The adventures of Elkie

Heidi and Rowdy will be about the same age then. Poor old Mattie is really outnumbered now.

I am looking forward to see photos of the new dog. Your tracking crew is growing quickly. Know you will be excited to get Heidi to the Brushpile. Congratulations friend.

Wayne
 
If Heidi is more calm than Rowdy then I think Elkie will get a little more peace. If Heidi is like Rowdy and full of herself then Elkie will get targeted twice as much.

Just depends on the nature of your incoming pup. I got to believe Heidi will be a good influence on Rowdy. My best guess.

Wayne
 
The kennel is progressing nicely. I busted out old cement today and put in the forms for new cement to be poured. Tuesday is the target date to pour the new kennel.
 
What is the weather forecast for Tuesday? Highs and Lows? Any rain possible?

Wise move to remove the old concrete - that will make your kennel floor sound.

Good luck.

Wayne
 
What is the weather forecast for Tuesday? Highs and Lows? Any rain possible?

Wise move to remove the old concrete - that will make your kennel floor sound.

Good luck.

Wayne
I don't know what the forecast is, but I'll bet the fort that it's warm, Sunny, with no rain. :cool:
 
If it is real warm, that is not good for the concrete. After the surface gets firm, you might spray it lightly with a hose pipe so it don't get too hot too fast. If concrete dries too fast you can get a crack.

You would only have to spray it a few times until the sun sets and then the night air will be your friend. You can't let any dog tracks get on it for about 24 hours.
 
If it is real warm, that is not good for the concrete. After the surface gets firm, you might spray it lightly with a hose pipe so it don't get too hot too fast. If concrete dries too fast you can get a crack.

You would only have to spray it a few times until the sun sets and then the night air will be your friend. You can't let any dog tracks get on it for about 24 hours.
Thanks Wayne, I didn't know that about concrete.
 
Brush,

Concrete cracking due to heat is a large slab in the hot sun or a small slab like your dog kennel. Sun will hit the end next to their exercise pen and will not hit it at the building side. After it gets real firm after being poured, lightly spray it with a hose pipe and that will prevent it from cracking.

This advice would be valid in the 60's and higher. South of here they will put plastic over a fresh pour and put a little layer of sand and wet that. That makes a cool blanket.

After 24 hours I don't believe their toe nails will mark that slab. Prior to my election work I was a school teacher and every summer I worked school construction jobs. My dad had his contractor's license so I have some experience.

Your kennel will be shaping up fast now.

Wayne
 
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This is Ekie, the girl that started it all. This will be Elkie's 3rd tracking season, and she breezed down the track.


Elkie makes the 90 degree turn into the brush.

Boom, done!

Elkie taking her reward home.
 
While I have two young females that are very good on practice tracks, Elkie is my top dog, and is very motivated. How motivated is she? Well today she had all her hair cut off so she can focus on tracking and not be bothered by stick tights.
Before

After
 
Sure hope she don't catch a cold. Bet she feels naked and 5 pounds lighter.

Wayne
Elkie looks tiny! Elkie is smaller than Breeze and Heidi! Elkie also has some very tough competition. Breeze is slow and tracks right down the line like an old pro, but she's my youngest dog! Heidi is fast but over runs turns, which she corrects. Heidi needs more time to slow down; she reminds me a Spaniel, the way she works back and forth as he follows the track down the line.

Elkie has completed 400 yard tracks with no visible blood, so bring on tracking season. The problem will be which dog to use? All three dogs are looking good, and only one can be used at a time; what a tough problem to have.
 
As a tracker, it's important to me to show my dogs a deer... any deer, and as soon into the season as possible. So I was happy to shoot a yearling doe on opening day, giving Elkie her first deer track. The deer was shot quartering to me, so the arrow angled back and did not exit, creating a 75 yard track with visible blood in only two places. Elkie worked the track like a pro, tracking slow and deliberate.




Elkie possesses extremely high prey drive so she gets very excited when she knows she is going to track, and she is relentless. Elkie makes no distinction between a buck or a doe and when Elkie finds a deer she's very possessive chewing, tugging, and growling, until I pull her off HER deer. Elkie can scent hooves, so there doesn't need to be any blood for Elkie to track a deer, and she has made 700-800 yard recoveries.
 
Now is a busy time. I learned through United Blood Trackers that one lung hits are not fatal unless another organ is included like guts or liver. The lesson was followed by 3/4 mile unsuccessful track where a buck was hit in one lung by a 4 blade Rage.
 
Yesterday Elkie tracked an old grey 11 point. I'd tracked for the hunter before and he center punched the buck through both lungs, exactly like I had suggested. Then he tracked the buck 200 yards and called for Elkie the next day. Elkie took the track toward a small river, stood on a cliff overlooking the river and gradually made her way down, swam the river and found a beautiful buck, except that it had already been totally consumed by coyotes. All that remained was a shredded hide, bones, and the head. I'm very proud of Elkie for following a 24 hour old track across a small river.
 
4 blade Rage.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but this always come across to me as a bash on the broadhead. For one, I've never heard of a 4 blade Rage. Regardless of broadhead, its all about the placement of the shot as you elude to with only hitting one lung.

Unfortunately for you as a tracker, you are normally going to get called for the bad shots as opposed to the good ones...
 
Maybe I'm reading this wrong but this always come across to me as a bash on the broadhead. For one, I've never heard of a 4 blade Rage. Regardless of broadhead, its all about the placement of the shot as you elude to with only hitting one lung.

Unfortunately for you as a tracker, you are normally going to get called for the bad shots as opposed to the good ones...

I mentioned a four blade Rage only because it made a huge hole, yet that didn't put the buck down. Shot placement is critical, far more important than the size of the hole. I shoot a fixed 2 blade.
 
A sharp broadhead in the right location. When we pack arrows around in a quiver, they can lose their edge. When I shot a three blade Muzzy, I kept an Arkansas Stone designed for 3 blades. It was great at keeping them sharp.

Brush - glad you are getting some calls now. I am looking forward to the younger dogs in your pack get their opportunity.

Wayne
 
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