Would You Like To Be Able To Use A Dog To Track A Wounded Deer?
 

Now it hasn't happen to me as of yet, but there are some hunters I am sure that lost the blood trail and couldn't find the the big game animal they shot at. So here the animal is left to die and rot away, unless the wolves or coyotes or some other meat eating animal comes by and feasts on this dead animal.

Worst yet is for one of us to come by a rotting deer, moose or some other big game animal. Man it can make your insides turn.

I would think that a use of a dog may cut down on this sort of thing from happening...............whats are your thoughts on the subject?

dogs
 

I think it would be a good idea. We use them for birds. I wouldn't hunt birds without a dog.

Not sure, but I think it is like nearly every other regulation, designed to prevent a few from abusing it by restricting the rest of those who would not.

It's like the regs restricting non residents from hunting coyotes in Sask.
It isn't there to protect the local fur skinning industry or because coyote numbers are down, according to game wardens I spoke with it is because there was a concern that a non resident would hunt deer under the pretext of hunting coyotes:huh: :huh: So a poacher would buy a coyote license when he poaches deer????????:huh: :huh:

I think there is a concern that hunters would run deer, moose, etc with dogs..............instead of pickup trucks. :rolleyes:

I would be for it if the dog is required to be on a leash.That way,it can still find the wounded animal,with no risk of it chasing big game.

I thought about that to Stubblejumper. but what about when you hunt from horseback. or walking for that matter. My bird dogs aren't leashed, in fact I really can't remember the last time they have even had a collar on.

Do you want to try to shoot with a dog attached to you? could get western.:lol: :lol:

You can buy 50' retractable leashes.Remember the point of using the dog is to find mortally wounded deer which are usually dead when you find them.You can walk your horse or tie it up as you search for the animal.If the dog is allowed to run loose,the chance of it taking off after an uninjured game animal exists.On a lease,it isn't going to happen.

tracking
 

personally i would like to use a dog for tracking wounded bears, bears are so hairy and can soak up so much blood that alot of time you can only track by finding one drop of blood in a long distance. many hours are spent before the bear is found because we are all on our hands and knees,, its the law to not use dogs for tracking bears so we track until we find the bears, but do i think you shoudl be able to use a dog for tracking ,,,in my case yes absolutely.

I see on another forum , that this is an accepted thing in Europe. I personally have never found myself in a situation where it would have been necessary or advantageous. As I see it, we have enough nitwits running around the country with undisciplened dogs and we don't need another reason to encourage them.
Grizz

A few years ago I wounded a whitetail towards the end of the day on Saturday. I searched until dark but couldn't find it. I phoned our local wildlife officer and asked if I could look for it at day break on Sunday morning and take my rifle in case a finishing shot was required. (This was in a WMU where Sunday hunting is not permitted). He told me to go ahead. I then asked about taking my dog. He gave me permission to do this as well. My wife and I found the deer (or what was left of it) with the lab's help but too late. The coyotes had found it first.

I am all for it.
Finding a down animal before the sun goes down would help alot of hunter in having a safer hunting trip.

Does anyone know how we could but this threw !

Nothing goes to waste....
I am not in any way saying that we should not try to our utmost ability to track and recover an animal,, but when it does happen,, and i think if you hunt enough it will happen to most anyone,, we will lose game.. But keep in mind that the game will not go to waste... Mother nature will feed off of any animal... Whether it be by Coyote's,, snakes, birds or worms nothing goes to waste....
Like said earlier,, I think its a better trade off then having a bunch of untrained hounds running around our hunting fields.... Not that by any means all dogs are untrained,, but could you imagine how many would be out there if they were legal to use for this purpose...

Well I don't think the issue of untrained dogs running around is much of an issue. We hunt birds with dogs. I don't see a lot of untrained dogs running around. I doubt anyone will feed a dog all year round to have it out of control and ruin his hunting trip. Bird dogs that are untrained seldom get out more than twice. Way too much work.

Now take a dog with you on an extended trip to get your trophy deer only to have him run the deer off, I don't think so.

It doesn't matter if the dog is a house dog, it isn't allowed to be out of control all the time. Sooner or later the benefit outweighs the cost and the dog is gone. In the areas that I see a dog being a benefit in tracking wounded game, the wolves or cougar would be happy to have a canine treat once in a while.
Guys with cougar/bear.coyote hounds hunt in a pack. I doubt anyone that cares anything for his dog is going to let it run amok by itself to wind up as dinner, for some predator.

Assuming that everyone in the field is irresponsible or haven't trained their dogs or that they won't follow the rules is exactly the thinking that creates so many stupid restrictions. We set the laws to the lowest common denominator, instead of simply enforcing them and dealing strongly with the lowest common denominator..

Nothing goes to waste....yea true except coyotes, wolves, bears don't need my help to survive. Me, I would use a dog and I would leave it on a leach if needs be in order to retrieve that wounded animal or dead animal.

A GOOD JACK RUSSEL CAN WORK WONDERS i'VE ONLY SEEN ONE IN ACTION IN AFRICA A FRIEND HAD HIT WARTIE THAT GOT INTO SOME NASTY STUFF THEY SURE ACT LIKE A 150LB DOG

dogs
 

I'm agree with Tony

Here's some pics of dogs out of control. Everyone I met in Africa had at least two JRT's. and most had more. They were laid back house dogs until they went to work tracking. They are tough as barbed wire and have no concept of size.


Here's some pics. This little girl was 9 months old. :love: :love:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...g/P1010037.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...g/P1010091.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...g/P1010153.jpg

What sort of training would be required for those JRT's or is blood trailing and instictive behavior. I am not a dog person but if it was legal I could reconsider.

