I have a Border that is really a natural at following a sent but to heal forget it. I have him on a long line attached to my Roe sack and when I go in for the final approach, just drop the sack and he sites there waiting for me. It’s the only way with him but works. I don’t take him out with me and other people as he is a pain.
Stalking with a terrier.
- Thread starter VSS
- Start date
Never tried any other terrier but had Borders for 30+ years. I trained them in basics(sit,stay etc) with my gundog pups. Brilliant at scenting, finding and baying or holding injured deer. Also worked them when legal to all quarry underground or in river banks. Only had a slight problem with one, she would stay where left all day but fire the rifle and she would "run in" at 500 mph and grab the deer, dead or alive. Had to stitch her up a couple of times when guests made mistakes with Roe.
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
If I recall correctly my mate gave the dog a bit of liver or something. From the Graloch to encourage him to find them. Don’t think he did much more than that. Maybe dragging the odd skin around with a small reward when found. I certainly don’t remember much more than that.
He was made for the gun though. Couldn’t get out the door without him if he thought you were going. Tried to come home with me a few times
He was made for the gun though. Couldn’t get out the door without him if he thought you were going. Tried to come home with me a few times
Overlay
Well-Known Member
My brothers runs two patterdales and the younger one of the two is a great tracker, very quiet and methodical, in fact it’s a steady little dog, it is however very hardy and fearless and you need it on a leash after a shot as it will run in, generally a nice quiet dog if you trained it up just for tracking I believe it would be fine
My little Teckel is out with me all the stalk and he got used to waiting for a shot very quickly, and is now very calm and patient waiting the 15 minutes, once they’ve picked up on what the crack is they seem to follow on ok
You’ve got nothing to lose, give it a go, you might end up with a cracking tracker
Good luck
Phil
My little Teckel is out with me all the stalk and he got used to waiting for a shot very quickly, and is now very calm and patient waiting the 15 minutes, once they’ve picked up on what the crack is they seem to follow on ok
You’ve got nothing to lose, give it a go, you might end up with a cracking tracker
Good luck
Phil
Brittany boy
Well-Known Member
When I lost the vizla I used for tracking I got a Brittany but she is too birdy to be any use on the roe deer I stalk. I also have a Jack Russell I use for fox and vermin he likes to wander and do his own thing so needs to be kept on a lead when stalking which is a nuisance when stalking in long grass heather and heavy woodland. About a year ago I was stalking without a dog when I shot a roe hitting it low in the brisket and it run off . I tracked the blood trail and bumped it a couple of times even though I had given it almost an hour before the first bump and the second. I then returned home picked up the JR and went back to the shot strike site , the JR tracked on a long line to the first then the second bed and then into really heavy cover. due to the cover I eventually released him and he went about 50 yards into the bush and began to bay he then chased the roe into the open and held it at bay until I could deal with it. I now have a GWP pup but a terrier properly trained to stalk along side you is perfectly capable just get it out there with you as often as possible it will pick up what the game is .
Well I've been doing a bit of zeroing with the 22lr this afternoon, and he quite happily curled up under my shooting bench and went to sleep. Training him to sit patiently under a highseat shouldn't be too much trouble I don't think.
This terrier hasn't got such a well developed hunting instinct as our other one, but is more biddable. Interesting the way their characters differ. I'd back older one against a fox any day.
This terrier hasn't got such a well developed hunting instinct as our other one, but is more biddable. Interesting the way their characters differ. I'd back older one against a fox any day.
Rasputin
Well-Known Member
My border before his back op used to come but just being pragmatic he did struggle a bit when the cover got up above 12 inch high ie his nose height but he was like velcro now that bloody spaniel he's a law unto himself won't walk to heel or sit still but if I ever lost a deer in thick bush I wouldn't hesitate to send him in as his nose is second to none.
I was out kayaking at sunrise this morning, and took the dog with me. His first time on the sea. He picked up the scent of a couple of feral goats on the cliffs as we paddled past, but didn't bark, which was encouraging.
Our other terrier loves the beach, but prefers to keep a cautious distance between himself and the water.
Our other terrier loves the beach, but prefers to keep a cautious distance between himself and the water.
I'm of the opinion that you can train any dog for any task, as long as you have the time and patients. I've not got the patients so I let the other half do any difficult training.
By pure luck my Labrador came out as a good retriever, who'll also point and track to some degree.
We've talked about training the Belgian malanious to track but that's as far as it got
By pure luck my Labrador came out as a good retriever, who'll also point and track to some degree.
