First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Never had a hunting dog before and think it's time for me to get one.

I was thinking of a Bluetick for tracking deer,but i've never heard of them of being bird dogs.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Blueticks are not considered birddogs but any dog can be trained for it but you will be at a disadvantage in terms of training because the dogs instinct is to track big game. There are versatiles that will track game also but I doubt as good as one bred mainly for it but these versatiles are jack of all trades, fur and feather.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

It sounds like you need a German Shorthair. A Bluetick will do what it's bred to do when you cut it loose; run, hunt, and stick to a trail no matter what (including you calling it back).

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

IMO: You're trying to buy one dog to do one too many jobs. It's like using your sports car to pull a plow. You can do it....but.

If you can't have two dogs, you'll end up a lot happier owningone dog that does a single taskreally well vs. a dog that is half a** at several jobs. Most importanly you're not being fair to the animal by asking it to do something it just isn't bred to do. Neither one of you will ever be happy.[&o]

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Twelch:

What you are describing is exactly what the Deutsch drahthaar was developed to do. The drahthaar includes ancestors from the following breeds: Stichelhaar, Griffon, Pudlepointer, and Deutsch Kurzhaar (shorthair). The drahthaar was developed by the German foot hunter who wanted a pointer, a retriever that worked equally well on land and in the water, a blood tracker for big game recovery, a flusher, and a dog aggressive enough to bring down wounded big game. There are a number of U.S. breeders that conformto the strict breeding and testing regulations that were developed by the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar breeding organization.There are some great pictures posted on Group North America's web site showing the versatility of these dogs. You can view them at www.vdd-gna.org. If you have any questions regarding drahthaars I would be happy to try and answer them. Good luck with your search.

Wildflugel

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

I agree with Jill. I have had DD's for 15 years and what the dogs can do never ceases to amaze me. I have hunted Phesants, Quail, Rabbits, Geese, ducks and blood tracked a buck for a buddy that night, all of this in one day.
Scott

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

I will agree with the last 2 poster. Even though I raise a top notch breed of dog for pure blood tracking. If I was a bird hunter and wanted a tracking dog I would have a DD. I have trained with the SEHC of the VDD for several years now. I am very impressed with what these dogs can do. I have watched them dog rabbit drags in the morning, goto pointing quail that afternoon, then off to the pond to work ducks and cool off and end the day doing a 12 hr old track. Great dog for someone willing to put n the training.

Ken

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

I would also agree with a German versatile. I have a Pudelpointer (the original German versatile dog:-). I have filled my freezer along with a number of family members' with grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare, ducks and canada geese. I have also received about 10 calls from people asking me to help them find deer they wounded either the same day or up to 2 days prior. The dog tracked the blood to every deer except one. The one exception was a very poor shot. The dog tracked the blood; most of the time being one drop every 50-100 yards for 2 miles; only to find a gut pile where another hunter had obviously finished and taken the deer.

I think it boils down to how you want to interact with your dog while you hunt; but if you're looking for a dog that will point, retreive, track; there is no substitute for a german dog. They have been doing this for hundreds of years not only because they love it; but also because they must.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

+ 1 I absolutely love these dogs .

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Is he asking for a deer dog? or a blood tracker? I have never saw a versatile breed that would run a deer track any real distance. Before they could bring the deer to gun, they will quit and return to the handler and hunt with him. They will run with a hound a little longer, but just are not genetically programmed to run a track for 3-8 hours at a time.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Snooky
I have not seen this in person here since it is illegal here to run deer with a dog but I do know the germans use them to run/track big game/ deer. Here is a photo of a DD with a boar that was brought to bay in germany.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

I would get a labrador for both, but i dont think you will get a dog to do BOTH very good. They are smart dogs but it would be hard to train a dog for both. BTW- i would get a bluetick for bloodtrailing, get a beagle. beagles as a species learn faster and have a comparable nose to a bluetick. Not only that, they are easier on a leash than abigger bluetick. I got a redtick/walker cross that bloodtrails that nearly pulls my arm out of socket sometimes.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Versadog; All of the versatile bred dogs will run a hot deer track and bay big game as well as point and retrieve upland birds and waterfowl. They are much better at blood tracking than the hound breeds. Hounds are bred to take a track as old as a couple of days and trail for miles before catching up with the game. Then the game may run all day. Bird dogs just will not track that way. They seldom run game more than a couple of miles. An hour long race is more than most will stay with a game animal by themselves. They are gritty and will fight bayed big game animals very well. Many are used as hog dogs. Some are used as bear dogs, but are turned into a pack that has run the game to bay and need a dog to engauge the bear to make him climb the tree.
I have bear and lion hounds at present. I also owned "Haus" the 79 National Derby Champion and 2nd place WCA Field Futurity winner. I am far from an expert, but have some experience with versatile dogs and hounds.
Thats a neat picture and a good looking shorthair.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Not true. A hound CAN follow a trail a couple of days old, but they are trained to follow the strongestscent, ie. the freshest track, otherwise they would track backwards.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

This is the first I have ever heard of a DD and it sounds like an incredible breed. other than what is listed on that link any other good references?

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Not true. A hound CAN follow a trail a couple of days old, but they are trained to follow the strongestscent, ie. the freshest track, otherwise they would track backwards.

you may be right, but 60 years of hunting hounds says your wrong. Backtracking hounds are removed from the gene pool. Backtracking has never been a problem for me. Your lodgic would have the dogs taking every track backward, weather two minutes, or two days old, the principle remains the same. A decent hound will take the track in the proper direction if walked in at a 90 degree angle to the track. When rigging a dog from the truck, the dog will know which direction the game is, and which direction the game is travelingbefore you release him and let him on the ground.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

2006HighSierra:

Are you looking for breeder references? GNA's web site listsVDD registered breeders by state.The VDD has a web siteunfortunatelyall the informationis in German, an Englishtranslated version of this site is not available. If you have any specific questions about drahthaars, I would be happy to try and answer them for you.

Wildflugel

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Which would be my point entirely. If hounds followed old trails they would backtrack, but they don't (unless you inadvertently train them to). A hound will follow the freshest trail available, so why should it be any slower than a pointer? Tracking dogs will take you footstep for footstep along the original path. A trailing dog (ie a hound) can air scent, ground scent or use any other means to get from point "A" to point "B" the quickest and most efficient way possible. It's going to take you to what it's looking for as quickly as it can, hounds aren't notorious for overworking themselves.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

Cara; Just don't tell my hounds about that. They aren't smart enough to know that they should be backtracking. I don't want to give them a complex.
Comparing blood tracking to trailing game?? I have better ways to waste time.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

When did I say that they should backtrack?

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

if you really want to get some good info on the versatile dogs, check out versatiledogs.com. you will be abel to get all your questions answered there about several of the breeds mentioned here. Lots of experience with all the german breeds there.

good luck

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

2006HighSierra
here is VDD Group North Americas website.
www.vdd-gna.org
Scott

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

The honest answer is what ever breed you like best. Do your own research and find one that works for you. There is no answer here.

RE: First dog.Need deer tracker and bird dog
 

THIS IS OFF-TOPIC BUT I GOT TO REPLY....
I agree, as i have had experience with hounds, andto clear up another so-called fact:most(90+%)trailing hounds willleave a colder track for a fresher one, but i have personally seen cold-nose hounds 'lock down' on a certain trail, and even if the other dogs leave the trailing dog and jumpanon-intended animal, they dont give up on the intended trail. These dogs are rare but they exist,i would guess it isusually a stubborn trait or the dog doesn't want to honor another dogs chase.