I started this, I'd kill ground hogs and make my dogs carry them through our yard and into the neighbors hay field to drop them for the vultures. Her first live meat retrieves were with the first ground hogs of the year. She is taught on the search command for finding downed birds, so its not a stretch. She is highly interested in any game animals. I just have to watch how its done in the heat as she overheats fast. She flat out loves doves, but I have to watch the September days I do it and take her.
I started with the last one, which was tamer, as I hunted on the neighbors and the wife would come over with the garden tractor and drag the dead deer back home. I watched my previous lab back trail toward the neighbors field. Then used him to trail ground hogs shot that got back to their holes. It's nice to know how to track a wounded deer, but much easier to put the dog on it that can find it in no time flat.