Tracking training programme
- Thread starter smohrsen
- Start date
Depends on terrain and what you are doing.
I prefer to have my dog behind or beside me at all times but in the Southern Hemisphere they are big on 'indicating' dogs in deep cover and usually shoot over them.
90% is having a dog which will not impede you when stalking, it's there to help you find deer (dead or alive), save time or in some cases bring down an injured one which would have not been otherwise recoverable (there is an argument that a deer that can run off is not mortally wounded, but one with a blown off jaw can make it a long way and live on very painfully before dying).
Being able to start the deer at a shot site where blood and hair are present is the ideal situation. For a dog's first find it should be very easy.
You can buy Hagopour powdered deer blood to mix up (I have a bottle that you can have for postage costs) and leave deer legs or ears at the end of it as the 'reward'.
It's very important to encourage the dog lots and keep up positive reinforcement if the dog is a bit timid at first. On the other hand, a dog could be so keen to get the deer open that you could be saved the job of gralloching it!
Most importantly, keep your dog safe. I called mine back from going after a wounded Sika stag as one more dead deer is not worth one dead dog!
yellow belly
Well-Known Member
If its a GWP just let it get on with it, you will require more training to read the dog then the dog will to track, recover and deal with a deer. Just make sure it will sit and heel!
Joining the Bavarian Mountain Hound Society of GB is a good starting point. They cater for all breeds and hold monthly training sessions.
Overlay
Well-Known Member
Ive got two teckles that have always had deers feet hidden in the garden to start and then out in the field moving on to blood spots, all the normal things only thing i did then and still do is to hide a skin, head and feet all intact put it in a wood with a few blood spots leading to it, and let em track that under their own steam my older one is a ballistic missile and is on it and the other is a spot on plodder that measures twice cut once tracker very steady, as different as chalk and cheese, both do an excellent job and they absolutely love it, every dog is different dont know what breed you’ve gone for but do try to let the dog find its feet and work it out itself in a steady manner that way you enjoy the time together and get the result you both want, every dog has its own stream of talent and a level
dont try and follow everyone’s mandatory tracking procedures, I’ve found just work with your dog, cut him a bit of slack when it goes wrong and gently start again
dont try and follow everyone’s mandatory tracking procedures, I’ve found just work with your dog, cut him a bit of slack when it goes wrong and gently start again
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Get a 10m long as a minimum tracking leash to start with, a normal leash will not cut it.
Speak to the guys at Deertrack Uk ? TBF there is some difference in tracking dogs and stalking dogs , not much but relivent to mention . A stalking dog accompanies you during a stalk for a start
Thanks for this caberslash, that is a great starting point for sure. He is only past a year but have done scent and trailing with him since very young and he is great at it. Just looking to see what scents and training structure could be good to transition him to tracking shot deer.
Thanks Overlay, that is great insight. Appreciate that and agree finding the right way is somewhat dependent on him and I as a working duo as well. I probably wouldn’t have thought of simulating a carcass at the end with deer bits as that is quite different from trailing mispers. Cheers!
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Here is a shop that sells all the equipment if you needed, he has 30 years of experience in this field.
www.sfa-bodoband.de
Regards Martin
sfa-bodoband.de
rickydiver
Well-Known Member
As previously stated, joint the BMHS-GB and attend their training days which are open to all breeds. Great way to see how to lay training tracks and see how dogs work the tracks. Good luck as it’s brilliant to watch a dog work a track.
sean
Well-Known Member
if you want to train it for tracking start with simple skin drags, start with short and fresh drags gradually getting older and longer, once the dog will follow drags that are over 4hrs old you can then move onto scent shoes with cleaves. There is no need to use blood whilst training, blood on a track is a bonus not always a given.
I have a Belgian Malinois as my companion for shooting (and literally everything else) but the way I started initially was abit different because i wasnt willing to pay a fortune for dedicated "deer tracking lessons" at the time. I started with going to small general dog classes doing scent detection work, this involved a Kong toy but the purpose was to get her using her nose. After that I decided I'd give a sport called man trailing a try which was a friendly inexpensive way to practice tracking but it also complemented the bite/protection work we were doing. Getting her used to gunfire and staying close was work I put in myself but each individual training type has had its uses. I'd definitely give the man trailing a Google though, if the dog can track a person in all weathers and surfaces then it should find a stinky deer a piece of cake.
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