Wounded game recovery with blood tracking dogs

[damonbungard]

If anybody wants to learn more about the use of blood tracking dogs to recover wounded game, please feel free to reach out. There's a lot of misconceptions out there, and once Randy and I podcasted about it and it was understood that the dog only comes out after the game is shot, and tracking is done on lead so other game isn't spooked and property lines aren't violated, the perception quickly became 'why doesn't everybody have this resource'. I have made a website for Jaeger, www.jaegertracks.com. There's a lot of information there on the teckel breed, links to videos and the podcast with Randy and others. If anybody has any questions we can be reached at [email protected].

 

[Jc2020]

That’s cool I use to have a chocolate lab I used on multiple occasions to find down game we couldn’t find I’m technologically illiterate and have never listed to a podcast where would I find the one you guys did on this topic?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I have to say I had never heard of a teckel before people started posting on HT, but now they have my full attention.

My wife and I have a corgi and I've gotten him to be a decent bird dog... I can't imagine what you could do with a dog that's bred to track.

 

[1_pointer]

I need to shoot a deer and see if Hank will find it...

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I need to shoot a deer and see if Hank will find it...

He will if you do a little training with him. Get some blood and a piece of hide, then start doing drags.

 

[1_pointer]

Beings I have a freezer on the fritz, blood won't be hard to find...

A piece of hide might take some doing to locate.

 

[devon deer]

Have you seen this thread https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/my-annual-pilgrimage.294206/ @damonbungard ?
You have a lot in common with my friend @leec270 it's his passion, and he is very good at it.
Cheers
Richard

 

[Mudder]

I have to say I had never heard of a teckel before people started posting on HT, but now they have my full attention.

My wife and I have a corgi and I've gotten him to be a decent bird dog... I can't imagine what you could do with a dog that's bred to track.

Dackel are pretty common here, nose dogs that definitely have their pluses. Not big enough to pull you off your feet on a leash, nose naturally close to the ground. Most have a strong prey drive and make good trackers.

I have a buddy who has one, that dog is great. He has an outstanding nose and is actually a decent pointer.

Most hunters in Germany have a dog. Training them to blood track isn't really difficult, it's in their genes. Having one with a good nose (nose dominant) is a plus.

 

[Mudder]

I was on speed dial for many hunters who didn't have a dog to help recover wounded game. My Weimaraner was a super tracker, his uncle won the German trials one year. The downside was he was 80+ pounds and when he scented blood he went into overdrive. If I wasn't ready he could pull me right off my feet. He could run at 30+ MPH and follow a blood trail if he got away from me. He once slipped his collar and went after a wounded Fox, I swear his feet only touched the ground every fifteen feet. That Fox was dripping a drop every thirty feet or so and that dog could follow the blood trail at a full run. Short-legged Dogs are favored for blood tracking for a reason.

 

[JdGoodhart]

Hey Damon,

I've really enjoyed listening to all the podcasts about Jaeger. This is Nash, a 4.5 month old lab mix. We got him a month ago and are still working on obedience training but I think I'm going to start to phase in the bloodtracking training soon. This is a pic from when we first got him. Just figured I'd share!

 

[Mudder]

Hey Damon,

I've really enjoyed listening to all the podcasts about Jaeger. This is Nash, a 4.5 month old lab mix. We got him a month ago and are still working on obedience training but I think I'm going to start to phase in the bloodtracking training soon. This is a pic from when we first got him. Just figured I'd share!

I'm sure there are experts out there to help with the training, it kind of depends on the dog. I got some tips from German working dog handlers at a secure base. You don't need wild game blood to train, Beef blood actually works better, depending on the genetics, wild game blood can kind of overpower a dog and upset training. You eventually expand the blood types as a part of the training. I trained mine with their favorite food, with one dog it was Cheese bits, with the other it was Potato chips. Neither of the dogs took long to train, From a treat trail to a blood trail. eventually, treat at the end of the blood trail and it was short jump for them doing it just for the joy of the chase.

