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I had a puppy buyer that had to back out at the very last minute. This has really messed me up. I can not go on vacation nor go out west to fight fires until I get him sold. He is a really wonderful pup, 9 1/2 weeks old and 16 pounds. He is current on all shots and just about house broke all ready. I have been working with him on liver drags getting ready to converte him over to blood trails as soon as he is ready. I am going to continue to work him until I sale him. I hope it is soon as things are starting to pick up in the fire world and it will not be long before they are calling for resources from around the country. If anyone knows someone who might be interested they can get ahold of me through my web site www.hillockkennels.com

Tags: Bavarian Mountain Hound Blood Tracking Puppy

In my photo album you will see the pictures of the new litter. Well they are old enough to go to their new homes this past weekend. More pictures can be found on my web site. www.hillockkennels.com , look for the link to the "B" litter under pictures. By the 2010 hunting season these pups should be out blood tracking wounded animals for hunters in their area.

So far I have 3 down and 2 to go. 3 of the buyers came to pick pups Sat. the other 2 will fly out Tuesday morning.

Gary Huber of Hamburg N.Y had first pick and Choose pup #2 (pink)

Keith Dalton of Katy Tx was not able to come but gave me his choice ahead of time and took pup #4 (chunk to us)

Chris Hodyna of Sparta, MI had a hard time choosing but finally settled in on pup #3 (green)

Charlie Grindrod of Geneva, Fl took pup #1 (flower) after a long deliberation between her and the pup 5 (the boy)

That left Jason Leinneweber of Falfurrias, TX with pup 5. * UPDATE on pup 5 This pup is still available as Jason had to back out at the last minute.

In one way I will be sad to see them go since they were such a pleasure to raise but then on the other hand I have freedom to go and do with out worrying about getting home in time to feed and exercise pups.

Plus it is fire season and Florida is buring up so they are planning on sending us down there to help fight the fires, since the pups are gone I can go which means OVER TIME .

Tags: Pups Blood Tracking Dog

Today I introduced our litter of Bavarian Mountain Hounds to blood. They got some dry food soaked in deer blood then tossed in the yard for them to find.This just starts them using their nose to find the food. I also had some deer liver that I tied to a string and started dragging around the yard. The pups thought that was the greates thing. They all got into the search. I will start then on small liver drags in a day or two. Watch my gallery for updated pictures or stop by my web site to see and learn more about tracking dogs. www.hillockkennels.com

Tags: Tracking Dog Blood

These are things that I have run into over the last few years. This is not an all inclusive list of mistakes as I am sure I will continue to see new things the more I track for other hunters.

Mistake No. 1: Walking down the middle of the blood trail.

Then when hunters get to where the blood runs out, they start walking all over the place. This transfers blood from their boots to places the deer did not go. When the dog gets there to track and gets to this point on the trail they have to
spend a lot of time unraveling this false blood trail that is now laid out. Be careful and walk to the side of the trail where possibly, avoiding any contact with the blood.

Mistake No 2: Not visually or physically marking where the deer was standing when they shot.

This point can be very important to a tracker in that a lot of information can be gained by looking at the color of hair at
the hit site along with any bone that might be there.

Mistake No. 3: Hunters who do not know who their neighbors nor how to contact them in case the deer travels across property lines.

In Georgia as in many other states it is illegal to cross property lines without permission even to track a wounded deer. A solution is to go ahead
and make arrangements with your neighbors ahead of time just in case. This
will help when late at night you come to a property line and you are trying to find out who owns the property. You will be very disappointed when the tracker and his dog call it quits, so get permission ahead of time.

Mistake No. 4: Not being prepared for an after-dark tracking job.

A pen light works fine for walking into the woods, but when you need to see the most minute sign you need a very bright light. Bring several good lights just in case your batteries die or a bulb blows.

Mistake No. 5: Not marking the blood trail.

Marking the blood trail helps the tracker to see that their dog is following the right blood trail to the point of loss. If the blood trail is very light the handler may not see any blood as they will be watching their dogs reaction. By marking the last spot of blood the handler will know that at that point there might be a lot of false trails; see Mistake No. 1.

Mistake No. 6: Pushing the deer.

If the deer travels out of site after the shot, give it 30 to 45 minutes before you come down to look at the hit site. As soon as you start tracking and see that the animal may travel a great distance, or blood color reveals a poor shot,back
out and give it at least four hours if the temperature will allow and you are not worried about coyotes. If there is signs of a gut shot wait six to eight hours before tracking again. Most mortally wounded deer will try to lay down within 200 to 300
yards, but if they’re pushed out of the bed they can travel great distance before expiring.


A few misconceptions about tracking dogs

"It has been raining so a dog will not be useful." Actually a light rain helps to hold the scent. Some dogs are even able to track after heavy rains.

It is always better to call as soon as possible but if you can not get a tracking dog until it 12 hrs or more then donot worry. A lot of people think that a dog is only good if the track is under a few hours old. Actually a well trained dog will be able to follow a scent trail 20 even 40 hrs old, even if other deer or wildlife have traveled the same trail. The meat may not be any good if the weather is hot or the yotes might have gotten to it, but if you want to recover your trophy do not be afraid to call in a quality tracking dog.

Another misconception is that "a tracking dog will always find your animal". A tracking dog greatly increases your chances of finding a wounded animal but it is by no means a guarantee. Dogs have bad days just like people do. Also many deer survive what hunters think to be a kill shot.

Tags: Blood Tracking Dog Blood Trail