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boxhitch
03-10-2004, 09:16 AM
I'm considering a new companion for my solo hunts, and would like to know more about good trackers, that can still be called a good family pet also. I've heard of German wire hairs, and Dahtars getting high praise in europe. Looking for something to help with bears, and be able to blood track anything wounded. Any Ideas ????

bone-collector
03-10-2004, 09:24 AM
I would recomend James gary Sheltons newest book BEAR ATTACKS 2 - MYTHE & REALITY

The reason I give for pointing out this book is the lengthy section on dogs and bears , a dog can become your worst nightmare in 2 seconds in the bush , for tracking or trailing a hound would be a good choice , but then there hunting instincts can and usualy will take over and your chasing them or that dog for 10 miles , we have tried 2 diferent hounds at guide camp to locate downed bears and it was useless they didnt get the picture atall ( I think they have become more of a pet to the guy than a working dog) regardless give the book a read it has alot of good common sence reading in it

Spitzer
03-10-2004, 10:45 AM
Learn how to see tracks yourself. No need for a dog. :wink:

bone-collector
03-10-2004, 10:47 AM
hmm ever tracked a bear through devils club or slide alder 8O , dogs can be a good thing

Spitzer
03-10-2004, 01:50 PM
Yes, I have tracked a wounded griz through a thick swamp. It is not something I'd like to do everyday.

boxhitch
03-10-2004, 02:37 PM
A good dog will alert you to an animal in the area, well before our human senses kick in. A good dog can sort out a mess of tracks and follow a wounded animal without straying. A good dog will stay where and when told , almost to a fault. A good dog will not bring a killer back into your lap :roll: , A good dog will locate a trophy that someone else has lost, and needs help to locate , in the kind of shit-tangle that they normally head for when wounded.
Some northern outfitters have tracking dogs in camp, so the guides do not have to endanger their clients by dragging them into trouble spots.
A good dog should be available in all communiities, to be called upon to find wounded game of all sorts, instead of just calling " oh, I missed, lets go get another one".

bone-collector
03-10-2004, 02:46 PM
um yea ok you seem to already know then...well I will leave it to yea then but thanks for wasting folks time... 8O :roll:

Clint_S
03-13-2004, 07:07 PM
boxhitch
I think if you can find yourself a good Airedale it might suit your needs very well. They make great bear dogs but have way more smarts than a hound and can be taught to hunt fairly close. They also make great family and companion dogs and even can do waterfowl and upland game.
I'm a bit biased as I raise them and love them and I find they suit my type of pleasure hunting very well.
Don't get the idea I'm trying to sell pups as I am sold out way in advance but if you can get your hands on a good pup from working stock it might be just what you're looking for.

boxhitch
03-13-2004, 10:09 PM
Thanks Clint. Thats what I'm looking for. Will be in touch for follow up.
Hey, BCollecter, how is the asking of a question a waste of time ? Your reply wass off topic, so that may be the waste you are referring to.
Later.

bone-collector
03-14-2004, 12:24 AM
a sientific fact on dogs and the bush as well as a short history in there roll in the bush is a waste of time ? I thought it may be helpful in your quest to find a dog that suited your need but I guess you know it all already :roll:

GoatGuy
04-07-2004, 10:17 PM
Wow, if you want a dog that DEFINITELY won't run back at you, you had better get a Korelian bear dog oh and a trainer for it too $$$$$$. You can teach a lot of dogs to track wounded animals. If you're gonna be taking it all-purpose hunting don't get one of the goofy ass howling dogs. All they're good for is tracking and chasing bears and cats.

Depends on what you want, but many of those breeds that would be considered good bear dogs give up a lot as far as companship, ease of handling and ease of training goes. I've got a lab and she comes on all the hunting trips, tracks everything but wolves, barks ONLY when there's danger around and is a total pleasure around camp. There's a big difference between a workin' hound and a dog that gets taken out 3 or 4 weeks a year.

