how long before you go for a dog

laphroig

Well-Known Member
Hi guys went out last night planning going to a highseat for last 2 hours before dark ,big jersey n jacket on .but walked past seat to have a look across 2 fields first and 3ooyrds away a roe grazing on the edge of a wood stalked in maybe not close enough crossed a river and took a shot from the bank. Heard the bullet strike roe jumped , ran 40 yrds then in behind trees out of sight.at this point I was hoping to find a dead roe but no sign , started looking for animal and blood signs at last sight but nothing moved 15 yrds each way heading up to the top of the brae seeing nothing atthe top a roe got up and dissappeared into very rough ground out of sightat this point I thought this is maybe a job for a proffessional dog not me with mine.started to worry and sweat like hell now, still got big jersey n jacket on, combed all over rough ground but seen nothing doubled back to where I last seen roe cursing myself for not going to the highseat and not knowing wether to go for my dogs ( 2 bitches) and maybe ruin any track or make a phone call.started hunting about shot sight for blood but nothing to b seen , 45 mins since shot taken when all I seen was a white arse lying in the long grassfarther along the wood stone dead with a slightly low chest shot 15 k when clean I think in future I go home for my dogs sooner save a lot of sweating n cursing but at least a happy ending
 
There are at least two very good tracking groups available to deer stalkers at the moment. There is lots of information regarding what to do after the shot and how long to wait. There is no reason for stalkers not to pick the phone up and ask for some help looking for lost deer. Tony from UKTDR Is a good bloke and will give his advice and time to any one intrested in tracking with dogs.
ATB Sean
 
Get yourself a laser rangefinder and make sure you are within your limitations when you take the shot. There should never really be a need for a dog to find a wounded animal then. Sure, animals will still run and die in obscure hidden places, but at least they are dead. You got away with it this time, but the element of doubt clearly raised question with yourself over your choice of shot?
Know your limits and remain within them and you should rarely need a dog. That said, the UKSHA are never too far away and are very happy to help! Good result for you though which is all part of life's education.
MS:thumb:
 
Cant understand why people have to go home and get a dog. I all ways stalk with at least 1 dog(usually 3) walking at heel. That way if you need to follow up quickly with a dog there are no delays. The dog can often indicate unseen deer too so can often add to the chances of success. A third class dog is better at finding dead or wounded deer than a 1st class person. I think that it the law should be if you shoot deer, then you should have a trained dog with you. Pleased you found the beast and well done for not giving up
 
I can't understand why you wouldn't want a dog along every time ? That is legal and accepted in the UK, take full advantage of it.

In the US we are forbidden from using dogs on deer in many states. I have blood trailed a lot of deer, and would gladly trade the hours wasted slow tracking.

With waterfowl owl I always have one of my labs, and use them even when don't have to (well, except for those birds that drop at your feet).
 
Don,t shoot at last light and if you do have a good light with you, blood tracking deer can be difficult, but is possible over quite a long range if you work hard enough, when would I go for the dog ?,
 
I love bringing the dog for many reasons, but there are days when it's just not convenient having a big yellow dog with me, usually determined by the number if dog-impassable fences, ie, lifting big labs over 10 fences isn't all that fun and gets a bit loud messing about with equipment etc.

i know in Denmark its law to have a dog with you and last shot must not fall even a minute after sunset, giving all the more chances of finding wounded deer...that said, my game book would be a lot less complete if I could not shoot before or after sun times
 
Having the dog with me is part of stalking. She is a source of company, information and confidence. It can be a slight issue when we spot deer from a high seat which are not suitable candidates, she doesn't understand this and can make her dissatisfaction clear but doesn't seem to do it on the ground.
 
I cant see any disadvantage in stalking with a trained dog. I am in the business to get a lot of deer and find the use of dogs invaluable. I have very few fences here, the ones I do have, the dogs will jump over them. I would rather stalk without binos than without a dog. They indicate deer, they can speed up the process of finding dead deer allowing you more time to go and shoot more, if you have a wounded beast and cannot get another shot at it then a good dog is the next best thing. They can even be good to warm your hands on. It is good to work as part of a team.
 
