DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,329
- 6,021
He does look rather relaxed. Great picture of a true dog lover.
hey dog lovers
- Thread starter jimbires
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
bringing this one back up .
I've worked with Sally on trailing a little last fall . after winter was over I got to working with her fairly steady . I " thought " she would trail , but I sure wouldn't promise it . another guy on our lease has coyote hunting dogs . he has the gps tracking collars . he offered to put out a mock trail and call me when he was ready for us , I accepted . he stopped by and got my stuff for making a trail , and I told him what I was doing with it . a few days later his daughter called me to meet her on the lease , her Dad had the mock trail ready . she had a gps collar for Sally to wear , and he had one on his belt as he laid the trail . by doing this he could watch how Sally followed his trail on the monitor . she did very good . she went straight through a few zig zags he made and had no problem finding the piece of hide at the end of the trail . this trail was over 600 yards , and was placed about 3 hours before Sally started on it . fast forward to archery season . the phone rings one evening , he asks if I'll bring Sally . he has one hit and it's not a good hit , it's to far back . we arrive and I asked about how long ago the deer was hit . he said about 2 1/2 hours , so we decided to track . I put Sally on the blood and she took off on it . the wind was blowing from left to right , and she was about 3 feet to the right of the blood . it didn't seem very long and we were looking at his deer . she is one for one .
I hit one and brought her out to find it . she had no problem finding it . she is two for two .
we got called out 2 more times . both were poor hits , we didn't find either one . we did get trail cam pics of these deer , they seem to be doing ok .
we got called out this morning . a friend of mine son in law hit one last night and couldn't find it . we went I put Sally on the blood . she would follow , but then I could tell she wasn't on it . we would keep looking and find some blood , and she would follow it a ways . it seemed when the blood stopped shortly after she wasn't on it . we keep looking around nothing . I let Sally lead me through a fairly long twisty walk , and her neck stretches out and the nose gets twitching . she goes a short ways and does it again . she does this a few times as we go . I said she is on it , I think . he says we are just about out to the public road . we just go a few more steps and there is a fresh gut pile . we are now about 25 yards off the road . I'm guessing someone saw the deer and took it .
I kept the hooves from my buck deer . I'm going to start to work with Sally on trailing the interdigital gland scent . maybe this will help keep us on track .
I'm really happy with how well she is doing . I'm having as much , or more , fun tracking as I did hunting . I can see how guys get hook on hounds and hound hunting , it's a blast .
I've worked with Sally on trailing a little last fall . after winter was over I got to working with her fairly steady . I " thought " she would trail , but I sure wouldn't promise it . another guy on our lease has coyote hunting dogs . he has the gps tracking collars . he offered to put out a mock trail and call me when he was ready for us , I accepted . he stopped by and got my stuff for making a trail , and I told him what I was doing with it . a few days later his daughter called me to meet her on the lease , her Dad had the mock trail ready . she had a gps collar for Sally to wear , and he had one on his belt as he laid the trail . by doing this he could watch how Sally followed his trail on the monitor . she did very good . she went straight through a few zig zags he made and had no problem finding the piece of hide at the end of the trail . this trail was over 600 yards , and was placed about 3 hours before Sally started on it . fast forward to archery season . the phone rings one evening , he asks if I'll bring Sally . he has one hit and it's not a good hit , it's to far back . we arrive and I asked about how long ago the deer was hit . he said about 2 1/2 hours , so we decided to track . I put Sally on the blood and she took off on it . the wind was blowing from left to right , and she was about 3 feet to the right of the blood . it didn't seem very long and we were looking at his deer . she is one for one .
I hit one and brought her out to find it . she had no problem finding it . she is two for two .
we got called out 2 more times . both were poor hits , we didn't find either one . we did get trail cam pics of these deer , they seem to be doing ok .
we got called out this morning . a friend of mine son in law hit one last night and couldn't find it . we went I put Sally on the blood . she would follow , but then I could tell she wasn't on it . we would keep looking and find some blood , and she would follow it a ways . it seemed when the blood stopped shortly after she wasn't on it . we keep looking around nothing . I let Sally lead me through a fairly long twisty walk , and her neck stretches out and the nose gets twitching . she goes a short ways and does it again . she does this a few times as we go . I said she is on it , I think . he says we are just about out to the public road . we just go a few more steps and there is a fresh gut pile . we are now about 25 yards off the road . I'm guessing someone saw the deer and took it .
I kept the hooves from my buck deer . I'm going to start to work with Sally on trailing the interdigital gland scent . maybe this will help keep us on track .
I'm really happy with how well she is doing . I'm having as much , or more , fun tracking as I did hunting . I can see how guys get hook on hounds and hound hunting , it's a blast .
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,329
- 6,021
Excellent write up. Yeah, I can definitely see the value of a dog trained to trail game.