Oh, and good guides don't endanger their hunter's lives by taking them into trouble spots. They leave their hunter's at camp and take another guide.

boxhitch
04-12-2004, 09:03 AM
"good guides leave the hunter in camp and take another guide" Well my take on that is "Bul)($&*". I feel that if the hunter had the balls to pull the trigger for the first shot, and somehow fu(*^^ed up, then he will be shoulder to shoulder with me as 'WE' go on the trail. I tell this to them outright, as I want that thought on their mind a they pull the trigger the first time. I seen where a hunter has taken a poor shot, with no regard for the dangers to follow, because "I don't have to go in There, thats your job" Bullshit.

bone-collector
04-12-2004, 09:18 AM
http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/blahblah.gif
http://www.ls2.com/forums/images/smilies/boohoo.gif

GoatGuy
04-12-2004, 08:17 PM
WOW! 8O
You don't send a child whose broken another kids legs in to fix them do you? I'd probably send a doctor, but who knows you're probably right-get that kid in there and give 'em some good experience. You broke 'em now fix 'em.

Personally, as a guide, I'd be extremely worried about getting shot by anyone who doesn't guide or isn't extremely experienced in the outdoors. 90% of the time I'd rather go in alone then with most hunters.

bone-collector
04-13-2004, 08:25 AM
its ok Goat, there will always be 1 jackass with a opinion and ZERO knowledge on the subject... :lol:

bcboy
04-13-2004, 10:08 AM
Most of my dogs where Blood/plott hounds..some had a little blue tick in them.. Are these good dogs to take along F$%6 NO

Aierdales are OK but they are aggressive and I cannot strees as this is not want you want for a companion dog, trackin OK. Also most dogs when scared come right back to you..DUH ya with the bear,

A lab... airedale or better yet a MUTT. teach him to come, sit ...STAY! which is more than most teach thier dogs and hey go for it.

PS... No guide who has only met me for a day or two,,,no matter what I think would use me in a dangerous situation.. And I never seen any dogs in camp, well except mine and she was a camp dog labX.There to protect my beer.!!

bill
04-15-2004, 10:22 AM
yes I agree a medium size mutt with some type of terrier would fill the job and not cost u an arm and a leg.. mutts hardly ever get sick like breeds do. With a little training and time u gotta good hunting bud who likes family too. :)

bone-collector
04-15-2004, 12:17 PM
I found the yappiest dam mutt around is the best, bears dont like the noise and usually avoid you then by a mile, and the pups I have now are just that (never shut up!) the father was St.Bernard/Rottie X and the mother a purebread black lab

Barracuda
08-21-2004, 04:39 PM
depending on what you are hunting depends on the dog you want . If you want a cold nosed deep hunting dog a hound works well (better get tracking collars though)

if you want a hotter nosed dog with plenty of grit and can be used for a multitude of game, (you dont even need to bring a gun sometimes) an Airdale from hunting stock might work for you .

There are strains of GSH and Weiramers that work well on big and small game. If you want to have a dog that is a really good companion and good for hunting upland game perhaps a Spanial . I would say the most important thing is make sure , is to get the dog from working stock no matter what the breed. some folks have even had good luck with hound/ birdog crosses (still keeps cold nose or could gain nose on winding scent, easier to train and doesnt normally hunt as deep), Airdale / Hound crosses for a bit more nose and grit

I wouldnt Consider any of the spits(laika.Karilion,husky,etc) breeds for hunting period . Leave them for pulling sleds And dont beleive the Granola crunching Fad that a Karilon is good for bear . (like most spits they are good for Bear chasing ) The only people that think they are good for bear hunting dont use them for bear hunting. :lol:

and as for mutts not getting sick as often . that is a bit of a misnomer, if you do some checking with your vet you will find that they can have many more problems . dogs do not do the planned parenthood thing well so genetic screening is a moot point in a males quest to spread his seed and if a female dog presents herself he will take advantage of the oppertunity And females in heat are not exactly choosey. So you see all you need is two dogs no matter what the breed that hold a reccessive gene and it can become a dominant one.
here is a canine data base that you might find helpfull . It will at least let you have an idea as what to ask a breeder in so much as genetic defects and screening . it even lists by breed
http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/introinfo.htm

wsm
09-02-2004, 03:04 PM
I see your question has brought about some different opinions. Like you i was looking for the same qualities in a dog. talk to the local RCMP se what their K9 unit thinks. I got a wolf hybrid , she ok . know some people that use blue heelers. As much as i dislike blue heelers they are quite succsesful with them.

leftcoast
11-03-2004, 02:02 PM
There are a lot of dogs that will do a good job trailing. Personally I prefer a cur. The jagdterriers have a good reputation. I have been around some very nice big terriers. I don't think Clint would recommend a Airedale if he didn't think they would do the job, safely. Training has an awful lot to do with a dogs behaviour.

