Dogs for recovering wounded game

[Jerry Russell]

Originally posted by zipper bowss:
Your pup is looking good, Jerry!

This is Moe after a Christmas eve tracking job. This is what you get after tracking in 6" of snow when you only have 4" of legs.    :D    
     

Ha! That right there is funny. You need to get that dog some snow shoes.

[Jerry Russell]

For those that might live close enough and have a serious interest...

I am going to host a couple of blood dog training days in central Georgia this spring and summer. We are going to lay down some lines with various ages from 1-40 hours so all dogs and handlers are welcome. We are going to do some snake aversion training as well.

I have hundreds of acres to conduct the training on so this will be some very beneficial training. Shoot me a PM if you have some interest and I will ad you to the data base. Dates are TBD but I am looking at mid-March for the first dates.

[huronhunter]

to answer Gottabows question, yes a mountain Fiest would do a good job tracking.
I have used mine, good hunters.

[zipper bowss]

Thats funny, Jerry!! I can just picture Moe in a set of little snow shoes tracking along!

Hislight
I would agree 2.5 years old is not to late to start a dog that has the prey drive.

One thing to consider with these large breeds. In Ohio and many other states we have to have the dog on a lead to be legal while tracking. Moe weighs about 23 pounds and pulls like a freight train. I could not imagine being tied to a 70 pound version when he is in find it mode!
Bill

[Bill Kissner]

Originally posted by zipper bowss:
Thats funny, Jerry!! I can just picture Moe in a set of little snow shoes tracking along!

Hislight
I would agree 2.5 years old is not to late to start a dog that has the prey drive.

One thing to consider with these large breeds. In Ohio and many other states we have to have the dog on a lead to be legal while tracking. Moe weighs about 23 pounds and pulls like a freight train. I could not imagine being tied to a 70 pound version when he is in find it mode!
Bill

Bill is 100% correct. I sometimes exercise my little jagdterrier Suzy by putting her harness on and letting her pull me on my bicycle. She weighs all of 16 pounds and can pull me very easily. I am a good sized lad and she can pull me about as fast as this old man wants to go.    

[Jerry Russell]

Just a little update on my little Bavarian blood dog, Bear.  With bear camp just a bit over 4 months away, I have really been working him and he has been coming along great. He can handle anything out to two hours old which is as long as I have tried him.  I took him to hog camp and let him work the real thing and he had little trouble with the hogs.  I will say that at 15 weeks he was a bit unsure of what to do with the pig when he found it, lol.  I think this boy has great potential.

 

[Bear Heart]

I so wish we could use dogs to their full potential here.

[Jerry Russell]

I hope all you guys with dogs are having some positive training sessions with your pups.  My sessions are going great and we are working lines out to 2 hours.
This morning, however, we crossed a training line that I put down for yesterdays training. To say I was amazed at what happened would be a big understatement.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUdL0nqTUdEPx4HWQEmjDvFQ&v=isNYQEhNdUM&feature=player_detailpage

[centaur]

Wow, that is a smart pup. I hope my beagle does that well. Give that pup a treat!

[Jerry Russell]

Training continues to get better and better.

Ran another line yesterday that was 17 hours old but much longer to start to hone his ability to concentrate. This one was 800 yards with some very heavy cover. Very, very little blood as it had rained during the night. That little pup worked it out in 45 minutes.
His "trophy" at the end was a deer leg and he had a great time parading around that food plot, lol.

[Jeff Mccarthy]

Very nice Jerry!

[zipper bowss]

Sounds like things are going well, Jerry!
It sure is satisfying to see your pup progress.

Moe saved the day on the second to last day of our deer season on a gut shot deer. To make matters worse it rained half the night and all morning before we could get him on the track. The deer went about 400 yards and crossed two running creeks. Moe found the deer with no trouble. He sure made me proud. I'm sure your pup will do just as well with the training your putting him through.
Bill

[Jerry Russell]

Thanks guys. I am convinced the this entire dogs body is a life support system for his nose. This is simply the most powerful tracking breed I have ever encountered. He LOVES to work out a trail. I think he dreams of getting out there each day.

 

[Jerry Russell]

My pup got some bling! We just received his certificates for passing his UBT-1 and UBT-2 tracking test. It was a tough test for a 5 month old pup. The UBT-2 test was administered by judges from United Blood Trackers and was 900 yards long and 17 hours old. He smoked it and was ready for more. I am sure proud of him.

12 weeks and counting till he starts his professional career as the resident blood dog in my bear camp.

 

[Jerry Russell]

Here he is working out an 18 hour track with only one ounce of blood over 350 yards in Georgia.  

[Izzy]

And he looks good to boot. Real fine looking dog.

[Bobby Urban]

Jerry -that is so cool.  I am proud of Molly's brother.  

She is doing well and the weather is breaking so I will be able to get into some more areas and extend here training tracks.  Last weeks was the longest so far with a few twists and turns and included a mock bed.  She nailed it and the only problem is her self confidence.  She likes to walk right at my heals so getting her out ahead to track is her struggle.  She goes 20' or so and waits for me to catch up. Not a big problem but I know as we travel and visit more locations her confidence to take right to it will grow.  

Congrats again on the awards for Bear(or congrats to Bear)

[zipper bowss]

       

[MnFn]

[Steve H.]

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=136110

I didn't get a chance to go thru this entire discussion.

Note about the fifth post down at the above link, there will be a blood tracking dog seminar at the upcoming PBS Biennial Gathering in Cincinnati (March 28 or 29) by Walt Dixon from NY.