I cant see any disadvantage in stalking with a trained dog. I am in the business to get a lot of deer and find the use of dogs invaluable. I have very few fences here, the ones I do have, the dogs will jump over them. I would rather stalk without binos than without a dog. They indicate deer, they can speed up the process of finding dead deer allowing you more time to go and shoot more, if you have a wounded beast and cannot get another shot at it then a good dog is the next best thing. They can even be good to warm your hands on. It is good to work as part of a team.
+1 Hate stalking without a dog, you just feel naked without one.
 
I always have my dog on hand when i stalk and usualy keep her in the back of the jimny. She can get a bit giddy if i have her with me, having said that the older she gets the more settled she is out. A german sheperd with a top nose, little training and it seems to come natural. Most working breeds will be an asset regardless of training as someone has said earlier.
Done be afraid to make mistakes and experiment after all without pushing the envelope you will never know your limitations. I wish i could say every shot i,ve taken the round has gone exactly where i wanted it to go, i can,t. Stalking isn,t like that. I have heart shot deer,that have run a considerable distance, 50 yards in a wood, and without the dog i would have been stumped.
Enjoy
Bryn
 
unless taking some one out stalking, I would feel like I am missing a part of essesntial kit if I didn't have the dog at heel , they indicate well before you can see them in cover or uneven ground , and as just been said make finding and indicating strike ' points of interest' that bit more easyer if needed .
 
The animal welfare issues mean to me, it should be law that if you intend to shoot deer then a trained dog has to be taken. I have known people to go wildfowling without a dog. How are they going to retrieve what they shoot, how would they deal with a wounded bird in the water that is out of range of the shotgun.
 
The animal welfare issues mean to me, it should be law that if you intend to shoot deer then a trained dog has to be taken. I have known people to go wildfowling without a dog. How are they going to retrieve what they shoot, how would they deal with a wounded bird in the water that is out of range of the shotgun.
Having shot an awful lot of deer perfectly well without one, I would argue against this. In fact, I've seen a lot of pretty awful shot choices made just because the firer has had a dog with them! A canine security blanket should not influence judgement over choice of shot! Having worked recently with the UKSHA, it is also fairly apparent that most dog owners pursue a missing animal far too quickly. Yes, I have made use of a dog to find missing deer, but I don't think you need to have one with you whilst stalking on welfare grounds? As long as one is available within a reasonable amount of time, then that should suffice. The UKSHA have made that a possibility for most of us now. I am thankful to have a UKSHA member at either side of where I operate., both who are good friends.:thumb:
MS
 
The animal welfare issues mean to me, it should be law that if you intend to shoot deer then a trained dog has to be taken. I have known people to go wildfowling without a dog. How are they going to retrieve what they shoot, how would they deal with a wounded bird in the water that is out of range of the shotgun.

Maybe before we do that we should consider mandatory training for anyone applying for an FAC to shoot deer? That would probably do far more for deer welfare than insisting that people take a trained dog with them....not that they shouldn't.
 
The animal welfare issues mean to me, it should be law that if you intend to shoot deer then a trained dog has to be taken. I have known people to go wildfowling without a dog. How are they going to retrieve what they shoot, how would they deal with a wounded bird in the water that is out of range of the shotgun.

This would also raise the question of how you would quantify a 'trained dog'? If it was law, then your dog would probably have to pass a Deer Dog Stalking Certificate (DDSC level 1) to accompany you! This would involve a test and certification which would come at a cost. Great news for training providers, but not for the average recreational stalker? Be careful what you wish for!;)
MS
 
This would also raise the question of how you would quantify a 'trained dog'? If it was law, then your dog would probably have to pass a Deer Dog Stalking Certificate (DDSC level 1) to accompany you! This would involve a test and certification which would come at a cost. Great news for training providers, but not for the average recreational stalker? Be careful what you wish for!;)
MS

But he just said "a trained dog", so maybe it doesn't have to be trained on deer specifically?

My young cocker is trained to howl whenever The Archers theme tune comes on the radio :D Not much use, of course, when it comes to sitting his DDSC, but he is trained nonetheless :(
 
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