We've talked about training the Belgian malanious to track but that's as far as it got
landkeeper
Well-Known Member
You can try to train any dog for any job some are just a round peg in a square hole though , when insticts kick in its impossible to stop some breeds from doing what genetics tell them to do
If you fancy training a dog up as a dedicated stalking companion Paul Michaels “Blueprint” has some good advice.
The Deer Dog Training Blueprint
The Deer Dog Training Blueprint Is Out Now A comprehensive online video course with everything you need to know to train your own deer dog from start to finish. Follow Professional hunter, writer and dog trainer Paul Michaels as he trains his own deer dog all the way from picking it up as a...biggameindicatingdogs.com
This guy is local to me. He hunts the country just behind where I live. His dog Print is a little legend. Sheep dog, an eye dog first, scent second. One of the reasons we like heading dog genes in our deer dogs. Well worth watching some of his YouTube videos.
Regarding terriers, the first Jack Russell we had as a boy was raised by my Grandpa, he carried her in his Barbour pocket everywhere as a pup, then in his rabbit bag on his bicycle as she grew, she went everywhere from day dot. That little bitch was so calm and sensible and used to anything and everything, by the time she was a couple of years old, she would just fit in, no need for training. She had that magic "common sense" factor. She would go deer stalking / rough shooting / rabbiting / wildfowling / foxing with us all the time, never let the side down, always waited to be sent in after the shot. She would lock up when close to an animal, only problem being in the summer she was too short to see in the grass half the time. She was out and about with us until she was 14 yrs old, before finally succumbing to decrepitude.
The second one we had was the exact opposite. She didn't get the same grounding, kennelled during the day when we were at school, parents at work, etc. Went bat**** crazy when we got home, hurtled off everywhere. Useless dog. Manic ratter though, and prone to getting so stuck in sets and warrens that she needed to be dug out with the backhoe, a delicate operation.
Its all in those first few weeks of life, to my mind. Wean them slowly, leave them with the litter until at least 10 weeks, then constant human company 24x7. Maximum socialising all the time, everything from the pub to the cattle yards, all the stock animals, everyone else's dogs, the cat, public transport, the high street, the car. Don't work them hard when they're young, don't punish violently, encourage quietly, calmly. Shoot around them but not close to them at first, small suppressed .22s rifles, then centrefires, getting closer until you are sure, then shoot over them, suppressed. They are fully ready when the sound of the gun safe keys triggers instant hunting mode. The wee dog's personality can be moulded very young. If you get a terrier of sound temperament from good breeding and make them part of every aspect of your life, they can be remarkably robust and reliable. Maybe not quite as effective as a larger specialist hunting breed, but the flipside is that they are a whole lot more adaptable and suitable to home life. Multipurpose dogs!
The second one we had was the exact opposite. She didn't get the same grounding, kennelled during the day when we were at school, parents at work, etc. Went bat**** crazy when we got home, hurtled off everywhere. Useless dog. Manic ratter though, and prone to getting so stuck in sets and warrens that she needed to be dug out with the backhoe, a delicate operation.
Its all in those first few weeks of life, to my mind. Wean them slowly, leave them with the litter until at least 10 weeks, then constant human company 24x7. Maximum socialising all the time, everything from the pub to the cattle yards, all the stock animals, everyone else's dogs, the cat, public transport, the high street, the car. Don't work them hard when they're young, don't punish violently, encourage quietly, calmly. Shoot around them but not close to them at first, small suppressed .22s rifles, then centrefires, getting closer until you are sure, then shoot over them, suppressed. They are fully ready when the sound of the gun safe keys triggers instant hunting mode. The wee dog's personality can be moulded very young. If you get a terrier of sound temperament from good breeding and make them part of every aspect of your life, they can be remarkably robust and reliable. Maybe not quite as effective as a larger specialist hunting breed, but the flipside is that they are a whole lot more adaptable and suitable to home life. Multipurpose dogs!
Love the camo for the dog!
Well, yesterday evening I took him out stalking. Arrived on the ground about an hour before sunset, and was soon up my seat. Left Sam (the dog) at the bottom, but attached a long lightweight cord to his collar. I passed this around the bottom rung and then carried it up to the top so I could give it a bit of a yank if need be. I needn't have bothered - he just curled up and went to sleep! 2 hours later, having not seen any deer and it now being very dark, I climbed down and woke the dog.
Decided to stalk in the morning too. Not worth driving home between an evening and a morning stalk, so bivvied in the field. Sam snuggled down between my bivvy bag and my sleeping bag and went to sleep on my feet, so toasty warm! However, must've been too warm for his liking as he surfaced at about 2am, putting a paw on my face in passing. Damn it, I thought, I'll have to get out of bed and tie up the dog now so he doesn't wander off. But no, he just curled up in the long grass beside me and went straight back to sleep. So did I. To be fair, we'd both had a long day, what with the kayaking trip and all.
