Deer track in the morning!

[RaginCagin]

Thats my neck of the woods and where I hunt. Big deer in that area for sure and tough traking in the palmettos and briar cutovers.

[specktator]

Originally Posted by longsidelandry

My lab is right at 3 years old, do you think it's too late to train him to track deer?

definitely not! its kind of like the other guys said he either got it or he dont! my lab is 6 years old. i never trained him for it. when he was 2 years old i had him at the camp with me during bow season. i shot about a 14" inside 8 point with my bow. i saw and heard the arrow stick him right behind his shoulder. i wait a few minutes and get down from my stand to go look. Nothing! Not a speck of blood, arrow, hair, or anything. i knew i had hit him. i looked around for about an hour, then walked back to the camp. when i get there i tell my dad about what happened. he asks me why i dont try bringin Amos(my yellow lab) to the hit zone and see what he can do. i literally laughed at him but was out of options so decided to give it a shot. he had never been in the woods unless we were going to a duck hole in the woods. i bring him out there on a leash, let him sniff around where it was and off he goes. its dark i have a tiny light and my dog is draggin me down a ridge at about 30mph. next thing i know we come to a stop about 200 yards from hit zone and im standing over my 8 point. Crazy! He has found 4 deer since then and like i said only ones he didnt find were ones people called me about to try and go that next morning. and im pretty sure the 3 he didnt find were bad shots. gotta get on em quick! if not, he is just going to start picking up other deer trails and stuff like that.

[longsidelandry]

Sweet, I'm definately gonna give it a try with him. I'll only be able to make one more hunt this season but I will try him out next season.

[specktator]

Originally Posted by longsidelandry

Sweet, I'm definately gonna give it a try with him. I'll only be able to make one more hunt this season but I will try him out next season.

Just start to bring him with u to the deer camp. Keep him around when u cleaning deer. i bring mine to the cleaning rack with me and let him just cover himself in the blood and stuff when someone cleaning one. he goes crazy and literally covers himself in blood. sounds crazy but i really think it works!

[Feesherman]

Originally Posted by specktator

definitely not! its kind of like the other guys said he either got it or he dont! my lab is 6 years old. i never trained him for it. when he was 2 years old i had him at the camp with me during bow season. i shot about a 14" inside 8 point with my bow. i saw and heard the arrow stick him right behind his shoulder. i wait a few minutes and get down from my stand to go look. Nothing! Not a speck of blood, arrow, hair, or anything. i knew i had hit him. i looked around for about an hour, then walked back to the camp. when i get there i tell my dad about what happened. he asks me why i dont try bringin Amos(my yellow lab) to the hit zone and see what he can do. i literally laughed at him but was out of options so decided to give it a shot. he had never been in the woods unless we were going to a duck hole in the woods. i bring him out there on a leash, let him sniff around where it was and off he goes. its dark i have a tiny light and my dog is draggin me down a ridge at about 30mph. next thing i know we come to a stop about 200 yards from hit zone and im standing over my 8 point. Crazy! He has found 4 deer since then and like i said only ones he didnt find were ones people called me about to try and go that next morning. and im pretty sure the 3 he didnt find were bad shots. gotta get on em quick! if not, he is just going to start picking up other deer trails and stuff like that.

My dog's name is Amos as well!! Amos Moses in fact.

[specktator]

Originally Posted by Feesherman

My dog's name is Amos as well!! Amos Moses in fact.

Haha! I call him Amos Moses all the time!

[Cujeaux]

When I lived in Arkansas I used my dachsund to track deer. But the best tracking dog I ever saw was a stray mutt that lived in my friend's culvert. Man could that dog find a deer! I guess when you don't get fed every day and someone plops you down on a blood trail you have a little motivation!

I remember reading a good article 20 years ago about how to pick a good blood trailing dog. The writer said to take a piece of meat and drag it across the floor. Then take a whole litter of new pups and place them on the trail. Some of the pups will act like nothing's there. If you find one that runs over the others following the trail, that's the one you want!!! Evidently they either have it or they don't. Good luck!