Woodland Lurchers

[Lloyd90 509]

What kind of lurcher would hold its own working through woodland type ground, up and down fairly steapish hillsides , the ground is a few places is quite boggy. Went up this morning and put up 4 fallow does to the rifle, If I had clipped one the dog would need to be able to follow up and possibly pull the animal (perfectly legal to follow up a wounded animal) and also need to be able to go out ferreting / mooching and lamping on sand dunes and also fairly open pasture fields.

 

Is there a cross that could do all that ? Or am I expecting too much ?

 

I have been interested in a beddy x grey , or a collie x grey or combinations of those types.

 

Would be first time lurcher owner but have trained lab and springer for hunting

[forest of dean redneck 11,548]

Gundog x ,lab or German pointer

Collie x

Alsation x.

Woods at back of my, old house had rocks ,with swampy bits

My old alsation x and my elkhound had no problem traversing them,never went lame.

[dogmad riley 1,343]

What kind of lurcher would hold its own working through woodland type ground, up and down fairly steapish hillsides , the ground is a few places is quite boggy. Went up this morning and put up 4 fallow does to the rifle, If I had clipped one the dog would need to be able to follow up and possibly pull the animal (perfectly legal to follow up a wounded animal) and also need to be able to go out ferreting / mooching and lamping on sand dunes and also fairly open pasture fields.

 

Is there a cross that could do all that ? Or am I expecting too much ?

 

I have been interested in a beddy x grey , or a collie x grey or combinations of those types.

 

Would be first time lurcher owner but have trained lab and springer for hunting

I think you are expecting a lot there but I suppose it could be done. If I was wanting a dog to do all I think my choice would be a collie greyhound, just because they are easily trained and willing to please.

 

That's just my thoughts and believe me I am no expert but trying to learn

[Lloyd90 509]

Riley, I would want the dog mostly for rabbiting, but with the ability to follow up and maybe pull a wounded fallow. The forest I hunt on is thick with steap banks in some parts so if the deer runs on and isn't followed up then could be lost. However, the likelyhood of this would be very low so it's not a high priority.

 

Rabbiting on the lamp would probally be the main job , mostly in small / medium fields that hold sheep but also a few big pasture fields I have access to, day time mooching ability over sand dunes and hills would be an advantage as parts of one permission I have is just this type of land

[DEKAW 85]

What kind of lurcher would hold its own working through woodland type ground, up and down fairly steapish hillsides , the ground is a few places is quite boggy. Went up this morning and put up 4 fallow does to the rifle, If I had clipped one the dog would need to be able to follow up and possibly pull the animal (perfectly legal to follow up a wounded animal) and also need to be able to go out ferreting / mooching and lamping on sand dunes and also fairly open pasture fields.

 

Is there a cross that could do all that ? Or am I expecting too much ?

 

I have been interested in a beddy x grey , or a collie x grey or combinations of those types.

 

Would be first time lurcher owner but have trained lab and springer for hunting

Wouldnt run a Lurcher in woodland. Lost a cracking dog around 12 months ago chasing a fox in woodland. Clipped a tree and snapped his neck. Just my opinion.

DEKA

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

I always run mine in forestry and woodland. Lost my best bitch just last night, nothing to do with the trees though.

 

Dont listen to anyone who says dont do it. Just bring the dogs up running that sort of land and you will be fine. Ive ran collie types, pointer blooded collie lurcher, bull cross, and deerhound cross all with perfect results.

The deerhounds up here all run native woodland as well as open hill, and comercial forestry with no more than the usual issues that you face anywhere.

 

Your dog could die on the easiest and flattest of fields, thats the nature of the game. But Id hate to take a dog that aint used to it, up these hills and forests, folk come up regular and have a go with me, some dogs are ok, some dont do so well, though their owners assure me they are machines back on home turf.

 

There is one point that I will say that a woodland or cover working lurcher deffinately needs, and thats a great nose. As quarry will be unsighted more than sighted. They need to run cunning, have great feet, stamina and follow their nose at full tilt.

 

My best bitch was 24''. She could go anywhere her game did, and faster.

 

Good luck, and good hunting

 

DnN

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Sensible words fellah...

Edited February 3, 2014 by Phil Lloyd

[forest of dean redneck 11,548]

 

What kind of lurcher would hold its own working through woodland type ground, up and down fairly steapish hillsides , the ground is a few places is quite boggy. Went up this morning and put up 4 fallow does to the rifle, If I had clipped one the dog would need to be able to follow up and possibly pull the animal (perfectly legal to follow up a wounded animal) and also need to be able to go out ferreting / mooching and lamping on sand dunes and also fairly open pasture fields.

