RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

You can use any dog you want or have, just to prove it:

My two Husky's, their mother is a fullblood, but their father is unknown, anyway. We have found ENDLESS deer with these two dogs, every time they see me grab my rifle they go nuts! They aren't gun-shy either which is super! Many deer would have gone unfound if it wasn't for my dogs. Best tool I have ever had when the blood trail was bad or deer ran crazy trails.

Male dog:


and his sister:

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

Supaarcher, you ask about other breeds. If you will look on page 81 and 82 you will find information on the Bavarian Mountain Hound. My dad and myself have a total of 3 at this time. There are about a dozen in this country at this time. This is a breed for someone who plans on taking 15-20 or more calls a year. These dogs like to be worked in fact this is all the are breed to do. If you are just wanting to track a few deer a year then I would advise you to get some other type of dog. At this time there are no breeders in the U.S. with dogs of breeding age. The only way to get one is to import them and that will cost you between $1200 and $1500 depending on what counrty you are getting them from. We are about 10 months to a year from starting our breeding program. We do have contacts in a couple of counrties that can get a dog if some one is interested.
BobCo has been right on with his information. I am in the south and only train about once a month in the summer and at night due to the heat. As it get closer to hunting season I start laying out more blood trails and harder and longer lines. I track with a tracking collar and a 30' leed rope. I would never let my dog run free to track a deer, to many people in the woods and I would be afraid someone might just shot her. I either use a syringe to lay little drops of blood or us a spounge on the end of a stick to dab blood on the ground. I us 1 cup of blood over 1800 to 3000 feet long lines. I will age the line any were from 4-8hrs in the summer to 12-24hrs as the weather starts getting cooler, and I do this year round to keep her in great form. I leave a deer leg at the end of the line as a reward.
I read on here were someone said they could make some money not really. I charge $1 per mile one way and another $20 if the deer is found. We can do that here in the south. With the time that you have spent training , vet bills, food, and the time that you actually track, you are not making money just covering SOME of your cost.
Good luck on what ever breed of dog you end up with.

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

another picture of my Bavarian

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

Got that right. In my area it is illegal to charge a fee for service. I guess you do it because it is in you to do so. To me tracking is the most exciting part of bowhunting.

That is one gorgeous dog you got there wildlands.

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

Hi BobCo, We are not organized here in the south like New York and some of the other northern states. I charge because that is the only way I am allowed to do it. My wife is an accounttant and she said if I was going to do this then I would have to charge something to recoupe some of my gas and other bills. I am thinking about next year droping the finders fee for does. Seems like people are not willing to go that extra step to find does down here. I have only tracked 3 does this year 2 for family and 1 was a kids first deer. Good luck to you on your hunting season.

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

Wildlands, didn't mean anything negative about charging at all. I think it is a good thing to recoup expenses. Sorry to give that impression.

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

I have a weimareiner that I am very interested in training. I think I'm going to ask for that book for xmas. Anyone know where I can get a copy cheaper than $25? Amazon didn't have a copy...

Here's my dog:

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

sorry for the second post... needed to get email of replies :D

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

Hi Bscofield. The only place I know to get the book is directly from the author. He will sign your book and is available for question I believe.

RE: does anybody trail with dogs?
 

found this on a website called deersearch.com and thought it was a good SMALL tutorial.

In training, as in actual live tracking, we work the dogs at all times on a 20 to 30 foot leash which does not hang up as a short leash does. Light clothes line wil1 do to start. Eight (8) mm. mountain climbing cord is good for smaller dogs and the eleven (11) mm. size works better on the pointer-sized dogs. We start 10 week-old puppies with short 100 foot lines dribbled with deer blood. We get this from deer that we find, carrying it in double Ziplock bags and later freezing it until needed in ½ pint containers. Plastic margarine containers are good. It is important to put a "prize" - a piece of deer skin, a deer tail or even a dead woodchuck at the end of the line. Age the line 15 minutes or so and let the pup bark at and chew on the prize when he finds it.
When the pup likes to track and has some powers of concentration start working with longer and older lines laid out with drops of deer blood from a squeeze bottle. (With a squeeze bottle you have to strain the blood.) You can also place the blood with a small square of sponge tied to a light four foot stick. We place a half or whole frozen deer skin at the end of the line. Mark out your line with strips of paper stapled to trees or with surveyors' tape tied on trees so that you know where the line is even when the blood is too thin to be seen by eye. Use a drop or a dab of blood at every stride.
Start with easy lines aged from two to four hours. A line of three to four hundred yards is plenty. As the dog improves use less blood, age the lines up to 24 hours and increase the distance up to half a mile. Talk to your dog and give lots of praise especially when the dog finds the "deer." It is better to let the dog make his own mistakes and figure out how to correct himself. You do not want to develop a dog which is dependent upon you for guidance. Don't overdo the training. The dog learns best if tracking is not allowed to become a chore with a lot of heavy discipline. Generally one training session with one line each week is plenty.
Most dogs run into problems in tracking because they get bored or distracted by more interesting things like hot deer lines. Under normal conditions almost any hunting dog is capable of following a blood line placed the day before, if he is motivated. Concentrate on motivating the dog with praise and positive reinforcement.
Before a dog becomes useful for finding wounded deer he must be able to maintain concentration on the old wounded deer scent line even when confronted by a healthy deer or a hot line. Once the dog knows what is expected he should be worked over blood lines laid where deer are known to be present. Use positive reinforcement for what the dog is doing right rather than negative punishment for mistakes. The more the dog is motivated to please you the easier training will be.
The dog that can follow a blood line laid with ½ pint of blood and aged 20 to 24 hours should be capable of finding many wounded deer that cannot be tracked by eye. The dog will improve a great deal more with practical experience in the field and with emotional maturity. Usually dogs are at least two before they begin to reach their potential. They continue to improve until eight or ten.
Letting the dog "find" easy, dead deer that have been successfully eye-tracked by hunters is another way to train dogs or to reinforce the training with artificial bloodlines. When you do this use the same methods and equipment that you would ordinarily use in training or on a real deer call. The dog will not be upset if the deer that he "finds" is already field dressed.