dogs and deer.... big deer

[HALTY LAD 92]

Hello chaps,

 

Me again, been abroad... hunting, flat-out, pigs/boar, deer, lion, and various small vermin. Its been great travelling the America's. I've seen good dogs, some great dogs- I'd be brave enough to say.

I do however always miss my hunting back home, and in Europe, and I dearly miss my dogs as they would be in their element on these rough and ready hunting trips for big stuff.

Ive only been back a few days, and just logged on to this site, usually a decent read to be found, (deffinately a decent laugh to be had).

I seen that book in the side column.. ''of dogs and deer'' by Darcy. Has anyone read it? I was a big deer hunter back in the 's and at other times, mainly red deer, roe, with fallow and sika too. I never bothered with the wee oriental deer at all. As I was hunting for income.

 

Is the book going to apeal to me? I hope, and always wished some old poacher would produce a good read about deer dogs, but it never came, until now, most odly, several years after the ban.

 

It says goats, and other unusual quarry. Goats are the easiest meat available of all wild quarry, couldnt sell the stuff for love nor money though, so trial and error taught me to break the dogs to these anoying smelly lumps, as they interfere a lot when deer hunting as the dogs wind them from way way off and take off after them. One time I found the dogs after an hour of searching and the pair of dogs had killed 7. Now I dont like waste, not one bit, but there was no way all of them were heading home. I hauled 3 to a track over a mile away, and just couldnt phisically carry on for the rest of em. Simply for dog food. I just couldnt tempt anyone, and fair play, their stench will make you a lonely chap (in reciept of many an odd stare, and whisper) when downing a swift pint on the way home in a country pub!

All the deer men I know hate the damn things.

We regard the large deer as the most economical to take regularly, red, fallow, sika. Reds need careful dog handling, slap dash slipping or hunting loose can be a waste of time and damaged dogs. Certain places at certain times will yield well, and these skills (i fear) are only present still with some old stalkers, dont know any dog men thesedays. Big deer, in my honest opinion require big dogs, though I know some will argue this. Red deer, in my honest opinion need 2 big dogs, and I found best results using dog and bitch combination, a dog of heavier build, and a lighter tall bitch that should be a fast one. The dog should be do-or-die merchant, that has brains enough to run on the roughest hill, and pace the course sensibly, even hunt by nose through a forest if necessary. My best bitch was a tall one that got hold of a hock until it could switch to neck, the dog would hold neck only but grab the front shoulder if the deer was moving fast. Once he was on the neck, that deerwould be in trouble. I found fallow to be very good hunting, just get in range of a close slip, then even in woodland, the run would rarely last more than a few hundred meters. Even a bitch I had related to my other dog, that only made 23'' or 24'' could take fallow without too much bother. The sika, were shy where I hunted them, unlike some populations in the south and Ireland. They lived in conifer, and a dog had to hunt the blocks of trees alone, using nose to find, and close in on them. They were only on the open hill at night, so this was the method I used, and due to the nature of managed forest areas, hunting sika resulted in more injured dogs for me than hunting reds on the high hill ground. I have lost good dogs taking deer.

When I was in Argentina back in the late 90's, I saw a pair of dogs slipped on a red deer that I would not have seen the likes of where I hunted, never mind slipped my dogs on. The heaviest beast my dogs dropped was shy of 15 stone, and that was a mix of luck, madness and determined dogs. This deer was in the high 20's stone, and as the dogs fast aproached it never even flinched, one of these dogs weighed 110lbs and the other just kicking the arse of 100 lbs. these dogs hit the deer side on, and it thrashed, not trying to run, only when it was spooked by the aproaching men did it try to take flight. To cut a rodeo story short, 1 dog died as it had to be put to sleep, with a badly broken leg, as the deer fell onto the dog hard, after tripping over it. The deer was killed, and the other dog was fine, both had neck holds on the deer. These dog, I had hunted with all week, and taken several boar. Before I arived, the dogs had taken a puma, and showed the recently healed and stitched up wounds from the encounter, but by the accounts that were told, three hounds and two greyhound blooded strong lurchers handled the puma well.

 

Im ranting again. Back to topic, should I buy the book, or is it more of a hobby hunters diary, rather than a proper hunters exploits? Opinions welcome.

 

Good hunting mateys, take care, and look after each other.

 

I'm away again, but staying in Europe, so I will be online once a week or so if I survive! I've got a bad feeling about driven game, its all the rifle bullets flying around that freak me out somewhat. But we are going to see some dog work as well as marksmanship, even my old dogs will get to strech out I hope.

 

Cheerio

[j1985 1,983]

Think you should write a book mate, I enjoyed that!!!

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Good read Mr Halt. I too would love to read more of your adventures!

 

J1985 Have you been on the B ,Boardogs forum lately? I tried to get on a while back and it didnt let me on? Any ideas whats happenin there mate?

[j1985 1,983]

Same here ????? Not sure what's going on with that mate.

[alan626 305]

good read give us more of ur storys

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

• Shame that could have been a nice site.
  
• Your dog looks in tip-top shape mate
  

[j1985 1,983]

Cheers, I agree it could have been.

 

Also I can't bloody wait for my book!!!

[mackem 25,885]

Fu*king hell Its whin with a thesaurus and an inbuilt spellcheck Awesome read,wouldnt mind hearing about the lions?

[jack68 628]

yep good read was that would like to see picks of the hounds that run the lions <pumas>..jack

[long dogs 580]

good read mate ever thaught of doing your own book,what did you use for the lions?, have you any pictures

[whin 463]

good [bANNED TEXT] upbut ihinestly think a man thats been at the game for cion wouldnt [bANNED TEXT] on some face book hunting life nonsense about there deepest thoughts as them that no the score should keep it as plane and simple as it comes

[GOSSYOVSLAND 15]

good read mate sounds like your living the dream traveling,sampling different hunting some folk have all the fun lol ill be putting my order in for the book today if theres any left.

[whin 463]

the time you waste reading abook you would had been at the game or putting petrol in car and carrying the booty home ,these books while there entertaining , get out and do it instead of pissing about on another mans dream , there nothing wrong with books , but i realy think if you are or have done alot the old book game can be tedouis ihope the book sells well ,but its no big deal hunting for meat etc profit ,its the getting home safely bit that gets difficult

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

the time you waste reading abook you would had been at the game or putting petrol in car and carrying the booty home ,these books while there entertaining , get out and do it instead of pissing about on another mans dream , there nothing wrong with books , but i realy think if you are or have done alot the old book game can be tedouis ihope the book sells well ,but its no big deal hunting for meat etc profit ,its the getting home safely bit that gets difficult

Whin, you sound even more crabbit than normal, who's pissed in your porridge? Werent you talking about putting together a book last year? And what happened about that ultimate fieldtrial for lurchers? Books are books, reading material thats all, and if your into dogs, then why not read about dogs? I've read a few darcy books and found them a decent read, nice pictures. I personally dont think there are enough fieldsports authors, considering that guys like YOU (whin), Halty, and thousands of others, have spent ther lifetimes in the game. . DnN

[mackem 25,885]

Whoa,hold on a sec,the guy never mentioned churning out a novel,he just asked an opinion of JD's latest works,and shared a few experiences of dog-work abroad,whin,havent you ever curled up on the sofa and watched a movie or read a book?Its entertainment mate,pure and simple,anyone who has been around a bit has experiences of whatever,everyones got a book in them,I bet you have a cracking read whin,but this isnt about books,nor their film rights the guy shared experiences,I wouldnt mind hearing a few more to be honest.