labs and deer

[dodge1942]

Dear all

I see from the post below that Labs can be used and are used for tracking.
I have a three labs two I use for picking up and a third 5 month old pup I have started to train, all bitches.
I have been toying with the idea of using the pup for deer and game.
Rather than wrestling a deer or holding if the dog can just find the animal that would be great.

If I was to buy one book what would you suggest?
Anyone herts beds cambs area use a dog for tracking

Two in the family stalk now so a lost animal is a possibility.

I look forward tp people thoughts

Dodge

 

[nell]

Dodge, most of the advice you can read on here is as good as the books until you get into the finer points...

Guy wallace, has a small paperback..Dogs for deer

Nils sondergaurd (think) Working with dogs for deer.

Most questions will be quickly answered on here


Hope this helps

Nell

 

[devilishdave]

Nels Sondergard book is good

The lab in the picture has got deer for me twice now that I would never have found in a month of sundays. in both cases the animals were well shot one heart the other lungs. I know he will be there if I get it wrong one day as well.

Dave

 

[pendle]

I have a 4 1/2 yr old lab home bred, I let him find every deer i have shot. easy ones are made hard ones. the last 3 bucks i have shot have all been heart shot [there was no heart left in 2 of them] and have run nearly 200 yards. 2 ran into the woods and 1 on the clear fell with out him i would have only found 1 of them. Deeko has his full brother and he works just as well

KEVIN

 

[willie_gunn]

dodge

I take my seven year old lab stalking. She's used for picking up during the game season but she loves stalking more Like Kevin, every deer I shoot I let my lab 'find'. She's steady to deer and will quite happily sit (untethered ) at the bottom of the high seat with a live deer less than 10 paces away.

As well as the Sondergard and Wallace books you might also want to get hold of the John Jeanneney book, "Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer", see http://www.born-to-track.com/book/order-info.htm

willie_gunn

 

[dodge1942]

Dear all

Thanks I will look at the books and now see if I can not spoil a potentialy good dog, as I said just to track a wounded/dead deer would be great.

Dodge

 

[devilishdave]

you will be fine, mine was trained to the gun first (aparently a no no) and he took to the deer naturaly. He loves a good deer trail. It is amazing to watch him when the trail is only muinets old you can see his eyes light up as he breates in the blood scent.

Dave

 

[willie_gunn]

you will be fine, mine was trained to the gun first (aparently a no no) and he took to the deer naturaly.
Dave

+1 on that, as my lab was just the same. Given how much she enjoys it I just wish I'd started her when she was a pup. Here's one she found 12 hours after it was shot by a client (sorry for the poor quality but it was taken on the phone):

You'll be in good shape.



willie_gunn

 

[Remington 700]

Nuggets introdution to deer last week.
View attachment 2443View attachment 2442

 

[willie_gunn]

Nuggets introdution to deer last week.
View attachment 2440View attachment 2441View attachment 2443View attachment 2442

What is it about labrador pups that makes them so cute....

Re: the other photo, are those chocolate raisins or Good Boy chocolate drops on the deer hide....or crotties

willie_gunn

 

[KeithE]

dodge

I take my seven year old lab stalking. She's used for picking up during the game season but she loves stalking more Like Kevin, every deer I shoot I let my lab 'find'. She's steady to deer and will quite happily sit (untethered ) at the bottom of the high seat with a live deer less than 10 paces away.

As well as the Sondergard and Wallace books you might also want to get hold of the John Jeanneney book, "Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer", see http://www.born-to-track.com/book/order-info.htm

willie_gunn

Thats very impressive

 

[willie_gunn]

Keith

No-ones more surprised than me!

She's done it a number of times now, most recently last Saturday, to the point where I don't really think about it. She sat there quite happily with the buck close by and even stayed sitting after I'd taken the shot. The week before she sat there with a muntjac buck about 15 yards away. Her sister and both her parents are/were dual-purpose labs, so maybe it's something in the breeding. She has a tendency to whine when I'm up the high seat, but the deer don't seem to mind so I don't either!

What I find more surprising is that she runs in on pheasants when picking up, so quite how she's figured the deer thing out I've no idea. The problem that brings is that if I'm out stalking and she sees a pheasant close by she's likely to try and peg it

She enjoys going game shooting but when I come downstairs early in the morning in my stalking kit she's that excited it's like she's a pup again.

willie_gunn

 

[stone]

Devilish.....
It's not a no no
more like installing a discipline that you want to rely on, it does not mean you can't teach old dogs new tricks
as you and many others are testament too this
I Also add myself to that list
we in this country really only play at blood tracking at the moment, those that are already dedicated to that side like to test their dogs to the extreme ( we call it extreme other countries call it the norm) so they know they hav a dog they can trust from the start
For that you need to dedicate training from the start for that particular discipline
plus the beauty of it is, you can hav your dog out stalking with you in a real life situ finding wounded or dead deer under controlled situ's with confidence from a very young age and I am talking less than 6 months
you would struggle to get a bird dog to that sort of level of experience that you could trust at twice the age
Devilish
any more pics of your lab, and possibly a few pedigree details
possibly may venture down those pedigree lines in the future as I like the look from the pic you hav posted
Pm if you like
cheers

Also There's something about fresh deer blood that incites dogs to the point that they forget about all other game except that of the deer
The one thing about labs is that they are very quick learners and eager to please
It's how you train them makes all the difference as they are capable of most things just need the right guidance at times
other times they guide you
ATB

 

[devilishdave]

He doesn’t have a pedigree, I got him from the yellow paper he was advertised as an 18 month old Lab. When I went up to the farm just behind the back end of no where to have a look at him it was February in North Yorks and it was sleeting the dog was tied to the outside of a barn and he could go under a stone stair to get a bit of shelter no bedding though. He was also covered head to foot in sheep crap. The storey was the dog belonged to a keeper who had lost his job and had gone driving for a living so had to shift on 5 dogs one of which his farmer mate was looking after for him. The dog wasn’t really what I was looking for but being soft hearted I couldn’t leave him in those conditions and thought I would take him and shift him on.

He turned out to be as good as gold in the house no accidents. This dog although bright had no training wouldn’t walk on the lead sit etc but he picked it up quickly so perhaps that is why the guy lost his job as a keeper!!

So the long and the short of it is he has no papers, I think he has a little bit of collie in him perhaps 1/8th by the shape of his head but I have seen pedigree labs with the same shape. His coat is not typical Lab but the cold doesn’t seam to bother him so it cant be all bad.

Regards

Dave

 

[dodge1942]

Dear all

From the replies to use a Lab is a perfectly possible.
I would hope to have the dog steady, just have to be careful with the .270 very aggresive bang.
Need to get out and get a deer or two perhpas lay a trail or two.

Dodge

 

[Kit]

Just seen post from Dodge. Try a moderator on the rifle,the dogs reaction will be very different .The first few times make sure that you are in front of the dog and never ever despite all temptation fire over the dog,I had a cocker that went deaf at 10yrs when some over enthusiastic@chap@ fired over him with at 12 bore shotgun (never mind a .270) I felt cheated for the next 4 yrs as his hearing loss let him useless for shooting