Alabama Blood Tracking Training Seminar March 12

Everyone is welcome even if you dont have a dog. Come network with trackers in your area. I tried to get Mike to be the keynote speaker, but he's gonna be gone by then.

Several door prizes will be given away as well.

Gift cards to gundogsupply.com
permatack has donated a very nice gift
Cree head lamps
A copy of Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer by John Jennehey


not to mention the crawfish lunch.

Other than the lunch; is there a charge?

No charge at all.

I'd really like to attend this. I've never trained a dog to track. What length leads? Is there a certain length or type I should use? When you say "harness" What type are you referring to?

Thanks!

It's really a preference. Most testing is done with a 10m lead. Some people use harnesses some people use GPS collars. It's just a preference.

Usually the best trackers start out on lead for 3 or 4 seasons. You have control over what the dog is doing especially when it's a pup. There will always be situations where the dog needs to be on lead (roads, property lines and such). Some states don't allow off lead tracking. Always better if the dog can track on lead. It can always be turned loose if needed to bay, cross big water or whatever.

wow. this is a great offering ...

OK. Thanks.

Next question.

I have two dogs to choose from to start with. Both are labs. One is my duck dog that I trained. 4yrs old. Not a world class dog by any means but is extremely obedient and understands the training process.

The other choice is my sisters dog that is a puppy and has no training.

So, experience(but not with blood tracking) or blank slate?

Blank slate would be my vote.

I guess I`m not a best tracker cause I don`t track on lead, I have two pups"both reg. Plotts" now 24 and 19 months neither has had any training on lead. This past season both pups worked with an old dog off lead...My old dogs 7 & 8 year olds never been train on lead both or good trackers....Randy "trackncur" knows thats.

Having your dog on lead lets you see if you dog is on the right track...if there is blood for you to see...if there is no blood the tracker has no clue if dog is on right track. Using the Alpha 100 is a great tool to follow your dog`s track if you don`t see blood within 400 yards and you don`t think your dog is on the track go back and start over....that is training. Your dog has to learn to track a wounded deer scent where there is not blood. It really helps if you have a older dog to train a young pup. The two old dogs I have trained with a older dog.

Tracking a dog on lead holds your dog back...he can not go where he needs to go when you got him on lead. Having your dog on lead for 2 or 3 years you will have cuts all over as tho you have been in a knife fight. If you train your dog with the Alpha 100 you have total control of your dog. Yes I keep a close eye on roads if we get within 75 yds of the road I put a lead on If the deer cross the road I will lead the dog across one we are 75 away from the road I take the lead off. Having control of you dog is what tracking is all about...you can`t allow your dog to get 1500 yds away from you running a deer....they will get hurt by the deer or get hit by a car...Mike can tell you that....you got to have control of your dog. CNC got him a Alpha and you can ask him about control...I understand trackncur has got him a Alpha. If you love your dog and you need to protect it.

I`m glad to see Dano is trying to bring trackers together...the key is networking...you can cover tracks for hunters without running all over the state of Alabama 24/7..and yes I don`t track at night...if you have a tracker close by network...the hunter does not have to wait till 12 mid night for a tracker to get to him....CNC network in our home area...we don`t hold tracks and then don`t show up.

This past season was my 10th year to track..7th year in Alabama. I live in Smiths Station. this past season I went on 142 tracks and networked refer`n another 30 tracks to other trackers...would of referred more tracks but could not find a tracker to take them. This Jan. and 10 days in Feb. I went on 40 tracks in Alabama.... and boy was I glad season is over...now its coyote hunting.

I don`t claim to be an expert but I do have good dogs and if I can help anyone you can find me. Oh one last thing if you are thinking about getting a dog to train...you will need to get yourself a freezer (Home Depot) 169.00 save deer liver, hides and feet. In a few days I will start laying blood trails for my two pups (Off lead) this will continue for a couple of years in off season. It takes a dogs 4 years to get good.

i am looking forward to this with my black mouth cur ...

I think this is gonna be fun. Most people including mike who I've talked to many times abut tracking agree that a lead is the best for at least 3 seasons. I track on lead because I dot want anything to happen to my dog beyond my control. There have been like 4 track dogs do this year alkne due to cars.

That being said this is gonna be fun and not a bitch session about locations or fees. It's to help new guys out and train our dogs.

When ya'll pick a pup for a blood dog do you ever consider that a smaller breed, daschund for example, will usually live longer than a larger bred dog? I had a friend that use to train labs for blood dogs say that he would never try to train a hound as a blood dog, he would always prefer a bird dog (retriever) of some kind. I would think a Boykin Spaniel would be just right.

I always preferred a 35 to 50 pound dog. Swamps and snake bites aren't as much problem and those size dogs tend to be healthy, agile and long lived. Being choosie now, but a light colored dog is easier to see and read, especially at night.

I would like to get my Boykin into it, but he's 8 now. Probably too late

A.J., I did say "usually". I do know when my dog is on the right track, even when there is no blood, because I can "read" her when she's on lead. I wouldn't follow her a half-mile or more with no blood, as I often do, if I couldn't read her and trust her. A tracking lead in no way holds a dog back, except maybe swimming a pond, and in that case I just send someone to the other side to catch her when she comes out on the deer's trail. I do have permanent scars on my forearms from tracking on lead. One of my best dogs, Ol' Bob, never tracked a step off lead. This was before tracking collars. Sometimes under the right circumstances I allow my dog to track off lead for a mile or more. You have to if your going to bay up a neck shot, broken leg, etc. Your right about getting to a call quickly, it saves a lot of meat and the only tracks you need to wait a few hours on are gut shots and liver shots. You didn't say how many of the calls taken were put on the tailgate. Just saying it is nice to have a dog that can do both.

There’s definitely some differences in opinions out there concerning this topic. I’ve listened to both ways of thinking and ended up doing a combination of both. I see the points being made by both sides of the argument. I did the vast majority of Otis’s training in the first year on lead and then switched to an off lead method this tracking season. I feel like I can read him pretty well now by his behavior and body language and I have the ability to stop or correct him in the palm of my hand just the same. He still has a long way to go though and we’ll likely go back to doing some on lead training over the summer. I’d recommend to give both ways a try and then decide over time for yourself which way works better for you. Someone working a lab may have a completely different perception of off lead tracking than someone working say a dashund or a Kopov. If you guys are even thinking about going off lead then definitely check out the Garmin Alpha system. Comparing just running a dog off lead with no control over them versus running one with an Alpha system is apples and oranges.

so much to learn ...