- Thread starter
- #24
I've been working with Sally on tracking . she is staying on hooves only trails , it slows her down some . when I drag she just about runs along the trail , pulling me hard . with the hooves she has to take her time , or she over shoots the trail on a turn . I'll start off dragging a piece of hide and liver behind me , while I work hooves in front of me while I walk . I'll pick up the hide and liver and just use the hooves for a ways , then I'll drop the drag and keep going . I've been dragging less often , and shorter lengths while I do the hooves only . she does it , she follows the trail to the end and gets her liver treat . I wear my rubber knee boots . I'm hoping it's actually the hooves she's following , and not my tracks . I don't know how to tell if the hooves are leaving scent , or when the hooves are worn out and done leaving scent . I'll keep a few more sets of hooves this year . I just keep working with her , hopefully it pays off when she's needed . I'd like to get her on a few trails again this year . she goes crazy when she sees her vest and long lead . we can't get going soon enough .
my makeshift set up . I attach a piece of liver , about the size of a snuff can , to the hitch pin by the hide .
my makeshift set up . I attach a piece of liver , about the size of a snuff can , to the hitch pin by the hide .
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noslerpartition
Handloader
- May 26, 2018
- 1,021
- 396
Actually over here we have a construction so you can attach hooves to your heel,so it leaves the scent while you are walking.
Called Fährtenschuh, don't know if there is a translation.
As far as I know deer have glands in the hooves that leave a scent. At least good dogs are able to follow a scent without blood.
Good luck with the training!
Nothing better than a dog if you don't see the critter going down.
- Thread starter
- #26
yes , I could buy a shoe attachment that holds deer hooves , made for this type of training . they would be a lot easier to use than what I'm doing now . they would still be putting deer smell down right with my tracks . I've seen mentioned in a few articles the dog has no reason to track the persons smell , because the person is right there with the dog .
www.unitedbloodtrackers.org
yes there is a gland in the hooves that leaves a trail of scent as they walk . from what I've read , this scent is supposed to change smells if the deer is wounded . I kept the hooves from my last years deer . it was an archery kill , that only ran a short distance , maybe 100 or 125 yards . so I figured the scent had a chance to change to the wounded smell , and the deer didn't run far enough to loose this wounded smell . I've taken Sally through the woods tracking the hooves scent . she has not followed the heavily used deer trail , but would cross it and follow my trail . she might follow it a short ways , then she gets off looking for my trail . I've walked the heavy deer trail and then veered off of it and continued on my own trail , and she has followed my trail . she might have stayed on the deer trail a short ways , but then get off looking for my trail . I've taken her close to a deer carcass , and she's stayed on my trail paid no attention to the carcass . it seems as though she has things figured out . it would be nice to know for sure what she is following , my tracks or the deer smell I'm putting down . I wear my rubber knee boots that NEVER come in the house , or any other building , they stay outside on my porch .the porch is open with a roof . these boots I wear daily through the woods . I'd think they would be close to being scent free . hopefully I get to put her on some blood trails again this season . there would be no substitution to the real thing . I'd say the more she trails real deer trails the better she will get at it .
Tracking Shoes - United Blood Trackers
Tracking shoes for simulating a natural line. Freezer Safe. Best design for training in rough terrain.
www.unitedbloodtrackers.org
yes there is a gland in the hooves that leaves a trail of scent as they walk . from what I've read , this scent is supposed to change smells if the deer is wounded . I kept the hooves from my last years deer . it was an archery kill , that only ran a short distance , maybe 100 or 125 yards . so I figured the scent had a chance to change to the wounded smell , and the deer didn't run far enough to loose this wounded smell . I've taken Sally through the woods tracking the hooves scent . she has not followed the heavily used deer trail , but would cross it and follow my trail . she might follow it a short ways , then she gets off looking for my trail . I've walked the heavy deer trail and then veered off of it and continued on my own trail , and she has followed my trail . she might have stayed on the deer trail a short ways , but then get off looking for my trail . I've taken her close to a deer carcass , and she's stayed on my trail paid no attention to the carcass . it seems as though she has things figured out . it would be nice to know for sure what she is following , my tracks or the deer smell I'm putting down . I wear my rubber knee boots that NEVER come in the house , or any other building , they stay outside on my porch .the porch is open with a roof . these boots I wear daily through the woods . I'd think they would be close to being scent free . hopefully I get to put her on some blood trails again this season . there would be no substitution to the real thing . I'd say the more she trails real deer trails the better she will get at it .
- Thread starter
- #28
thanks Buddy , I'll take all the good luck wishes I can get . I'd like to think we are getting things figured out . I'm very happy with our small victories . I'm anxious to get her on a few real deer blood trails . it's right around the corner , about 6 weeks until archery starts .
- Thread starter
- #29
the past couple days me and Sally have been trimming roads , and draining water holes . I wanted to get these water holes drained before winter . last year while riding the side by side , I broke through thin ice on one of these and had a hard time getting out . I have a short video of her splashing around , and going under for a stick I threw in , but I'm not smart enough to post it ,
Sally just loves draining water holes .
Sally just loves draining water holes .
- Thread starter
- #30
I just realized I showed the dirty dog , but not any mud holes . I think I put a ditch in 11 or 12 of these . this one was probably about 16 or 18 inches deep . this is the one I broke through last winter . the tires went through , but the buggy floor stayed on top . I was saddle bagged . they started to make a trail around this one . I drained it across the new trail .