It is common practice to hunt big game with dogs in Ontario so I guess it's not unethical where it's legal.

Aulrich, the JRT is programmed to hunt and kill, like a lab is fir retrieving, or a hound for tracking. All that is required from the owner is transportation and a command for where and when.:D
They are unbelievably tough.

I had read a study from down in the states where they were studing lethality abd they used dogs to track wounded animals (it was a control hunt like the elk hunt in cypress). the dogs really helped finding wounded animal, many were considered unrecoverable without dogs.

A couple of years ago my Father inlaw shoots a deer and we cannot find any evidence of a hit, untill the next day when the ravens announced they had found the leftovers. Tere was not alot left when I found it so I could not tell where the shot was but I tried back trailing the 200 yards (heavy northern SK bush) but sesides for the dead deer I could not find sign.

Ever since I don't trust that I found no evidence of a hit, a tracking dog would be a great help.

Blood Tracking
 

I was taught how to train dogs onto blood tracking in Germany and did a good amount over there (mostly for boars, elk and some deer).
When I returned to Canada back in the 80's I continued training my versatile (GWP) in blood tracking and actually had a permit from the FishCops to use on certain occasions. However, in Ontario it's generally accepted and legal to use dogs while hunting big game, on and off leash. In Eastern Canada and especially in the US it's very common, and dog organizations that specialize in tracking are to be found there (they do trials and everything).
Back in the 80's I asked our FishCops if I could contine the practise here...a big resounding NO was the answer. Not allowed to use dogs to hunt big game...period.
Mind you, it's also not as practical thoughout most of Alberta as in parts of Southern Ontario. That area can be pretty confined and a 'tracker' can be easily obtained within a reasonable amount of time.
It's not as natural as you would think for a dog to blood track, and training takes time...like anything else we train our dogs to do.
Too bad our Government won't allow it, could save alot of deer from being recovered.

I know in England Jack Russels were breed to hunt rats in the suwers, amongst other things.....and there a bit different from the Fox terrier. We have two Jack Russel cross and the problem with one of them is that it doesn't back down even when the odds are well against her. The other one tracted down a pack of coyotes once when we were out fishing near Devon.....she came back alive. But the howling was sure going on for a bit.

I am a firm believer in the dogs being able to help track a wounded deer. In germany there is a test where the dog is sent on a track off lead the dog then tracks the scent. If it finds the dead animal it pick up the piece of leather around its neck, returns to the handler then leads the handler back to the deer. The dog may also bay. I hope one day they make it legal to allow a dog to track down wounded game even if its on a lead. Heck dont let the person have a gun. A dogs nose is far better than any tracker or equipment made and a properly trained gun dog is worth more than its weight in gold.

I know a dog that can find drugs inside a ziplock bag inside a tupperware container in your gas tank without removing the gas tank lid. This dog was Whiskey vom Bieberstein a DK imported from Germany. He is in a couple books and even has a TV show about in on animal planet.

The guy who imported him breeds, trains, raises, hunts, and tests Deutsch Kurzhaars he tracks gut shot deer ever season for locals and is very successful.

Its too bad that a few bad apples that would use their dogs to run deer wiould ruin it for the rest of us.

RyanGSP;
I whole heartly agree with your comments. European versatile hunting dogs are usually trained to water and land retrieve, point and track. If a dog is certified to blood track wounded game and is used on or off a lease I think we in North America should promote and support this type of activity.
wapiti11

Wapiti its not only the german stuff (IMO it is the best type of dog) but NAVHDa also supports and tests tracking in dogs. Heck in the VC test the dog has to track a duck across water to the other side then search the shoreline to where the duck wandered inland track that then return to handler. Ver rigourus test and I agree with your comment about the dog being certified.

Blood Tracking
 

Ryan, Wapiti...
In Germany (other pats of Europe as well) it's not only the versatile breeds that are taught/utilized in blood tracking, but a whole range of other breeds known as earth dogs and naturally blood hounds. In fact, a versatile breed is not required to be taught 'big game' blood tracking to become 'certified' as those other breeds are (much like NAVHDA of course), simply because not all owners/hunters hunt big game.
It's amazing to attend those 'tracking' competions/trials in Europe. Huge hounds squaring off against daschounds and little terriers... The most tenacious (and most aggressive) dog I ever witnessed work was a German Hunting Terrier (black and tan jack russell in size and appearance). They would rather die than give up on a kill.
I agree with you guys wholeheartedly in endorsing the use of these dogs to be utilzed in tracking wounded game. Too bad Sustainable Resources can't see it that way.

There is a guy on a dog forum I frequent who has a dog like that. Thing has taken down coons and has wanted to put the run on coyotes. Its a mean little sucker but does its job well.

I agree not all versatile dogs are taught to track big game but I belive all must track whether its birds, rabbits, or fox. I know the VDD, DKV, and NAVHDA all test on the track throug different tests I believe the Solms has a track and all levels of NAVHDA have a track to it.

Truth
 

p

Noone said they have to use them we are saying it would be nice to be able too. I know I have been out on my fair share of hunting trips and pulled over to help a few guys track down wounded birds or rabbits with my dogs.

At one point, I was training my my Pudelpointer for avalanche rescue. He came from Czecholslovakian stock and was a very good tracker - too good sometimes, as it was tough getting him to stop running deer or elk when we were out huntining snowshoe hares. On pheasant he was a natural pointer, but he always seemed to want to chase grouse up a tree, and then 'bay' at them until I arrived!
With little training, he would have been good at tracking wounded game.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...andingtall.jpg

thumper what lines is that dog from? Do you test him? Where you from I would love to see that dog work.