said, it’s not necessarily about me absolutely needing her to track deer, I just think it will be enjoyable for me and her to work and test her.
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