Beagle and blood tracking

[Frenchy]

I just started a four month-old beagle to blood trail, and I was wondering if any of you guys use them in that purpose.
People here seem to think that searching wounded game with a beagle is akin to heresy

(dachshunds, labs and Hanover hound have a much better reputation)
So I would be happy if you had any tips, stories or pics to share.                    

Here's my pup working on training blood line:          

[Roger Norris]

Those of us with beagles in the States spend soooo much time and effort trying to keep our dogs from chasing deer. My beagle is a rabbit doq, and the last thing I want her doing is getting on deer.

I would think they would do a fine job though. Your troubles might be the opposite of mine ....she may be getting on rabbits when you are looking for deer.

[MikeS]

I'm with Roger.  I don't want my beagles looking for anything other than snowshoe hares.
Mike

[Frenchy]

Roger, Mike, thanks for your replies.

Hunting rabbits or hare with a pack of beagles must be quite a thrill actually.
Sadly, rabbits are pretty rare locally
(except a few spots here and there) Thanks to myxomatosis...

[Paul Shirek]

I had a beagle that was mostly a pet however he was excellent at rabbits. That being said we also used him for finding wounded deer. He came up with several deer that might have other wise been lost. It was harder to keep him interested in deer than rabbits. He was excellent as long as he was motivated. Give him a try...

[huskyarcher]

My dog Emmy, went 19 for 21 trailing deer for me and many others. That dog would find  any deer hit mortally no questions asked. if it is dead she WOULD find it. the only 2 she didnt find were shooters error. But, Emmy had a naty habit of going out to pee at midnight, we found her in many pieces with coyote poop laying beside it. looked like about 3 coyotes (Snow was on the ground) I think i will try a lab this time though, im still thinking on it.

[Shawn Leonard]

Roger they do not track deer, they track blood. If they tracked deer they would go nuts with all the runs and tracks in the woods. I know someone who has a beagle as a blood trailer and it was trained to do just that, no rabbit no nothing but blood trail. Excellent noses and excellent dogs. Shawn

[Toecutter]

Funny this should come up now. I just got what looks to be a beagle/lab mix.  He had a hard time following a trail on the lawn for some reson, but as soon at it hit the leaves, he was on rails. Great little guy.  Good luck

Nathan

[Roger Norris]

Shawn....I hear what you are saying, I just know the trouble I had getting my beagle to ignore deer scent....any scent. Dropping, tracks, whatever. And where there is deer blood, there is deer tracks. No way can we tell if a beagle is tracking blood or tracks.

Daisy's first year, whenever we crossed a runway or obvious tracks, and she gave it any interest at all, she got shocked. She's pretty good now, but every once in awhile.....

[metsastaja]

Tracking in Florida can be very tough. We have a beagle on the Lease "Peanut".  Tracks deer and Hogs with no problem.

[Bladepeek]

You know, they actually do track deer - specifically the wounded deer. A lot of times there is no blood for a long way, but apparently the sent glands between the toes (I'm drawing a total blank for the proper name here)is different for each deer and they can really follow one deer across the track of another. I think if that beagle is trained to follow a blood trail he (she?) will do just fine. I bought a gadget that straps a lower deer leg on the heel of each of my boots. I drop a bit of blood every once in a while, but my dog follows the track from the deer hoofs just fine even without the blood once he gets started on a little blood trail. Here in Michigan (and most states that allow dogs on deer trails) the dog must be on a leash anyway, so the dog is not going to take off into the wild blue yonder after a rabbit.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Ron, nice Teckel!

Yep, the dog will track metatarsal gland scent, blood, dandruff, whatever the individual scent of that specific wounded deer is.  Blood is just a bonus.  The Germans have a term for the ground disturbance left by travelling game - means something like "wounded earth" - that entails the fungus, bacteria, wet dirt etc. that an animal stirs up on passing - this is even part of the tracking puzzle for a dog.  Ron - the Fahrtenschuhs are fun to fool with, made a pair myself out of old tree climbing hooks that I can clamp deer legs to.

I've heard of plenty of beagles used for wounded deer tracking.  I'd think it may be more important to be very careful to build specificity into this type of dog (hardcore scenthound) than with other more "versatile" breeds.  I think working with a beagle too would need LOTS of patience early on as blood tracking doesn't necessarily provide the same intensity/excitement level as coursing rabbits does.  I've worked with beagles alot for rabbit hunting, and trained several, and they can have fantastic noses - just be sure to get that snout pointed in the right direction and you'll be fine!

Ryan

[larry]

I'm with your neighbors Frenchy, heresy, pure heresy.

I used to have a male beagle that I would hunt with here around the house, every time he got a wiff of deer, his nose would go straight up in the air, his bark would change, and he was off like a shot, after the first half a dozen times he took off on deer, I pretty much knew which way they would head, I'd run back to the house and hop in my truck and drive to the next road, pretty soon the deer would cross, and a couple minutes later here would come my dog, soon as he saw me he'd tuck his tail between his legs and look all innocent like, and none of those deer were wounded I tell ya. Never could break him from runnin deer.

larry

[gio tundo]

How do you go about training them to bloodtrail.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Frenchie - what is that thing your dog is barking at in the one pic - marmotte?  Looks like some kind of mushrat or something.

By the way where are you located?  My wife is from Strasbourg and we spend a bit of time there each year.

Ryan

[Frenchy]

Thanks for your comment guys!

Ryan,

It's a young nutria.
I bow hunt them all year round
I just wanted to see the pup's reaction in front of the rodent.
I don't use the dog to hunt them; adults can be very agressive when cornered, and their bites are pretty nasty.

I live in a small town near Troyes, which is three hours away from Strasbourg.

Let me know when you are around.

[Frenchy]

But, Emmy had a naty habit of going out to pee at midnight, we found her in many pieces with coyote poop laying beside it. looked like about 3 coyotes (Snow was on the ground) I think i will try a lab this time though, im still thinking on it.

Sorry for your dog Husky.
Fortunately, we don't have that issue here and woods are pretty safe.
Cars are the greatest danger to dogs.
It must be hard to lose such a good dog            

[Frenchy]

Funny this should come up now. I just got what looks to be a beagle/lab mix. He had a hard time following a trail on the lawn for some reson, but as soon at it hit the leaves, he was on rails. Great little guy. Good luck

Nathan

Could be a good mix for blood tracking
Do you have any pictures of him ?

[Frenchy]

Chaser is six months old now and got his first results.
He gave me a wonderful present a few days ago, finding a button buck for me.
The arrow entered right behind the shoulder, went through the liver and intestines.
The young buck made 100 meters through a wall of brambles before going down.
Finding a deer with your own dog… what a treat!
He also found another roe at the beginning of the week and did a great work on a wounded boar
(gut shot) tracking him for about 1 kilometer.
Unfortunately I had to stop the dog, because you have to belong to the UNUCR (the official blood
trackers organization) to trespass to a private property.

Back to training now

[Frenchy]

The finding

  An other pic