The adventures of Elkie
- Thread starter Brushpile
- Start date
I have been so busy tracking that I haven't been able to devote the time I would like to the forum. I've had three interrupted morning hunts and no time for evening hunts. Elkie is a tired little dog and many hunters have asked me where they can get a dog like Elkie. I tell them that if I knew where to get another dog like Elkie, I would get one!
Elkie didn't just happen, and it's not as easy as just buying a good dog. doctorbrady found the breeder, who had hunting Teckels from Germany. Elkie was picked from the litter because she could follow a liver drag at 6 weeks! Doctorbrady is my mentor and has guided Elkie's training every step of the way. Elkie's training is continuous, which means that tracks are laid 1-2 times a week year round. Unlike a hound that is hunted and then kenneled in the off season, Elkie is trained much the same as my military working dog handlers trained their dogs. Part of that training is me learning to read Elkie and know what Elkie is indicating, when she isn't fully cognoscente herself. For example, I tell Elkie, "good girl", when I think she's on track, and say, "Is that right", when she's not on track, and I know that from "Reading" her actions. Lots and lots of training and learning went into Elkie's success, and one shelf of a stand up freezer is nothing but deer blood, deer legs and deer organs to make tracks with.
Doctorbrady
Well-Known Member
I am extremely proud of the job that you and Elkie have done this year. Your successes this year are monumental, and you guys should do nothing but improve over the next couple of years.
Kudos to you both!
Kudos to you both!
Elkie has restricted papers to protect the bloodline, so I couldn't breed her and had her spayed. :-( To get a dog like Elkie takes a long wait, as there are no pups available in present or future litters in the United States,
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Elkie sleeps in the house I expect. As valuable as she is - I would want her protected. To me it is amazing how certain bloodlines are meant to excel from the first month or two. I remember my dad testing young bird dog pups with a quail wing on the fishing rod.
It still makes me smile to remember the short legged pups locking up on the first wing they had ever seen.
I know Elkie is smart but to this observer - it is her drive that makes her outstanding. The hunting Gods were kind when she survived the night in the woods with 'yotes all around. I have not forgotten that story. Means special things are left to do for your tracking machine.
It still makes me smile to remember the short legged pups locking up on the first wing they had ever seen.
I know Elkie is smart but to this observer - it is her drive that makes her outstanding. The hunting Gods were kind when she survived the night in the woods with 'yotes all around. I have not forgotten that story. Means special things are left to do for your tracking machine.
Yes, Elkie has good prey drive, and that's what motivates Elkie to track. Elkie also has lots of energy, so she doesn't quit, is possessive and has a cold nose.
Elkie is a lover and she sleeps under the bed until morning and then she jumps up on the bed and makes sure we don't over sleep. At the beginning of each track Elkie greets the hunter, and is a happy little dog until she finds her deer.
I tell hunters that when things go wrong stop tracking at last blood and don't mess it up for the dog. When a hunter walks down a blood trail the hunter picks up blood and hoof scent, essentially becoming the deer, and everywhere the hunter walks, the dog will track. On Monday I pulled Elkie off a track because she couldn't go any further! Elkie is still resting and might not track again this year, because she has spent hours on tracks, that she could have finished in minutes if the track had not been spoiled.
Tracking is the rule in Europe and in some countries a hunter has to have access to a tracking dog to legally hunt!!! In the Northeast there are lots of trackers, and most of them won't take a track that has been grid searched. So the hunter has a choice... grid search or call a tracker, but the hunter can't do both.
Many hunters have asked, "Where can I get a dog like Elkie? I tell them that I would like to get another dog like Elkie! Elkie needs a helper and the search is on! There are no Teckels available in the United States without being put on a long waiting list, so I've been communicating with a United Blood Tracking member in Europe, and various kennels around the world. Finding Elkie a helper is no easy task!
Doctorbrady
Well-Known Member
Brush, if you choose to import a dog from Europe there are many options available. The downside is that an imported dog will cost between $3-4000 when all costs are figured in.
There are no Wirehaired Dachshunds available in the United States. Elkie is still dragging around from being overworked, so I need to find another WHD. I think I found one in Quebec... I'll know for sure on Monday. Finding Elkie a helper soon enough to train for next deer season will happen, one way or the other!!!
My other option is Germany!
Thanks Wayne, a call is out to every Teckel breeder in America, and I'm in contact with breeders in Canada and Europe. A helper for Elkie is not easy to find!Brush,
I guess there is a chance it will take two dogs to wear you out. I hope you are able to find a good addition to Elkie. So many of use enjoy this thread. It is a great adventure for sure.
Happy Thanksgiving to the entire Brushpile Team.
It's easier for me to follow Elkie, than it is for Elkie to sniff all day. It's been a few days and Elkie is still recovering; I shouldn't have worked Elkie so hard. Elkie is our pet first and tracker second, so I will find like help!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Good luck. Makes me think of the huge buck photo from last season. Maybe you get another great photo opp.
Tenured Student
Active Member
Brushpile,
Both you and Elkie are inspiring . I don't know anyone that will go the extra mile to find a deer. I thoroughly enjoy your updates.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Both you and Elkie are inspiring . I don't know anyone that will go the extra mile to find a deer. I thoroughly enjoy your updates.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
E_308
Well-Known Member
The suspense is killing me! What happened?
j-bird
Well-Known Member
threads like this even make an impression for those that don;t have a tracking dog. I shot my buck one evening and I saw it run but never seen it crash. I found very little blood that evening so I backed out (thinking of some of the mistakes hunters make as listed in this thread). I had no intention of using an official tracking dog, but IF I had to use my own dogs they would do better IF I didn't muck things up. I went back the next morning and still didn't find much more blood but I knew the direction the deer had headed and I thought for certain I would see smears and swipes on the tall switchgrass, but it just wasn't there. I then took a wide arc of where I thought the deer headed to look for sign where the switch turned to timber....again trying not to disturb any possible scent of evidence if possible. I followed a deer trail in the process and I had simply walked around my buck - it was very difficult to see in the tall switch. The deer went maybe 50 yards from where I hit it, but went down in the switch and was why I didn't hear a crash. Shot was good but I didn't know that and threads like this remind me to slow down and not be so gung-ho and screw it up. So I guess Elkie helped find my deer too!
Sorry for taking so long to write this follow up, but I have been busy buying a Wirehaired Dachshund in Luxemburg from the finest tracking bloodlines in Europe.
The track was 200 miles away and was over 40 hours old when we arrived. The ground was dry, it was windy and there was no morning dew or frost to refresh the track. The hunter said the shot was high, and the arrow didn't exit. The deer left a 500 yard blood trail and there was a drop of lung blood. Elkie advanced the track which was verified by a few small drops of blood and then the bleeding stopped. Elkie was restarted at last blood and followed two separate trails for hundreds of yards with no blood. One of those trails lead to this spike buck. This buck had been dead about 24-36 hours, so this was a good tracking job; be it the wrong deer.
The track was 200 miles away and was over 40 hours old when we arrived. The ground was dry, it was windy and there was no morning dew or frost to refresh the track. The hunter said the shot was high, and the arrow didn't exit. The deer left a 500 yard blood trail and there was a drop of lung blood. Elkie advanced the track which was verified by a few small drops of blood and then the bleeding stopped. Elkie was restarted at last blood and followed two separate trails for hundreds of yards with no blood. One of those trails lead to this spike buck. This buck had been dead about 24-36 hours, so this was a good tracking job; be it the wrong deer.
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