4.45am, got up, woke the dog, and headed off to a different seat to await daylight. Same routine as before, but he didn't settle quite so well - couldn't find a comfy enough place to sleep! After an hour, climbed down and set off to stalk the woods on foot. Tried to keep him at heel, but after a while the numerous squirrels became too much of a temptation, so put him on a lead. Saw a couple of does, but they didn't see us. Blank stalk, so heading back to the vehicle, when I spot 2 prickets about 250 yards away. Manage to cut the distance down to approximately 150 using the cover provided by a straggly hedge, then dropped the dog's lead and got the rifle up on the sticks. One last look to confirm the sex, and then waited to see which would present the best shot. Sure enough, one turned broadside so I took aim and fired. I'm a bit inclined to shoot too far back, so I made a conscious effort to place my shot slightly further forward than usual. In the event I pulled it slightly as I was trying to watch Sam's reaction out of the corner of my eye, so it went quite a bit further forward than intended. (He didn't flinch at the bang, btw). Nevertheless, it dropped dead within a couple of yards, then slid and rolled about another 10 yards down a steep brambly bank. The second pricket also presented a good shot, but as I only had a customer for one carcass I let it go.
Instead of approaching the dead deer directly I took a slight detour to bring the dog to the shot site without crossing the scent trail. There wasn't enough blood at the shot site to get him really interested, but plenty where the deer fell. It didn't take much encouragement to get him on the trail, and he plunged down through the vegetation, following his nose until he came up to the deer. I got him pretty wound up and excited about it, then let him help me drag it out of the undergrowth and do the gralloch, from which he had a few choice titbits.
So, all in all, a positive experience.
Here's a few photos:
Investigating the spot where the deer fell:
Finding the place where it slid down the bank:
Following his nose down the bank .(He hasn't spotted the deer yet):
The end:
Decided to stalk in the morning too. Not worth driving home between an evening and a morning stalk, so bivvied in the field. Sam snuggled down between my bivvy bag and my sleeping bag and went to sleep on my feet, so toasty warm! However, must've been too warm for his liking as he surfaced at about 2am, putting a paw on my face in passing. Damn it, I thought, I'll have to get out of bed and tie up the dog now so he doesn't wander off. But no, he just curled up in the long grass beside me and went straight back to sleep. So did I. To be fair, we'd both had a long day, what with the kayaking trip and all.
4.45am, got up, woke the dog, and headed off to a different seat to await daylight. Same routine as before, but he didn't settle quite so well - couldn't find a comfy enough place to sleep! After an hour, climbed down and set off to stalk the woods on foot. Tried to keep him at heel, but after a while the numerous squirrels became too much of a temptation, so put him on a lead. Saw a couple of does, but they didn't see us. Blank stalk, so heading back to the vehicle, when I spot 2 prickets about 250 yards away. Manage to cut the distance down to approximately 150 using the cover provided by a straggly hedge, then dropped the dog's lead and got the rifle up on the sticks. One last look to confirm the sex, and then waited to see which would present the best shot. Sure enough, one turned broadside so I took aim and fired. I'm a bit inclined to shoot too far back, so I made a conscious effort to place my shot slightly further forward than usual. In the event I pulled it slightly as I was trying to watch Sam's reaction out of the corner of my eye, so it went quite a bit further forward than intended. (He didn't flinch at the bang, btw). Nevertheless, it dropped dead within a couple of yards, then slid and rolled about another 10 yards down a steep brambly bank. The second pricket also presented a good shot, but as I only had a customer for one carcass I let it go.
Instead of approaching the dead deer directly I took a slight detour to bring the dog to the shot site without crossing the scent trail. There wasn't enough blood at the shot site to get him really interested, but plenty where the deer fell. It didn't take much encouragement to get him on the trail, and he plunged down through the vegetation, following his nose until he came up to the deer. I got him pretty wound up and excited about it, then let him help me drag it out of the undergrowth and do the gralloch, from which he had a few choice titbits.
So, all in all, a positive experience.
Here's a few photos:
Investigating the spot where the deer fell:
Finding the place where it slid down the bank:
Following his nose down the bank .(He hasn't spotted the deer yet):
The end:
Sh
She feels the cold, she just had a fine coat
I took my Border terrier with me for the first time on the Roe last week, I'm really pleased. She's never been trained to deer but she's just a natural born hunter. We didn't actually shoot anything but she was showing a lot of interest and was basically pointing. I'll take her rabbiting (on a lead) with my rim fire and see how she reacts to shot.
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