Stalking with an HPR

Siggy

Well-Known Member
out of curiosity... when stalking through woodland with an HPR do you
  • let you dog range few metres ahead of you
  • do you keep them with their hind quarters level with your knee,
  • do you keep them right back?

I've tried all three but find with my current GWP, that when she ranges ahead she stretches the limits and ends up bumping the deer (she was trained on birds before I got her and hasn't quite worked out that flushing isn't part of the game with deer), and when she is at heel she won't rode in.

She's coming up to retirement and I want to get things right with her apprentice!
 
Option 2 I'd say,
that way (hopefully) she won't flush deer and she will be able to indicate Unshot deer (pointing).
 
Well imho I'd say range slightly ''few yards'' that way you can read ya dog easily without looking down at it all the time, but obviously depends on how dense your woodland is.
Regards
Jimmy
 
I try and keep my lad right beside me or at most a meter or so in front, only issue i have is when he's in front he starts to range sometimes. I usually give a hiss or just stop until he looks back and I point down at my side which usually brings him back to heel. Can be trying sometimes though so best for me is to let him know the score as soon as we leave the motor.

Rgds
Bryan
 
Can be trying sometimes though so best for me is to let him know the score as soon as we leave the motor.

Rgds
Bryan[/QUOTE]

Good point Bryan...my GWP is particularly "trying"! Particularly when she gets close to deer which I haven't seen yet - which is usually when she gets carried away. It is certainly easier to read the dog when its a metre or so in front - but you lose some of the control.
 

I'm not sure if correct comes into it - I am more interested in peoples experience and actual practice....I get the impression that my GWP likes a bit of latitude to work the wind which she gets by being a little a head of me. Part of my problem is my current GWP started out as a bird dog and will only point when she is right on top of what ever has set her off...which as you can imagine ain't particularly useful with deer. If she pointed deer at heel it option 2 would be a lot more practical. As it is she will give an indication that there is something interesting ahead but it is very subtle and easier to see with her ahead of you. That said when I have been switched on and paying attention, she has roded me 200 metres through woodland on to fallow - which is always good!
 
They're really is no right answer it all depends wot u want out of ur dog and how u stalk.

The further forward the dog is probably make sit easier for dog and u but it also makes it easier for dog to 'pull on' esp if on scent, it may also create dominance issues esp with a strong headed dog.

Dunno how much ur dog has done stalking wise, so possibly teaching ur granny how to suck eggs here.
All dogs will be different but many hpr's will not properly 'point' a deer at a distance the way they do a bird at close range but will indicate it by an other way so u have to read ur dog, and even that is sort of trained into them by association, so if its bumping deer and ur not not getting a shot/reward it won't really learn not to rode in and indicate as soon as it winds them.
 
Usually have my whv a couple of metres in from and when scents deer she behaves in a different manor to birds , with deer she will hold her head high sniffing quite intensely, if they are fairly close she just freezes staring into the trees , it really is about reading you dog ,atb Arron
 
They're really is no right answer it all depends wot u want out of ur dog and how u stalk.

The further forward the dog is probably make sit easier for dog and u but it also makes it easier for dog to 'pull on' esp if on scent, it may also create dominance issues esp with a strong headed dog.

Dunno how much ur dog has done stalking wise, so possibly teaching ur granny how to suck eggs here.
All dogs will be different but many hpr's will not properly 'point' a deer at a distance the way they do a bird at close range but will indicate it by an other way so u have to read ur dog, and even that is sort of trained into them by association, so if its bumping deer and ur not not getting a shot/reward it won't really learn not to rode in and indicate as soon as it winds them.
Well said
 
Thanks all, looks like i need to be better at reading my dog and if I can, keep her a little closer.
 
Just get out there with the dog matey enjoy yourself and don't get to hung up about if the dogs doing this or that, keep it closeish watch it and you'll soon begin to read the dog
Most importantly remember the perfect dog has not and never will be born
Regards
Jimmy
 
Mibee to late with ur old dog (althou u can teach old dogs new tricks) but u want to be watching wot happens in that 5-10 secs (or longer) before it starts to rode in, as others have said will prob start to sniff more, ears may go abck, tail changes wag basically its body language will change u just got to get used to it. All dogs wil be different,my old lab and his son the tail changes from a normal wag to a propellar wag when he's on scent
 
Some good advise offered, I'm now at the 18month old stage with my 3rd Weimaraner, I let her range a few yards ahead and am working on trying to steady her when deer are about, she will also be used for wildfowl & rough shooting. I've already taken 4 bucks this season with her but bumped more because of her. It's all about patients and reading your dog
Wingy
 
I think it depends on what you want your dog to do ,my spaniel is really for finding running deer not for finding them for me to shoot so I have her with no more than her head at my legs that way she can see what I am doing .there is nothing worse than trying to be stealthy and having to keep calling or watching to see what your dog is doing ,by keeping her sightly back she can follow my lead, stop when I stop put her down and stalk on so that's what works for me
 
Hi Folks, interesting topic, I have my deer dogs walk just in front of me, as in a body length, no need for them to be way out in front, they can smell potential targets from hundreds of metres away so no need to allow them to go too far.

Once the penny drops with the dog you will become a wee partnership, you will read his 'point or show' , he should then read you body language and take a bit of a back seat (either laying down or sitting) allowing you to locate the target then either walk, crawl, set sticks or whatever hopefully culminating in the shot.
Then utilise the dog to hunt and locate (or not) the shot target.
The penny eventually drops and the dog learns the sequence of events culminating in him locating a shot or wounded target, if your having problems try stalking with a pal while you take the dog on a lead. GWP'S are a 'rangey' breed and need a firm hand however they can be nothing short of phenomenal while working with deer from scent locating, following hot or cold blood trails to 'holding' the animal dead or wounded.
Hunting with mans best friend is definetely the most rewarding experience.

Best of luck
 
I have mine a couple of yards in front, only because the bloody dog pants with excitement at heal. If shes working ie 2 yards in front she goes into sneaky mode. This has been a battle to train, it helped having a trigger. for stalking she wears a collar and the commands i use. ssssst means sit. she will creep a little to far sometimes but a quick ssssst makes her sit. she has bumped deer, but if you want to take your dog that's the sacrifice you make. long lead training was the only way
 
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I have mine a couple of yards in front, only because the bloody dog pants with excitement at heal. If shes working ie 2 yards in front she goes into sneaky mode. This has been a battle to train, it helped having a trigger. for stalking she wears a collar and the commands i use. ssssst means sit. she will creep a little to far sometimes but a quick ssssst makes her sit. she has bumped deer, but if you want to take your dog that's the sacrifice you make. long lead training was the only way


Thanks for this comment! panting at heel...yes, I've noticed my dog doing that - but had forgotten about it till now.
 
out of curiosity... when stalking through woodland with an HPR do you
  • let you dog range few metres ahead of you
  • do you keep them with their hind quarters level with your knee,
  • do you keep them right back?

I've tried all three but find with my current GWP, that when she ranges ahead she stretches the limits and ends up bumping the deer (she was trained on birds before I got her and hasn't quite worked out that flushing isn't part of the game with deer), and when she is at heel she won't rode in.

She's coming up to retirement and I want to get things right with her apprentice!

So she hasn't been trained on deer?
 
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