Airedale Terrier Handler - Huge Thanks!!!!

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Can I just start by saying how privileged I am to be part of this stalking fraternity.

I put out an SOS for deer parts a few days ago and the advice, people, dogs and stuff I have been given was way more than I ever expected.

A huge thanks to The Scudd for giving me half his freezer and taking the time to inform me of his past success and failures in tracking dogs. Everything from bottles of blood, heads and organs all supplied, the woman isn't to fond of the inside of the car now!
An absolute mentor if he doesn't mind me saying and he has given me an insight into the world of stalking which cannot be gained from any book.

A massive thanks to Pendle, for all the advice, putting together a whole tracking kit and with his great advice I will always trust the dogs judgement especially when it comes to tracking up.

Chelle70 for the key skills at this crucial age, as I have so much to learn from this breed, being a springer man all my life.

Chickenman, Gentle Jim, Wildboar1973, Stalker .308 and all those at BDS and Irish Deer Society for putting me in touch with people who are really passionate about the traditions of stalking and the welfare of our wild deer.

Many thanks everyone and if I have left anyone out at all my apologies.

I'll keep in touch and try to get plenty of photos up as I go along.

Regards

Ronan

 

[Peter Eaton]

Your most welcome Ronan , glad to see many others have responded to your 'shout out' and I hope all is going well with the wee pup.

Cheers

pete

 

[pendle]

Its a plesure to help

Pendle

 

[ksb]

Hi Ronan did you get a chance to try a short trail with the pup yet. There are some very helpful guys on the forum for sure

 

[Roedinator]

All the best with your pup wishing you great succes regards pete

 

[BirkG]

How did it go in the end?

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

The past few days she has been getting a woodcock wing or full sized teal to play with, she goes nuts for it. Then it was a rabbits foot and tail......then deer fur courtesy of Pendle and Scudd, a dragged deer leg hidden in the house.

On Saturday I laid the wee bitch's first blood trail with flecks of organ along the way and at the end of the 30m in the rushes was the deers head with a foot beside it. I walked the foot along the blood trail also keeping my own scent well away. When I brought the wee bitch to the start of the trail I was expecting maybe a tiny bit of interest, a few distractions along the way and maybe standing off the deer head nervously at the end............well that was what thought did.

I had the bitch on a long line....now remember she is 10weeks old.......I took her to the start of the trail.........BANG! she was away!!!!!! Tail going like a submarine prop, bouncing from left to right on her front feet, head hoovering up every bit of claret through the grass! It took her less than 1 minute to find the head, so much so that when I got to the end I was kicking myself I didn't do it longer!!!!!!!!!

When she got about 10 feet from the deer parts at the end.....she lifted her head and air scented and then up went the wee paw!!!! I think I started crying at this point!! haa.
She bounded to the head and straight away licking and pulling at the fur with loads of praise from me!!!

What made it harder and adventurous was I let her walk to heel off the lead through a wet bog before we got to the trail and as Ireland would have it, it was drizzling, so I was afraid the scent trail wouldn't be strong enough, but the good thing was. since I have been giving her pieces of deer meat and blood as tit-bits each day teaching her to sit and stay, she actually saw the head as a meal, pulling at the jugular and for 5 mins, I sat at her level patting her back as she was ravaging and tearing small parts of the neck and head.

I am really fortunate as I have a deer pen less than 10miles from me which I can enter and walk freely up to a herd of 25 white fallow, so this will be my next phase, obedience and breaking her urge to "run in". I don't want to cap it to much, just get her stopping on command and that maybe a few months from now I might be able to take the lead off while in the pen. Working Airedale loose in a deer pen.........that is the ultimate test I think.