Tracking

[Leec6.5]

Seeing the is a bit of interest in tracking again i thought i would share a few things that you need to get your head around once you start tracking on call outs for people you do not know.

This is what i have learnt through personal experience

1- trust nothing the client says until you see it with your own eyes (seen too many heart shots become leg shots.)

2-get your self a gopro and body harness, this
Covers your arse, they refuse to let you use it, you go home (had that happen!)

3- always check OS maps before attending the call out and check for FC woodland, if that beast crosses onto commission ground your on a wasted trip. (Drove 4 hours tracked 250m deer crossed onto the commission, wasted trip)

Now this is the most important one

4- once your on a call out and you put that GPS on your dog becomes a tool, tools get broken and lost.

If your have a gps collar on your dog, your thinking about letting it chase otherwise their is no point in having one, once you let your go you are in the hands of the gods, it then depends on how good your dog is!

You have to realise that there is a risk that your dog could/ will get injuries or in a worse case scenario could be killed, especially if your going to fuk about with boar!

You need to think about that last one long and hard, if you cant afford the vet bills don't start doing call outs simple as that.

Food for thought.

 

[Leec6.5]

As a last point on letting your dog chase, do not bother unless you are 100% confident your dog will hold it to bay!

I dont have that problem mine is sharp and thats the reason she has a £600 vest!

Once she is suited and booted she is a tool and i am mentally prepared for the worst!

95% of call outs are not simple dead deer in a bush,o really do wish they were!

they are mobile animals running on adrenaline and can go a very very long way, if they weren’t you wouldn’t be called out, you are the last resort, I guarantee the stalker would have been around the wood ay least 2 times before calling!

You also need to be mentally prepared and experienced to be able to dispatch said highly mobile deer with a knife if no rifle shot is available!

 

[Leec6.5]

The 2 posts above are what I think are the most important things a novice or a person who wants to do tracking callouts needs to know!

There is a whole world of further information that I could go into, but it’s early on a Saturday morning. You’re all off stalking and I’m at work!

if anybody has any further questions or they want to know anything that I might be able to help with by all means drop me a PM I’ll be happy to answer any questions on attending call outs that you need to know, if I can answer it I certainly will.

But I will say, be prepared for cold, hard fact no bullsh1t.

Cheers

Lee

 

[Keith Edmunds]

I thought the UKDTR mentoring scheme was a great idea but, personally, I cannot dedicate the amount of time required, nor the flexibility of time to be part of a recovery team - something for semi-retirement maybe but not currently.

 

[Leec6.5]

I thought the UKDTR mentoring scheme was a great idea but, personally, I cannot dedicate the amount of time required, nor the flexibility of time to be part of a recovery team - something for semi-retirement maybe but not currently.

Thats one of the reasons i am now retired, not got the time or the enthusiasm for it anymore!

 

[viking90]

One of the reasons I pulled out of my level 2 NTIPDU dog handlers course is because my dog isn't a tool and I'm not willing to put her life on the line for a job. I was quite interested in the tracking mentorship but the whole idea of having to pay for training and everything associated with it, then offer a free service once qualified doesn't appeal. Now you've pointed out the risks involved it definitely doesn't appeal lol

 

[Leec6.5]

One of the reasons I pulled out of my level 2 NTIPDU dog handlers course is because my dog isn't a tool and I'm not willing to put her life on the line for a job. I was quite interested in the tracking mentorship but the whole idea of having to pay for training and everything associated with it, then offer a free service once qualified doesn't appeal. Now you've pointed out the risks involved it definitely doesn't appeal lol

cold hard fact i am afraid, those facts are hidden from sight, unfortunately for me, I have a complex condition that doesn’t let me speak, shite, love it or hate it , if you want to hear, shite don’t talk to me!

Unfortunately my complex condition, rubs people at the wrong way, and unfortunately that’s life!

Once you are working your dog for other people, there are risks that is cold, hard fact!