Best dog?

[Bopeye]

I have two people that have called me in the last week looking for a dog. They don't want a hunting dog per se, they just want a tracking dog.

They, their friends and buddies, all are sick and tired of shooting deer and then being unable to find them. They are looking for a dog to put on the track and find it. They don't want one that will try and push the deer, just want it to find them.

Anyone have ideas on which breed would be the best for this task? Any information would be best if it was from personal experience and not something you read. Just wanting to pick your minds for some of your knowledge.

Thanks.

[GunDog]

Bop - Ya know this is a loaded question, and everyone on here will have different opinions! Grin.

I have raised and trained ALOT of dogs over the years, and could give references on some good'uns and bad ones. If they hunt - I call'em gun dogs. From all my experiences I've come to the conclusion you can teach just about any dog (breed)  just about anything. Some you can't teach nothing too ... the dog has got to want to do it, and some just won't have what it takes. 

Rather it be in their breeding, natural instincts, or just something they enjoy - you figure it out? When it comes to picking a dog or breed for a particular job - that should be the easy part. Type of hunting, kind of nose, weather conditions, and tracking terrain would play a part, BUT, living & handling conditions for the dog would play a bigger part in my humble decision.

With all this said I'm going to list some (tracking) dogs that I've raised and trained for myself that stick out in my mind in the order they earned ...

(1) July Hound - named Champ - Was a black back, Blk/Tan, one eared dog that was my all time favorite, made us famous in these parts. Silent track dog on the leash. Would bay a wounded deer, or catch one and hold it till ya got there if he had to. I hunted this dog from 1972 till his death in 1982. He was shot and killed by a deer hunter doing what he loved to do, trailing a wounded deer. This dog had plenty of sense and a three day old nose on him that never missed the first one or made me look stupid.

(2) Blood Hound - named Picasso - Blk/Tan/Red in color. Picked him up in the spring of 1983 to replace my Champ dog. He was never no Champ but could get the job done for me. Sometimes even making it seem easy, and me feel stupid. He was getting better at a fast pace with age ... died young, bow season of 1985 from a single cotton mouth bite under his neck ... tracking a deer.

(3) Black and Tan - named Smiley - Got her from a coon hunting buddy right after I lost Picasso in 1985. I'd helped raise this dog from a pup. She was the worst dog I'd ever tried to track deer with. Probably due to the fact she'd been corrected one too many times for messing with them. She eventually came around after a couple of years working her. She would find them but I never was satisfied with her.  Sold her in the woods one night right after she had finished tracking a deer for a feller.

(4) Beagle - named Dixie - tri colored - born and raised here at the house, never did pack well with the other beagles running the rabbits so I pulled her from the pen and started taking her with me on the deer jobs. She was a quick learner and made a pretty good little track dog. Just not my "Style" of track dog. She done the job for us just the same. She was killed by a rattle snake here at the house, but, not before she give me a good pup to work with. The pup - named Baby Girl - was coming on good and was killed by Molly the mighty mini mule,  of the neighbors. Molly is a pasture guardian and was just doing her job. Again - Baby Girl wasn't my style of track dog either but could get the job done.

(UNO) Should be number one on the list - but left for last because of personal reasons - Jack - English Springer Spaniel - Liver/White in color. Born Nov 1996, Died Nov 2007. I left him last because he really wasn't ever a real " track dog " but more like one of my children. Jack was a general meat dog, but shined on a dove field. He would retrieve dove and ducks. Point, flush, and retrieve quail. He run rabbits with the beagles and jump his fair share of them. He worked the goats, cows, horses, llamas, and farm birds with me, kept me safe when he thought I needed it, and YES - he would track a deer and never lost his first one. Jack was with me just about everyday of his life, all day. He was a lot smarter than the fat guy that trained him for sure ... I'll enclose a picture of him now just for old times sake.



Bopeye, sorry I ramped on and on - but I do love to talk about "mans best friends" ... 

[HuntnCarve]

Bop,

A friend of mine acquired a long haired daschund from a breeder that raises them for tracking wounded deer.  I've never seen the dog work, but have been told he's fabulous.

Last Winter I hit a doe back too far, when she bolted right as I shot the crossbow.  We lost the blood after 100 yards.  A friend called a fella that had a "Polish Mountain Dog".  I never heard of the breed, but they are bred for tracking deer.  Well that dog was only 8 months old, but he took off up the mountain and started barking about 200 yards away... Sure enough, he found that doe laying dead!  Took all of about a minute.  Never would have found her if it wasn't for that dog.

I just read an article (can't remember which magazine?) about a place down south that uses Labs.  Said they are outstanding.  So like Gundog said.  It's all in the training, and letting a dog do what their instincts tell them.

[Bopeye]

I know it was a loaded question guys, but the feedback was exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you.

[JohnP]

The men in the  Rod and Gun club I belonged to in Germany used wirehaired daschunds for 99 percent of their blood trailing.  I never lost a deer, stag or boar while hunting there.   

[pitw]

Somehow John P, I just don't see you as losing many anywhere you shoot .

[keekee]

Hey bop.

I got a jack Rusell I have used on coyotes, and have now trained for dead animal removal in the company. I have sent him after lost coons, rats and even sent him down ground hog holes! They are fast learners, tough and have a hell of a nose, and wont back down from anything! And they make good home pets and even paly with rocks...lol

Great dogs and would be able to train for what ever they wanted!


Brent

[Wolfwoman]

How about teach the MEN how to shoot and track?? :D

[KySongDog]

How about teach the MEN how to shoot and track?? :D

+1   A very good point.......

[centerfire_223]

I would have to go with a beagle. They are small and won't wear you out pulling on a leash, easy to keep, don't eat much and a good alll around pet.

[Bopeye]

I hear ya Ronnie. I ran beagles for several years and love rabbit hunting with them. Nothing harder to break than a "deer running" beagle though. Thank God for Tri-tronics.... The only problem with beagles is they are not silent on track and they might get accused of dogging deer which is just as bad as poaching around here.

I suggested they get a cur, but they don't want that either. Said they wanted a silent dog on track until it had the game right there. Preferably a dog that is not normally associated with hunting, so that would naturally take the hound groups out of the running.

I also agree shooting straight and tracking are very fine attributes, but is there anyone on this board that can honestly say they never shot and lost an animal? I lost two deer, before I gave up deer hunting, that I know without a doubt died, but I never found them. Lost a few coyotes, one being at the LBL before this one. Head on frontal shot with a 10 gauge at a very easy range. The coyote hit the ground like he had been hit by Mike Tyson, so I got greedy and went for a double because there were two others with him. I missed the second shot cleanly as the coyote was running down a creek bed. I went to get the "dead" coyote and he was nowhere to be found. No blood, no sign.....nothing. Chet and I looked all over and there was just no finding that sorry rascal before night fell.