tracking dogs ?

[leftcoast]

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]

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]

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]

actually dogs don't have to be leashed to hunt bears, cougar, lynx ,bobcat and small game.

[Deer_Hunter101]

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]

ps.... german short haired pointers are excellent tracking dogs

[Mooseman]

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]

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]

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]

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.