 

Is there a cross that could do all that ? Or am I expecting too much ?

 

I have been interested in a beddy x grey , or a collie x grey or combinations of those types.

 

Would be first time lurcher owner but have trained lab and springer for hunting

I think you are expecting a lot there but I suppose it could be done. If I was wanting a dog to do all I think my choice would be a collie greyhound, just because they are easily trained and willing to please.

That's just my thoughts and believe me I am no expert but trying to learn

How many times on here at least someone has lost a dog hitting farm machinery or scrap that's covered in overgrown vegetation.

[paulus 26]

mine work woodland, will quarter like spaniels to the shotgun, you have a accidents the same as in open fields

[Lloyd90 509]

I always run mine in forestry and woodland. Lost my best bitch just last night, nothing to do with the trees though.

 

Dont listen to anyone who says dont do it. Just bring the dogs up running that sort of land and you will be fine. Ive ran collie types, pointer blooded collie lurcher, bull cross, and deerhound cross all with perfect results.

 

The deerhounds up here all run native woodland as well as open hill, and comercial forestry with no more than the usual issues that you face anywhere.

 

Your dog could die on the easiest and flattest of fields, thats the nature of the game. But Id hate to take a dog that aint used to it, up these hills and forests, folk come up regular and have a go with me, some dogs are ok, some dont do so well, though their owners assure me they are machines back on home turf.

 

There is one point that I will say that a woodland or cover working lurcher deffinately needs, and thats a great nose. As quarry will be unsighted more than sighted. They need to run cunning, have great feet, stamina and follow their nose at full tilt.

 

My best bitch was 24''. She could go anywhere her game did, and faster.

 

Good luck, and good hunting

 

DnN

 

I'm sorry to hear about your bitch pal, bet thats a right kicker. A dog around 24-25" sounds a good size to me, what crosses did you find that do the best up on that land ?

I have heard a 1/2 x collie grey can be a bit picky and a 3/4 bred grey would be better, would this then make the dog not as tough and able to run that ground ?

[Ideation 8,216]

Why do folk think there is a certain mythical percentage or x that will do a job or quarry???

 

I regularly hunt and flush big woodland with dogs. I've seen a variety do it with skill, collie x's, bull x's, beddy x's, lots of various types of lurcher x lurcher bred dogs, even a whippet.

 

It's more about the drive and brains of the dog, and how you bring it up and on. Obviously the job you have in mind in the woods, requires a dog of a certain weight and size, but I'd always go for a sturdy, shorter dog than a racier taller one. If that makes sense. Durability over speed!

 

And nose is absolute key.

[Qbgrey 4,088]

daytime woodland does make your heart stop a beat,but nightime for me is a no no.my bullxwhip hunts a night by scent or sound,on clipped quarry,he knows the game inside out,i thiunk most lurchers will do it given the chance.mine does alot,ferreting,lamping,shooting,roost shootings,tracking,.

[RussBoy 77]

Sensible words fellah...

 

 

whats in them dogs phil cattledog x?

[morton 5,368]

Dogs that can run hard and honest in woodland are in the minority,im not talking about the thick fecks that cannot distinguish between twig and trunk,but the ones that can bounce,twist and turn at speed and still keep in contact,season after season.The dog needs a certain amount of bulk and power to take the knocks that smaller frailer types cannot.Few dogs make honest branch snappers.

[beast 1,884]

What kind of lurcher would hold its own working through woodland type ground, up and down fairly steapish hillsides , the ground is a few places is quite boggy. Went up this morning and put up 4 fallow does to the rifle, If I had clipped one the dog would need to be able to follow up and possibly pull the animal (perfectly legal to follow up a wounded animal) and also need to be able to go out ferreting / mooching and lamping on sand dunes and also fairly open pasture fields.

 

Is there a cross that could do all that ? Or am I expecting too much ?

 

I have been interested in a beddy x grey , or a collie x grey or combinations of those types.

 

Would be first time lurcher owner but have trained lab and springer for hunting

 

 

you're not expecting too much, personally i expect that sort of versatility in my dogs plus more besides (retrieving shot birds, out of water , ratting,etc). i would agree with other posters though that you need to bring the dog up running about in the woods from puppyhood so dodging and diving throgh branches becomes second nature to it.

i do a lot of hunting in wooded areas and i prefer a medium sized animal for this, i find them a bit more nimble, although thats not to say that bigger dogs cant run woodland. for me collie crosses are pretty indestructible and take the occasional knock better than many other types ( i've had two laid up for the past couple of weeks which are just getting back into a bit of light work, the injuries they had would have killed or crippled many other dogs) but again, everybody will tell you different!