Deer's Feet

[KeithE]

Oh bugger..... I made a decision earlier this year to sell my rifle. With work, family (and...lure fishing and wildlife photography commitments) I didn't have the time or to be honest the inclination to go stalking, or rather kill any deer, more than happy to be up at dawn watching them though.

Now, since looking on this site - initially for info on teckels - my stalking juices are stirring again.

Anyway, a qusetion;

This giving of deer legs to chew on, skins to rag, deer meat to feed etc. How does this effect the steadiness to live deer when stalking. Surely all this 'make deer his world' will make the dog think of live deer as a walking dinner bowl???

Excuse my ignorance on this one, just simply applying logic.

 

[stone]

The idea of introducing it to Deer by ways of food , skins to rag , legs to chew on , blood to lick on whislt working a training track/trail
will hav no bearing on how you train your dog to be steady whilst out stalking
Obedience is the key if you intend to stalk with a dog by your side
training it to track is a seperate discipline
get them both together in the dog and you will never regret it
But you will hav to put up with a certain amount of running in when you first start going out stalking in live situations with the dog
but then that stalk just becomes a training exercise as you need to put yourself in that position so you can teach the dog anyway
if you are concerned about that because of lack of deer on the ground and each stalking trip is costly or you just pay to stalk
then find a deer park that allows walking dogs in and go there on a regular basis
it will help bring the steadiness on in a controlled and relaxed enviroment with plenty of deer and scent for the dog to get accustomed too

 

[Kit]

As Stone says obedience is the key .Make sure the pup heels and sits off lead before you get to enthusiastic with tracking or stalking.When you start with the pup remember each stalk will become a training exercise and the proportion of deer backends disappearing in to the blue yonder will rise.A teckel has a massive hunting drive and selective hearing when a blood scent is about.Put a bell on the collar so the little darling is findable andf a good tip that may slow him down is to tie a 56 pound weight to the end of the lead.
Have fun