do many people use springers & cockers for deer

donny

Well-Known Member
I do, i have 8 dogs mostly used for pheasant, partridges etc but i have one springer and on cocker that are fantastic deer dogs and not putting any body down but friends of mine that have just a deer dog breed seem to be a bit of a nightmare at most other things.
donny
 
Hiya I use my 2 cockers for beating, picking up, rough shooting,pigeons and also deer there are both little stars bazil
 
Use a cocker and springer for pheasants and use both for deer, the springer is brilliant on deer.
 
I have a cocker and he is great on pheasant, duck and pigeon but he cant extend his skills to deer. In my case one tool won't do for all jobs but I wouldn't change him for the world. He did a fantastic retrieve from across a river today that I will remember for all my days.

ATB 243 Stalker.
 
thanks for your comments guys, it just goes to show if you put the time and energy into your dog you can make it into almost anything.
no deer dog for me i'm sticking to my spaniels.
donny
 
Gents Im just curious and trying to understand what people mean when they refer to dogs as deer dogs. For example do just mean a dog that you take stalking who maybe winds deer and indicates to you that they are there before you spot them, or do you mean for following up on a lost deer immediately after the shot or do you mean a dog for tracking cold trails 24 plus hours later? or intact all three?
I have a spaniel who I am hoping will come out with me and do follow up immediately after the shot if ever required and for the rest of the time just keep me company on my stalk.

Steve
 
An interesting question.

Id like to see some dogs work out tracks where there has been multiple dogs tried and failed with no sign at all at the shot site or surrounding area,within areas with immense sign of animals and that dog must find a wounded animal that has travelled a fair distance because it has been pushed on by a few different dogs.

Any dog will find a freshly shot animal,has that dog got the experience to deal with a wounded animal?


What would your springer/cocker do when faced with a wounded boar for example,or a wounded red hind?
Wounded,still alive and very mobile.

Everyone loves their dog,no problem with that at all,be very realistic what they can do as if you are not,you can cause more suffering.

Steve,a very good and correct post.
A deer dog should do all the work required of it,those 3 things you have mentioned is a small part of the picture.

So the morale of the story is check the shot site and see if the dog can cope with the animal that has been shot,from the evidence available at the shot site,otherwise the deer dog can actually cause more suffering.

The importance of the shot site can't be understated:thumb:
ATB
George

PS-my dogs aren't trained to anything else but deer/boar......they'd be useless on anything else.A springer will excel in everything that my dogs do not do eg birds,rabbit etc
 
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I'm sure a spaniel would make an OK stalking Companion. If you want a tracking dog thats what you train for. There's a world of difference detween a dog that will track fresh scent and indicate deer for you and a trained tracking dog. A trained tracking dog is a thing of wonder to see working.
I have to smile at some of the video clips shown on here over the years of somebodies wonderfull deer dog :rolleyes:. They do have UKSHA and UKDTR on hand if they need a proper tracking dog :thumb:.
 
I don't see why a spaniel couldn't be used as a deer dog, most breeds of dog that have a good nose have the potential to be if they have a want for it but it just depends on what you want from them, need them to do as mentioned and what works for you. I currently use a German Shepherd for deer, not really the norm or the best dog for it but it works for me, for what I need and use him for.
 
Use my wee E. Springer for Birds, Rabbits and Deer, try always to take her out any time i am in the fields etc, just picked up a Bavarian Mountain Hound cross English Springer Pup and with a bit of time he will be doing the same.
 
Use a cocker and springer for pheasants and use both for deer, the springer is brilliant on deer.

Same here....our springer is a true all rounder...pheasants, duck, geese, sika, roe and fallow! Would be lost without her now! Has dug me out of a spot on a number of occasions this year where I would have either lost a deer, had to return the next day or call on the services of a Bavarian!

She does struggle bringing a 100lb fallow to hand though! :-|
 
Surely if you have the dog with you then the need to track a cold line that other dogs have muddled is much reduced. Also if you live in North Yorkshire, Scottish Borders etc the likelihood of a dog having to face down a charging boar or red deer is very slim.

If a spaniel is what you have, with proper introduction it will likely be fine. My oldest cocker and my lab have both been out stalking with me. Excellent for indicating something is there. Couldn't be less interested after the shot but they are shooting dogs and I have no interest in making them deer dogs.

As as a specialist I'd go for something. Bigger but spaniel wild be better than nothing.
 
Surely if you have the dog with you then the need to track a cold line that other dogs have muddled is much reduced. Also if you live in North Yorkshire, Scottish Borders etc the likelihood of a dog having to face down a charging boar or red deer is very slim.

