4 Hour Shed Hunt

[hotload]

Out yesterday in a good area outside of Kelowna and just let Carlo go to do his thing. 4 hours later headed home with a nice pile. Some new, some old, but nice to see the size and quantity of deer hanging around this particular spot.


~[URL=http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/barturik/media/IMG_4873_zps1c7hizny.jpg.html]http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag377/barturik/IMG_4873_zps1c7hizny.jpg[/URL

[Brambles]

Geezus.....my dog would be fat after all the treats and "atta girls" from that haul....nice to get in the zone.

you keep track of the you find first/ him find first ratio? My dog is kicking my ass

[Foxtail]

Man what an awesome dog. Keep up the good work. What do you do with the sheds?

[hotload]

Geezus.....my dog would be fat after all the treats and "atta girls" from that haul....nice to get in the zone.

you keep track of the you find first/ him find first ratio? My dog is kicking my ass

In actual fact Brambles, I'm more the water carrier and treat giver. Carlo found all the sheds and returned with them with exception of one of those little sheds in the front of the picture. We are in the same ass kicked mode. At best I try to mark a waypoint from my Astro and collar he's wearing so I know where to go in follow up years. In everything he has been trained to do, treats are my best friend, and as far as him getting fat, it's hard to grow grass on a racetrack.

[hotload]

Man what an awesome dog. Keep up the good work. What do you do with the sheds?

I just pile them up on his outdoor run in the back yard. I should take a pic of that heap its getting crazy. I'm glad he's large, it looks comical when he trying to work his way through the forest with a large moose antler which happens very regularly.

[MBOGO]

Sweet dog !! Nice haul !

[Brambles]

How far from you does he roam? My dog stays within eyesight 99% of the time, and in the timber I hunt that's 30-40 yards usually. Most of the time she see's the route I'm taking and stays in front of me searching the ground. From time to time I do a button hook to get more distance between us and cover more ground and once she sees I've changed direction, she's right back in front...

[hotload]

How far from you does he roam? My dog stays within eyesight 99% of the time, and in the timber I hunt that's 30-40 yards usually. Most of the time she see's the route I'm taking and stays in front of me searching the ground. From time to time I do a button hook to get more distance between us and cover more ground and once she sees I've changed direction, she's right back in front...

Thanks to my Astro I have been able to see precisely how much ground Carlo covers in the bush/forest. Carlo changes his coverage depending on the terrain he is in. When I'm bird hunting and the terrain is flat and just brush or grasses he tends to venture farther but like your dog he keeps good visual contact. He knows when I am shed hunting and stays fairly close and usually only out to about 140 yds. By knowing him I know his reaction when he gets a whiff and what he is doing. It used to be deer pulling him but since I have sat and watched 3000 deer with him at close range he doesn't think they are important anymore. This has helped tremendously with his bloodtracking as well because not just any deer track gets his attention just the scent he is on.
How old is your dog? This could explain the not ranging too far and sweeping? Age and hours in the forest is a confidence builder. At 30 to 40 yds in a straight line your covering the same ground as your dog and wasting time. I also find that people who have exercised their dog on old roads or paths have inadvertently taught their dog to stay straight ahead of them. Buttonhook is your friend, especially if you do this when your dog doesn't see you do it. It will teach your pup to always be able to find you by scent and force him to cover new ground. I have taught Carlo to know everything I want done by association so there is no confusion as to the task wanted by me. It's no fun to go shed hunting when they think you want deer hunted or birds. Their aim is to please and it's our job to make this as simplistic as possible for them...................

[Whonnock Boy]

Very impressive. Goes to show what a well trained dog is capable of.

[goatdancer]

So the score is Carlo 12, Hotload 3. Way to go Carlo. He's one awesome dog.

[hotload]

So the score is Carlo 12, Hotload 3. Way to go Carlo. He's one awesome dog.


I wish I could say 3, but on this outing, my antler is the little 2 point in the front, but if I had a huge brown nose I could have done lots better. :)))) Great to hear from you. Hope the winter wasn't too mind bending for you

[Brambles]

Thanks to my Astro I have been able to see precisely how much ground Carlo covers in the bush/forest. Carlo changes his coverage depending on the terrain he is in. When I'm bird hunting and the terrain is flat and just brush or grasses he tends to venture farther but like your dog he keeps good visual contact. He knows when I am shed hunting and stays fairly close and usually only out to about 140 yds. By knowing him I know his reaction when he gets a whiff and what he is doing. It used to be deer pulling him but since I have sat and watched 3000 deer with him at close range he doesn't think they are important anymore. This has helped tremendously with his bloodtracking as well because not just any deer track gets his attention just the scent he is on.
How old is your dog? This could explain the not ranging too far and sweeping? Age and hours in the forest is a confidence builder. At 30 to 40 yds in a straight line your covering the same ground as your dog and wasting time. I also find that people who have exercised their dog on old roads or paths have inadvertently taught their dog to stay straight ahead of them. Buttonhook is your friend, especially if you do this when your dog doesn't see you do it. It will teach your pup to always be able to find you by scent and force him to cover new ground. I have taught Carlo to know everything I want done by association so there is no confusion as to the task wanted by me. It's no fun to go shed hunting when they think you want deer hunted or birds. Their aim is to please and it's our job to make this as simplistic as possible for them...................


