The adventures of Elkie

[wbpdeer]

Brush,

I don't see myself waiting as long as your timeframe will be. Because I am a fair minded guy - we will withdraw our name at this time.

I have always wanted a shed dog and have myself 80% convinced that is what I am going to do. If a person paid $750 to $1,000 for a good lab pup, you think that is in the appropriate price range. A few people are beginning to cross train a shed dog to be a blood trailing dog too.

About 12 years ago I purchased a Mountain Cur to start as a shed dog but I was too busy to work with him. My wife balked at feeding when deer season started. Now that I am retired, my time is my time.

I am so glad for your tracking crew expansion. Hope Rowdy can hold his own with Elkie socially.

Thanks for your threads and help.

Wayne

 

[Brushpile]

Rowdy is kept segregated from Elkie until he can hold his own. I want Rowdy to be the dominant dog. I know where there are Teckels if you want one now.

 

[outdoorstom]

That's exciting news about your third one! From Louise?

 

[Brushpile]

That's exciting news about your third one! From Louise?

Know , the third one is from a breeder who leases dogs to Canadian Outfitters to track Moose, and only sells his Teckels to trackers. His dogs are German imports.

 

[Brushpile]

Chirstmas Track! In the morning Elkie will be tracking a big buck; maybe a Booner! Elkie is full of the Christmas spirit and wants to make this hunter happy, wish her luck!

 

[wbpdeer]

Well I sure wish the Brushpile Tracking Team good luck. Late season last year is when you tracked that giant buck out of state. That is my favorite photo of Elkie.

Hope you have a successful trail.

Be safe.

 

[Tenured Student]

You and Elkie are having a great run this season! Can't wait to see the progress of the newest edition.

 

[Brushpile]

Well I sure wish the Brushpile Tracking Team good luck. Late season last year is when you tracked that giant buck out of state. That is my favorite photo of Elkie.

Hope you have a successful trail.

Be safe.

It was another muscle hit with a Rage. I don't like Rage because the blades break on a big buck's ribs and if the vitals are missed and the deer is injured by a Rage, the damage is so extensive that it's unlikely that the wounds will heal and the deer is destroyed.

 

[Brushpile]

You and Elkie are having a great run this season! Can't wait to see the progress of the newest edition.

The breeder is currently making training videos, and will be involved with training to show me how it's done in Europe. In Luxembourg a dog must pass a standardized obedience test before they are allowed to track. Among other things the dog must walk passed food off leash and lay down while the handler leaves the area. This training will also benefit Elkie and Heidi, and will help them focus on the track.

 

[Doctorbrady]

Many of the utility tests require the dog to Lay in the forest (usually on the hunter's shirt) for 30 minutes with the Hunter out of sight. At 20 minutes a shot is fired in the distance and the dog must remain in place. Amazing discipline, but considered normal there for a working dog.

 

[outdoorstom]

Looking forward to following this training.

 

[wbpdeer]

Elkie,

Scotty and I are coming to visit. I want my photo with you. Sort of think reading all of your many accomplishments is why i got Scotty.

Wayne

 

[wbpdeer]

I have been a great fan of Elkie and her deer tracking accomplishments. Now that I have been around Elkie for three days I am a bigger fan.

Elkie is well behaved and easy to deal with. The difference in her and Rowdy to me are mature vs puppy.

I got Scotty because the more I read about Elkie and Brad, I wanted to train my own shed dog.

I look forward to the first liter of pups Elkie has in that new indoor / outdoor dog kennel. Elkie is a great dog and I am glad I got to see her on a track. She works at a steady effective speed. I would bet on her on any reasonable deer track.

Wayne

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I've got a question for you Brush. Do you let your dogs go 100 mph through the woods tracking a deer? There is a local guy that has tracking dogs and he has a chest harness on with both dogs strapped together, not sure what kind of dogs they are but they are huge. He then puts them on the track and they take off sprinting through the woods. Typically from what I have heard and seen the dogs ended up running the handler into the ground before they find the deer. They will drag him through the woods until they get broke free from him and then they run free busting every deer out of the country of course without permission to be on neighboring farms. I saw facebook posts about him losing his dogs a few times this past season and usually where he explained they were was in or around one of my farms. Is this not as illegal as a person trespassing someones farm? I was just curious on your take on this as I have never seen anything like it in my life. I think this guy is giving trackers everywhere a bad name.

 

[Doctorbrady]

What you are describing is both stupid and illegal in your state. In Illinois, dogs must be maintained on a lead under the control of the tracker.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

That is exactly what I have been saying Docbrady. Frustrating as hell too. I have this guys picture 3 times last season running across my property and that is not counting the times I put two and two together from facecbook posts about where his dogs were on the run.

 

[Doctorbrady]

A call to the conservation officer along with some of the Facebook posts should put an end to things. Only a few states allow dogs to track off lead (not under direct control of the handler), and yours is not one of them. There will always be a few bad apples in any group, and they need to be called out. Sounds like the case here.
Not to mention, I have no idea what the advantage would be of having two dogs harnessed together????

 

[Brushpile]

Two dogs harnessed together wouldn't get 10 yards in our woods before they'd get hung up. In fact one dog on a leash is enough to keep untangled. Missouri is full of thorns and putting two dogs on a leash would also be dangerous for the dogs.

As for the guy being dragged by his dogs, that would really be dangerous around barbed wire, Osage Orange, Honey Locust, Gooseberry, Multi-flower Rose... Entering property without permission is both illegal and dangerous!

I like Elkie, who pulls hard, but can't force me into the briars/thorns, and when I want to restart I can pick up a Teckel/Wirehaired Dachshund and carry it so that the leash being tangled is not an issue, and I can make time through the woods.

 

[wbpdeer]

Brush,

Any progress on the dog kennel forming? Has your weather been more like winter or did the temps jump back up after the snow occurred?

Wayne

 

[Brushpile]

The weather has been windy, so I'm waiting for my wife to lend a hand this weekend, then the cement will be poured on Tuesday. Monday evening I'm picking up Heidi in Kansas City. The breeder wanted Heidi to be older to withstand the travel from Canada, and she was waiting for warm weather, so Heidi is 4 months old. The breeder told me that Heidi is beautiful.