I trained one of my dogs to follow my youngest sons trail. My youngest was a sneak, a wanderer and independent-minded. My dog once followed him through a high traffic parking lot into, a supermarket and found him in minutes. A good nose dog is a wonder. My son is diabetic, the dog would alert us when he was having a low blood sugar episode in the middle of the night. That dogs nose had a direct line to his brain even when he was asleep. People call BS but I watched my dog wake from a sound sleep and point a Fox at near four hundred yards, you can say it is impossible, I watched it.

 

[JdGoodhart]

I'm sure there are experts out there to help with the training, it kind of depends on the dog. I got some tips from German working dog handlers at a secure base. You don't need wild game blood to train, Beef blood actually works better, depending on the genetics, wild game blood can kind of overpower a dog and upset training. You eventually expand the blood types as a part of the training. I trained mine with their favorite food, with one dog it was Cheese bits, with the other it was Potato chips. Neither of the dogs took long to train, From a treat trail to a blood trail. eventually, treat at the end of the blood trail and it was short jump for them doing it just for the joy of the chase.

I trained one of my dogs to follow my youngest sons trail. My youngest was a sneak, a wanderer and independent-minded. My dog once followed him through a high traffic parking lot into, a supermarket and found him in minutes. A good nose dog is a wonder. My son is diabetic, the dog would alert us when he was having a low blood sugar episode in the middle of the night. That dogs nose had a direct line to his brain even when he was asleep. People call BS but I watched my dog wake from a sound sleep and point a Fox at near four hundred yards, you can say it is impossible, I watched it.

Thanks Mudder,

Unless he is following us around in the house he has his nose glued to the ground. I was planning on starting with beef liver and then moving to blood but I like the treat idea. That will be easy to do in the house

 

[JTHOMP]

I need to shoot a deer and see if Hank will find it...

Sure he would be fine. A buddy of mine has two GSPs that double as both bird dogs and blood tracking tracking dogs. E collar helps when he is bird hunting and the dog wants to chase deer.

 

[1_pointer]

Sure he would be fine. A buddy of mine has two GSPs that double as both bird dogs and blood tracking tracking dogs. E collar helps when he is bird hunting and the dog wants to chase deer.

A guy on another forum who's taught dog training at a University level says that it's one of the most innate things to "teach" a dog. Having them behave as you want them while doing the task is a harder task. I bet he'd get it with some work. WIth the extra time I have right now, I think I'll start laying some tracks out and see what happens. Thinking I'll keep him on the check cord at first.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Absolutely use a check cord. Mark your trail, and when Hank gets off line, just stop until he comes back and finds the trail, then move along.

Tracking should be slower and deliberate. You need to teach the dog to keep his nose to the ground and work the track instead of break into an air search.

 

[1_pointer]

Absolutely use a check cord. Mark your trail, and when Hank gets off line, just stop until he comes back and finds the trail, then move along.

Tracking should be slower and deliberate. You need to teach the dog to keep his nose to the ground and work the track instead of break into an air search.

Thanks for that tip! I made the mistake of not keeping him in check in working on tracking for the NAVHDA test... He found the bird, just did not follow the track the whole way to do so.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Thanks for that tip! I made the mistake of not keeping him in check in working on tracking for the NAVHDA test... He found the bird, just did not follow the track the whole way to do so.

Pace is no faster than a walk. Hit me up if you have questions.

 

[Mudder]

Pace is no faster than a walk. Hit me up if you have questions.

Mine eventually would settle right into a walk when I put the long line on his body harness. Some of it had to do with age he was more unruly when he was younger. But you could feel the tension when he was following a blood trail. I always felt he was a moment away from bolting. IMO a body harness works better than a collar, just my experience, he slipped his collar a few times.

 

[GAdrahthaar]

Absolutely use a check cord. Mark your trail, and when Hank gets off line, just stop until he comes back and finds the trail, then move along.

Tracking should be slower and deliberate. You need to teach the dog to keep his nose to the ground and work the track instead of break into an air search.

yep this is good advice. I use a pinch collar on my more aggressive pulling dog, just stopping is correction enough for the normal one.

 

[JdGoodhart]

Has anyone had trouble getting their dog to eat beef liver? tried giving my pup a few pieces but he won't eat just plain liver. I've put a few small pieces mixed in his food which he'll eat.