She's 3 but a completely different breed part of which are noted to work a bit closer than some other breeds. I change my shed hunting style knowing how she covers ground. She doesn't search in a straight line, zig zags and circles fanning out in front of me. I'm able to space my grid wider with her, and her nose is much better than my eyes in most cases....plus she finds things I would never see buried under sticks, brush and such. In areas I hunt 140 yards would be sooooo far out of eyesight that I could never keep track of her, I don't run collars and I've always promoted strong recall with her and close working range due to our Unfenced yard at home and areas we train in.
like you mentioned, when the timber thins out I do find her roaming a bit further so I have a feeling a lot of her search style just comes from the dense/steep terrain we are hiking. I really enjoy watching her search and work, and when she comes running back with a shed in her mouth it's very exciting for her.

and as far as watching 3000 deer at close range.... Ha ha....not much opportunity for that in the weedy west Kootenays..

How old old is Carlo?....is he PB Drathaar?

[hotload]

Sorry just going by what you said in a previous post, 30-40 yards ahead of me and usually searching the ground. Strong recall is very important to dogs and very much so in the forest, many things can go south in a heartbeat. Don't know quite what you mean about running collars as the one I have is the Astro without the e-collar use as with the Alpha. E-Collars I feel have there place but I have never needed to use one on Carlo. Carlo, (Carlo Vom Hochwald) is a German import Deutsch Drahthaar by me, and has very strong pedigree. He has gone through all his Verein Deutsch Drahthaar testings (VJP,HZP,VGP) and received Prize 1 as well as his BTR and HN. The 3000 deer were over the course of many outings and he succumbed to the fact that he just doesn't need to chase which eases stress on me, saves his cardio and parts, and he can get down to the task at hand.

[Dash]

Wow that's awesome!! Great dog!! I wish our landlord would let us have a dog :(

[Brambles]

Sorry just going by what you said in a previous post, 30-40 yards ahead of me and usually searching the ground. Strong recall is very important to dogs and very much so in the forest, many things can go south in a heartbeat. Don't know quite what you mean about running collars as the one I have is the Astro without the e-collar use as with the Alpha. E-Collars I feel have there place but I have never needed to use one on Carlo. Carlo, (Carlo Vom Hochwald) is a German import Deutsch Drahthaar by me, and has very strong pedigree. He has gone through all his Verein Deutsch Drahthaar testings (VJP,HZP,VGP) and received Prize 1 as well as his BTR and HN. The 3000 deer were over the course of many outings and he succumbed to the fact that he just doesn't need to chase which eases stress on me, saves his cardio and parts, and he can get down to the task at hand.


Im not familiar with Astro collars? But I assumed by you saying that it allows you to see exactly what he's covered that it was some sort of GPS tracking collar?

i know some guys on the NSHDA Facebook page are using GPS collars on their shed dogs.

[hotload]

Im not familiar with Astro collars? But I assumed by you saying that it allows you to see exactly what he's covered that it was some sort of GPS tracking collar?

i know some guys on the NSHDA Facebook page are using GPS collars on their shed dogs.

Its a pretty cool toy. It lets you see where you are walking and the dog is running in real time and how far he is away as well as if he is on point by buzzing and vibrating. It has another option to see by pointer where he is on a compass. It allows you to transfer your track along with his to BaseCamp and Google Earth on your computer to let you know where your waypoints were and how you travelled as compared to what your dog did, which is mind blowing when you see how far they travel compared to you. Along with all the other attributes of a good GPS, its a pretty handy tool. The pointing aspect is nice when your dog is out of sight or over a knoll and on point, it lets you know you better skedaddle to get there.

[Daybreak]

What a joy it must be to have that dog with you in the bush.

Perhaps you could rent him out to Wayne so he can get some sleep.:idea:

[hotload]

What a joy it must be to have that dog with you in the bush.

Perhaps you could rent him out to Wayne so he can get some sleep.:idea:

Strange you mention Wayne, I was thinking of him on the shed hunt and when I put up the pictures. I thought if he was a dog guy, what a joy it would be for companionship for him on his extensive stays in the bush at his camps and for his love of shed hunting. Wish he would chime in here and have a chat about it. I would be more than happy to help in any way possible. Never having met him I still know he's a pretty special guy on this site and has been for a long time.................................

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Awesome stuff , Rod! You do amazing things with dogs time and time again.
Would even be more impressed if you could train a domestic shorthair to do the same. Lol

[rifleman]

That is one of the most meaningful pictures I have ever seen... your companion respects you as much as you respect him...