If a spaniel is what you have, with proper introduction it will likely be fine. My oldest cocker and my lab have both been out stalking with me. Excellent for indicating something is there. Couldn't be less interested after the shot but they are shooting dogs and I have no interest in making them deer dogs.

As as a specialist I'd go for something. Bigger but spaniel wild be better than nothing.

its great that very many stalkers have a dog which indicates deer and can find a dead deer with little trouble but should you have a wounded deer that is still very mobile then such a dog is only going to push the deer on and chances of a recovery is going to be less, which is why we at UKDTR train our dogs to follow cold tracks, leaving a wounded but mobile deer to lay up on a wounded bed will give you a much better chance of recovering your deer.

Tony
 
Maybe someday some people will grasp that there's a difference between a dog for deer and a tracking dog, the two are worlds apart
I have a dog for deer she's a gsp and a grand stalking companion she is two but a tracking hound she isn't.
Guess what my poorly put post is trying to say is decide on what you want from the dog then get a breed to suit that purpose. Don't get a dog because it's fashionable and a statement ''seen this so many times'' get it because you like the breed and it suits your needs and abilities.
Kind regards
Jimmy
 
Maybe someday some people will grasp that there's a difference between a dog for deer and a tracking dog, the two are worlds apart
I have a dog for deer she's a gsp and a grand stalking companion she is two but a tracking hound she isn't.
Guess what my poorly put post is trying to say is decide on what you want from the dog then get a breed to suit that purpose. Don't get a dog because it's fashionable and a statement ''seen this so many times'' get it because you like the breed and it suits your needs and abilities.
Kind regards
Jimmy

I'm no expert (and please shoot me down if necessary), but from what i've seen, researched and gleaned from people with decades of experience the 'scent hound or nothing' view has the potential to weaken the once rigorous breeding control of scent hounds due high demand for a fashionable dog.

Given that there are a number of breeds on the various tracking registers in Europe is ability to track not it not down to training, exposure to tracking?

This is my GSP pup with his nose down on a 3.5 hrs scent shoe track (red cleats no blood) . Should i give up trying to get him to track 8-20hrs and just call in the scent hounds everytime a shot deer runs into cover?

I am a novice to deer tracking and previously had a general purpose lab for a stalking companion (who i thought did okay finding deer, but was not trained to track from an early age). I was and am interested in a BMH or HMH but not until the dust settles on the breeding. A mate of mine has a cocker that follows an 8hr track, and is being worked up to longer more challenging tracks.

A question that i have regarding any tracking dog is does being a stalking companion weaken the tracking ability (air scenting vs ground scenting) or is this resolved via cues (harness & tracking lead = nose to the deck)?

cheers
Ben
 
Maybe someday some people will grasp that there's a difference between a dog for deer and a tracking dog, the two are worlds apart
I have a dog for deer she's a gsp and a grand stalking companion she is two but a tracking hound she isn't.
Guess what my poorly put post is trying to say is decide on what you want from the dog then get a breed to suit that purpose. Don't get a dog because it's fashionable and a statement ''seen this so many times'' get it because you like the breed and it suits your needs and abilities.
Kind regards
Jimmy

I don't there is a world apart between them
but on the training side there is
makes a difference
 
I'm no expert (and please shoot me down if necessary), but from what i've seen, researched and gleaned from people with decades of experience the 'scent hound or nothing' view has the potential to weaken the once rigorous breeding control of scent hounds due high demand for a fashionable dog.

Given that there are a number of breeds on the various tracking registers in Europe is ability to track not it not down to training, exposure to tracking?

This is my GSP pup with his nose down on a 3.5 hrs scent shoe track (red cleats no blood) . Should i give up trying to get him to track 8-20hrs and just call in the scent hounds everytime a shot deer runs into cover?

I am a novice to deer tracking and previously had a general purpose lab for a stalking companion (who i thought did okay finding deer, but was not trained to track from an early age). I was and am interested in a BMH or HMH but not until the dust settles on the breeding. A mate of mine has a cocker that follows an 8hr track, and is being worked up to longer more challenging tracks.

A question that i have regarding any tracking dog is does being a stalking companion weaken the tracking ability (air scenting vs ground scenting) or is this resolved via cues (harness & tracking lead = nose to the deck)?

cheers
Ben

Ben
that young dog is coming on well
keep up the work bud
and keep on testing Ghillie
you will not need to call in any one in time
as you mention your mates cocker is doing well
yep Izzy is doing well..
 
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