=keith=

K-1
11-03-2004, 10:07 PM
I have a 4 yr. old Jagdterrier, he has 9 bears and 1 Moose to his credit. They are ex. hunters and trackers, will do a coon in real quick and go's nut's on bears. He is very friendly with people but not with strange dogs .He will go with other dogs if they are woking, and he has his minde on game. The one thing you have to remember is that these are terriers not hounds ,and they have to be handled and hunted as terriers.

Deer_Hunter101
12-23-2004, 12:54 PM
I'm considering a new companion for my solo hunts, and would like to know more about good trackers, that can still be called a good family pet also. I've heard of German wire hairs, and Dahtars getting high praise in europe. Looking for something to help with bears, and be able to blood track anything wounded. Any Ideas ????


well, just to tell you, dogs must be leashed at all times for any type of big game huting or tracking..... unless the regs have changed..?

Walker
12-23-2004, 06:09 PM
actually dogs don't have to be leashed to hunt bears, cougar, lynx ,bobcat and small game.

Deer_Hunter101
12-25-2004, 01:52 PM
actually dogs don't have to be leashed to hunt bears, cougar, lynx ,bobcat and small game.

yeah your right, what i ment was BIG game (eg. moose, elk, deer)

Deer_Hunter101
12-25-2004, 01:54 PM
ps.... german short haired pointers are excellent tracking dogs

Mooseman
02-04-2005, 10:42 PM
I have German shorthairs for 24 years now and did have some really good times with them. The last one "Deuce" is a 12 year old male now an found us lots of wounded animals that we had no chance on finding otherwise. They are a bit wrong for leashed tracking though since for the last 20 years they bred speed in to them for the rabbit and pheasant hunts. They lay very hard in to the leash while searching and do just really well on hot trails. That is a problem if you got a moose family going with the wounded bull. That track is better followed cold. It is just easier for the dog to separate the wounded one.

Now I use a breed called Slovakian Hound or also called Slovenski Kopov. They are a much calmer and lighter dog that is somewhat of a specialist in tracking wounded game. Also an excellent baying dog ! An absolute delight with the family!

Smile when hunting,
Mooseman

boxhitch
02-21-2005, 12:47 PM
Mooseman - I recently heard of an outfitter using a 'Yak' (?) Terrier/Hound (?). Could the Yak be a nickname for your Slovakian ? Or something different ?

Mooseman
02-21-2005, 03:22 PM
It kind of looks like you might be talking about Jagdterrier (German hunting terrier). Those are the black once. I used to have three of them over the years and a friend of mine used to breed them.
Some individual dogs are ok for tracking but not generally. They are bred and used for boar hunting. They are fast, hyper, tough and are very aggressive. They will fight anything and have no fear. That is also what they die of. They get killed attacking something blind. They are excellent in getting boars moving and driving them just mad. The boar would hit the dog and throw him thru the air and as soon as the dog touched ground he'd be right back at the pig.

Following a wounded animal track takes more then the ability to smell. Most dogs have good noses. It takes a lot of concentration and will to find to deal with difficulties during a search.
When going through water, when crossing fresher game tracks from other animals but the same species and having no blood to work with.

A calm and slow dog will make les mistakes and be more successful because of that.

Mooseman

K-1
02-21-2005, 08:00 PM
I have a 4yr. (Nov.2000) male jagdterrier and have been useing him to blood trail and bay wounded bears. Mooseman you discribed them to a "T". they are hunting machines. Rudy has been bitten and swatted a few times but still likes to play with the bears. We will be out this spring looking for more island toy's for him to chase.