[.264winmag]

That sir is one fine pup, and I wish I had a fraction of your dog training talent. I can barely get my pups to stop eating deer shit long enough to look for antlers lol. Thanks for the pic!

[hotload]

Awesome stuff , Rod! You do amazing things with dogs time and time again.
Would even be more impressed if you could train a domestic shorthair to do the same. Lol

Steve good to hear from you. Not quite sure what you mean by a domestic shorthair, if you are talking German Shorthaired Pointer, that for sure wouldn't be a problem they are wonderful trackers in there own right. I have seen them do amazing things in some of the competitions I have seen. Even if your not speaking of them, most dogs have the nose to get the job done in a big way, they just have to be shown the way. I have always found it intriguing how a dog is usually born with a good nose and doesn't really know how to use it until it is shown, predators canines are good examples of this. Until the adults take them on hunting excursions they pretty much rely on being fed.
This shed hunting and bloodtracking seems to be coming very interesting for many guys. I get many phone calls throughout hunting season for help in recoveries of lost animals. I originally agreed to do this because its really the ethical thing to do and I have never regretted it. The shed hunting is a wonderful primer for cardio for myself, and opportunity and reason to get back into the bush and explore deer,moose,elk country for the up coming season. Also, its a great continued tuner for Carlo on how to keep using his nose properly in different circumstances. I suppose all in all it's just called fun..................................

[hotload]

That sir is one fine pup, and I wish I had a fraction of your dog training talent. I can barely get my pups to stop eating deer shit long enough to look for antlers lol. Thanks for the pic!

Thanks for your kind words and thanks for the great laugh I just had :)) I suppose fiber and roughage is wherever u get it

[hotload]

That is one of the most meaningful pictures I have ever seen... your companion respects you as much as you respect him...

I have a huge bond with Carlo, I'm with him 24/7 and I love him as much as he loves me and he knows it. I feel with obedience and a great bond it gives Carlo more reason to do what's asked of him, happily. You spoke very nice words and Thank You

[Xenomorph]

Wow that's awesome!! Great dog!! I wish our landlord would let us have a dog :(

I think legislation was just passed to stop discriminating against tenants with pets. Do some research, you might be able to get one.

[Xenomorph]

I have a huge bond with Carlo I'm with him 24/7 and I love him as much as he loves me and he knows it. I feel with obedience and a great bond it gives Carlo more reason to do what's asked of him happily. You spoke very nice words and Thank You

Whether dogs, kids or people, respect and love shown usually tend to work better in the long term. :) Your pup looks awesome will all the booty. Well done.

[goatdancer]

I wish I could say 3, but on this outing, my antler is the little 2 point in the front, but if I had a huge brown nose I could have done lots better. :)))) Great to hear from you. Hope the winter wasn't too mind bending for you

You're right about the nose thing. My little Australian labradoodle can sniff out all kinds of things on our walks and in our back yard. Winter was great but the spring yard work is killing me........

[hotload]

You're right about the nose thing. My little Australian labradoodle can sniff out all kinds of things on our walks and in our back yard. Winter was great but the spring yard work is killing me........

I'm sure it amazes everybody at one time or another just what these dogs noses can uproot. I have watched Carlo dig out antlers that have laid for years in amongst tons of sticks, boggles the mind how a small essence of something different can get their attention. Would love to hear other stories from guys on what their dogs noses have gone and done that makes you shake your head?

Lets get all these dogs trained and clean the bush of antlers and never have a wounded animal go unclaimed. Well it was a good thought................... Get that work done, the bears are upon us and the forest beckons.....................

[Jedcote50]

I had a golden retriever who was a great shed hunter, I started him by only giving him antlers to chew, no bones. As a pup he ran circles around me and ranged out farther than I liked but once he got to be 4-5 yrs. old he figured out what I wanted for shed and upland hunting. He was a natural retriever, I didn't really have to train him, but you could never throw away anything he'd bring in or he'd circle around and bring it back. He was also with me almost always and there were no distractions like kids. He's been gone 6 yrs and I'm still looking for his replacement, not necessarily a golden. Sounds like you got a real good dog, enjoy your moments they pass quickly before your eyes but last forever in your heart, give him a soft scratch behind the ears for me.

[Dannybuoy]

Great post Rod .... You will have to come check out the new place soon .... almost done !! :D

[HarryToolips]

Wow that's awesome...

[hunter1947]

Nice haul on the sheds the two of you found ,,congrats on your finds..

[hotload]

Nice haul on the sheds the two of you found ,,congrats on your finds..


Thanks Wayne. Have you ever considered a furry friend to romp with you through the bush in the spring seeking antlers? Also as a companion with you on your long stays in the forest at your camp?? I can't think of a single person on this site that this would be better suited to??

ROD

[matias]

Good day shed hunting.

[hunter1947]

You found a good honey whole nice finds you better keep this place under your hat..