Visla advise

NigelM

Well-Known Member
I run a cocker and a black lab for game shooting. The cocker is at retirement age and the lab is now 8 years old. I started stalking 6 years ago and now shoot 30 to 40 deer a year. I have never had the need for a dog to follow up a wounded beast but appriciate that i am likely to one day.

I'm now thinking about the next hound and want something whose primary focus is a stalking companion. The lab has come with me for the past few years but he is very much bird focussed and doesn't show a great deal of interest in deer.

I don't want a single purpose deer tracker, I want a dog to walk a few meters in front of me and air scent the deer before they ping me. If I need to follow up a wounded beast it must be able to perform that task as well, but this will be the secondary use i hope.

I have boiled it down through talking to others to the Visla, either wire haired or smooth. I want a bitch rather than a dog as in my experience they appear to be easier to train and a bit more consistant than the dogs.

Could anyone give me any advise on a) whether i'm right in my analysis and b) which breeders should i approach for good working stock.

Thanks for your help.
 
a) I think you may have made your mind up!

b) PM me if you want to get in touch with a good breeder

Regards
 
I stalk with my 3 year old smooth Vizsla bitch all the time - she does exactly what you describe in that she walks head and shoulders in front of me and is constantly scenting the wind. If there are deer ahead - she isn't much interested in pheasants etc - she locks up and points. I'm getting to learn from her manner how far ahead things are - if she locks up completely and quivers, then it's likely you are about to trip over your deer but normally she points, then steps forward a bit etc as she fine tunes direction.

She's perfectly competent at a follow-up if necessary but doesn't go at it in the 100mph bull-in-a-china-shop manner that my GWP bitch does. She'll also curl up for hour after hour at the bottom of a high seat without fuss - no tether needed. On two occasions I have been in high seats and found my attention wandering (probably dozed off :oops:); the slight noise from below the seat alerted me to the fact that Lex was on her feet and sure enough, both times there was a Roe within shooting distance.

Aside from stalking, Vizsla are a lovely breed - the bitches are very gentle and biddable (once again, not much like my GWP :rolleyes:).

Better than a fat-arsed Lab' anyway :lol: If you are looking for a puppy, Vizslamad is breeding from his working Vizsla bitch this year - very good line and he's kept and worked Vizslas for 20+ years. I'm going to breed from mine too soon but she was a rescue dog and I have never been able to transfer her KC registration to me - frustrating as I know her breed details!

Adam.
 
I stalk with my 3 year old smooth Vizsla bitch all the time - she does exactly what you describe in that she walks head and shoulders in front of me and is constantly scenting the wind. If there are deer ahead - she isn't much interested in pheasants etc - she locks up and points. I'm getting to learn from her manner how far ahead things are - if she locks up completely and quivers, then it's likely you are about to trip over your deer but normally she points, then steps forward a bit etc as she fine tunes direction.

She's perfectly competent at a follow-up if necessary but doesn't go at it in the 100mph bull-in-a-china-shop manner that my GWP bitch does. She'll also curl up for hour after hour at the bottom of a high seat without fuss - no tether needed. On two occasions I have been in high seats and found my attention wandering (probably dozed off :oops:); the slight noise from below the seat alerted me to the fact that Lex was on her feet and sure enough, both times there was a Roe within shooting distance.

Aside from stalking, Vizsla are a lovely breed - the bitches are very gentle and biddable (once again, not much like my GWP :rolleyes:).

Better than a fat-arsed Lab' anyway :lol: If you are looking for a puppy, Vizslamad is breeding from his working Vizsla bitch this year - very good line and he's kept and worked Vizslas for 20+ years. I'm going to breed from mine too soon but she was a rescue dog and I have never been able to transfer her KC registration to me - frustrating as I know her breed details!

Adam.
loving the fat lab abuse
 
I can put you in touch with the FT secretary of the Vizla Club. They trial here. I have shot over her bitch on trials many times and if she cant help no one can. If you would like to get in contact with her PM me and I will sort it out. if there are litters of good stuff about she will know.

Regards

Mark
 
I have a Visla bitch from the secertarys last litter, Ruby is coming up to 2 years old and has been stalking with me from 6 months old. Ruby is very steady whilst stalking and had some good follow-ups, Starting to get phone calls for follow-ups when deer have been lost in cover and no blood trail for them to follow. Ruby is great company whilst on an early morning stalk and the wife thinks she's great and would have another one :D (got to keep her happy)

Regards

Jon
 
Visla advice

Contact the Wirehaired Vizla Association they can advise you.I use a WHV to great effect he also picks up points and beats.
My Labs also do deer and pick up professionally during the season and whilst the Vis is a radar on legs the labs do a good job and are a damn site easier to deal with.www.muntjactrading.co.uk
 
Less of the Lab abuse lads there are some very very good labs that work deer, I own 3, one has no interest in deer at all, one is far to fast but is a cracking picking up dog, the last one is big beatiful and daft, but when you put him anywhere near a deer he comes alive he can tell by the scent if they have been shot, he blood trails and will retrieve Roe.
He wont go within 20ft of a Sika if it is moving but will pin down a Roe.
His longest blood trail was 250 yds in the trees in the Borders.
It may not be spectacular but we have never lost a deer that has been shot.
 
viszla

please let me know if you know of any good wirehair pups coming up towards the end of the year.

hi
my dad is hoping to have a litter later this year of his wirehaired bitch.
her k.c name is lindlecopse nuthatch she is worked all the time for pointing ,stalking and she has done some f.t.
you can see a pic of her in the h.w.v.a year book.
p.m me if want to know more
yours brent
 
Thanks very much to all of you for your help. Hopefully I can give myself a bit of a head start by going down the right track.
 
I run wires for stalking, great dogs,just be very careful what and where you buy.I would be happy to share my limited knowledge of the breed with you.
My bitch was purchased just to stalk with, she now has a full CV including walked up grouse and is rock steady on the peg.
 
Less of the Lab abuse lads there are some very very good labs that work deer, I own 3, one has no interest in deer at all, one is far to fast but is a cracking picking up dog, the last one is big beatiful and daft, but when you put him anywhere near a deer he comes alive he can tell by the scent if they have been shot, he blood trails and will retrieve Roe.
He wont go within 20ft of a Sika if it is moving but will pin down a Roe.
His longest blood trail was 250 yds in the trees in the Borders.
It may not be spectacular but we have never lost a deer that has been shot.
+1:D
 
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