Free range rob
Well-Known Member
I’m frickin glad it doesn’t, all
Manner of idiots stamping across your ground due to not putting the bullet where it should be.
Considering some of the shooting I’ve witnessed whilst guiding, I am hardly suprised we have a deer problem in this country
Surely if you’re saying the standard of shooting is that bad why would you not welcome anything that helps end suffering?
A missed deer no matter what species or sex is a welfare issue and not a trophy or spoiled meat!
WE ALL OWE IT TO DEER TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MINIMISE SUFFERING!!
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
My point was, with some of the standard of shooting I’ve seen, I wouldn’t want a free for all tracking across everywhere, I agree welfare is no1 priority, unfortunatly a lot of people can’t even be arsed to follow up on a shot and often just label it a clean miss when it wasn’t.
I’m not saying I don’t welcome anything that ends suffering, what I don’t welcome isn’t becoming a free for all for the people creating the problem.
Yes we all have mistakes, we all get it wrong on occasion, but some a lot more than others.
I’ve mopped up over half a dozen wounded deer from a neighbouring property, he simply doesn’t give a s**t.
Those are the types of people I don’t want free access for.
Star station bred heading dog.
Young pup her first deer
Full grown this summer spoting trout for me
Young pup her first deer
Full grown this summer spoting trout for me
th32
Well-Known Member
Great looking dog Simon NZ. Just one question, once the dog has the basics settled down (recall, sit, walk in front) so he´s fully under control, did you do any specific training for indicating deer or just go hunting and finish to polish his performance?
I´m quite confident keeping my dog under control in different terrain, circumstances, etc. so just wondering if there is anything else before taking him for his first real hunt.
I´m quite confident keeping my dog under control in different terrain, circumstances, etc. so just wondering if there is anything else before taking him for his first real hunt.
Thanks. I keep her on a cord attached the the waist bag, its not that much fun through our bush learning to not get tangled. Heading dogs are quick learners but that goes also for learning something wrong. So she's on a cord till she shows she's steady.
She can perform all sheep dog trial commands on a throwing ball as a substitute for sheep which is a gradual learning patient extention from fetching but its instinctive born from genetics to behave in the mold of a sheep dog. The more things she will do under command the safer she is for hunting.
Its also great excersize to keep her fit. She would run till she dies on a hot day. Not kidding.
If she busts I have the no command instilled starting as pup from hand feeding - wait intil have some food, have a drink and later good. So later use no when she short cuts a job and good when she is correct. From time to time a smack with the hat and no and that is enough for her.
She's a strong eyed so will eye a farm animal from a long distace and indicates same for deer. After shooting pause before going forward.
She can perform all sheep dog trial commands on a throwing ball as a substitute for sheep which is a gradual learning patient extention from fetching but its instinctive born from genetics to behave in the mold of a sheep dog. The more things she will do under command the safer she is for hunting.
Its also great excersize to keep her fit. She would run till she dies on a hot day. Not kidding.
If she busts I have the no command instilled starting as pup from hand feeding - wait intil have some food, have a drink and later good. So later use no when she short cuts a job and good when she is correct. From time to time a smack with the hat and no and that is enough for her.
She's a strong eyed so will eye a farm animal from a long distace and indicates same for deer. After shooting pause before going forward.
th32
Well-Known Member
Thanks, your post reinforce what I´ve been doing with mine and focus the training for the next months. Good to read from someone from NZ working with a heading dog as in my country, Spain, there is no tradition of indicating deer dogs but for cold tracking with teckels, BMH... I also train different "control" commands as I thought, as you mentioned that it will help while hunting. At the moment working on hand and signs with my head commands.
They like to copy body direction, when we were mustering you wanted your dog long way away to go one way your turned your horse to face that direction.
Some get confused why their dog isn't goin that way despite pointing with an arm and they are facing the opposite way.
She also is taught to fallow my trail and given a follow command for that. One thing with the cord they soon learn thats the best path as they don';t get tangled around a scrub trunk.
She will lead back to a bivy at night which is great as there no trails and sense of orietation as bad due to can't reference terain or tree features. Go home and she will ignore deer trails and follow the trail back. Gets reward at camp. Will need few go homers on the way to keep her off deer.
She is a big dog for a heading/collie type. Most think she,s another breed. She also has Kelpie in her. Not that that makes her big. Its the station breed for big running dog.
Some get confused why their dog isn't goin that way despite pointing with an arm and they are facing the opposite way.
She also is taught to fallow my trail and given a follow command for that. One thing with the cord they soon learn thats the best path as they don';t get tangled around a scrub trunk.
She will lead back to a bivy at night which is great as there no trails and sense of orietation as bad due to can't reference terain or tree features. Go home and she will ignore deer trails and follow the trail back. Gets reward at camp. Will need few go homers on the way to keep her off deer.
She is a big dog for a heading/collie type. Most think she,s another breed. She also has Kelpie in her. Not that that makes her big. Its the station breed for big running dog.
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