Lurchers Hunting For Themselves

[3 Turns 326]

in the last few months ive encouraged my dogs to ''go find'' for themselves,I must admit unless their on a hot scent their fairly shit at it I was out this morn and had them running through the woods and big cover in the hope they might get a bit of action.Im stuck between a rock and a hard place as I dont want em going way out too far from me but still dont want em around my heels either,the 5 of them were in cover this morn when a big bloody fallow slipped out and i had to holler on the dogs ,which id like to add were hot on its heels but not hot enough,lol.anyway it ran well and dissapeared into a block of trees,

 

then the flat footed beast was hard at it around a bit of scrub and he flushed a woodcock(which frightened the life out of me).im just wondering if its possible to get them bushing reasonably ok.I think their getting better at it but not too sure

any of you guys got the dogs hunting about for themselves.loads i know but id like to hear of their successes.

heres a few photos from this morn

ALRIGHT PAL .

JST KEEP DOING WHAT YOUR DOING THE PENNY WILL DROP SOON ENOUGH .

AND AFTER THERE 1ST DEER THERE WILL BE NO STOPPING THEM.

YOU ARE AWARE YOUR TURNING YOUR DOGS INTO DEER DOGS .

ATB.

the last photo is a path i found in the woods used by the deer,there must be some ammount of traffic to make that well worn path.

[Maximus Ferret 2,063]

How much control do you lads have over your dogs during these hunts?

Mine will call off a scent, hot or cold, at any time during the hunt. They will also redirect with hand signals though I hardly ever help them out like that, preferring them to work it out themselves. Once game is sighted they won't stop 'til they catch or lose it.

And if it goes out of sight you need to rely on your ears.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Maximus Ferret

[3 Turns 326]

ALRIGHT MATE .

FORGOT TO ASK IS IT MOSTLY WOODLAND AREAS YOU HUNT BY DAY AND RURAL.?

[snizle06 202]

The biggest problem I have seen with foxing lurchers is if you let them of together and they catch a fox out of sight or a couple of fields away is a fight over the kill especially if the dogs are not kennelled together

[beast 1,884]

maximus, the voice of experience!

 

jigsaw, get them to recall to a whistle, if you are hunting forestry. you might want to get a tracking collar too, else they may pull a deer and you wont see them for hours, until they have eaten the bugger!!!

 

in more open areas i walk across the wind, and the dogs will hunt off along scent away upwind, so to the side of me. collie crosses make great hunters, but saluki crosses will too, many are just run off slip so dont get the opportunity to learn nose work, but yours will pick it up soon enough.

 

love working the dogs loose myself, not knowing what they may get hold of, like to get them out hunting on moonlit nights too.

[jeemes 4,453]

bullx bitches make very good hunting up dogs,so do beddy greyhound/whippet or collie crosses. If you are going to use a gun though a Colliex may let you down because they dont like them ime.

I like a dog that hunts up at night. It needs to be sensible and tough.

[jigsaw 11,863]

Nice dogs pal have you not got a terrier to help flush game

tbh i dont do a whole lot of this stuff,it only happens when out exercising or if im alone looking for a big rabbit,too much ground to cover i let the mutts do their own thing,

[jigsaw 11,863]

Are you looking for one that Bush's well and wont go to ground give me a pm and don't worry im not a peddler il gift him to the right fella

peter thanks for the very kind offer but he'd be wasted with me,i dont do enough of it to justify having one.

[jigsaw 11,863]

 

in the last few months ive encouraged my dogs to ''go find'' for themselves,I must admit unless their on a hot scent their fairly shit at it I was out this morn and had them running through the woods and big cover in the hope they might get a bit of action.Im stuck between a rock and a hard place as I dont want em going way out too far from me but still dont want em around my heels either,the 5 of them were in cover this morn when a big bloody fallow slipped out and i had to holler on the dogs ,which id like to add were hot on its heels but not hot enough,lol.anyway it ran well and dissapeared into a block of trees,

 

then the flat footed beast was hard at it around a bit of scrub and he flushed a woodcock(which frightened the life out of me).im just wondering if its possible to get them bushing reasonably ok.I think their getting better at it but not too sure

any of you guys got the dogs hunting about for themselves.loads i know but id like to hear of their successes.

heres a few photos from this morn

ALRIGHT PAL .

JST KEEP DOING WHAT YOUR DOING THE PENNY WILL DROP SOON ENOUGH .

AND AFTER THERE 1ST DEER THERE WILL BE NO STOPPING THEM.

YOU ARE AWARE YOUR TURNING YOUR DOGS INTO DEER DOGS .

ATB.

the last photo is a path i found in the woods used by the deer,there must be some ammount of traffic to make that well worn path.

 

theyve had their 1st lately 3turns,the young black and white shot into a block of trees and 4 fallow ran out........only 3 saw the next morn,lol

[jigsaw 11,863]

ALRIGHT MATE .

FORGOT TO ASK IS IT MOSTLY WOODLAND AREAS YOU HUNT BY DAY AND RURAL.?

this is just a place that is very handy for me to exercise the dogs,i dont usually go out for a loose hunt,but ive enjoyed it thoroughly when out there.the 1st flush of success has really given me the bug,lol.i used to do a whole lot of it years ago when rabbiting and bushing with the terriers but that was 2 decades ago.its mostly rushy fields and woodland scrub i walk .

[jigsaw 11,863]

maximus, the voice of experience!

 

jigsaw, get them to recall to a whistle, if you are hunting forestry. you might want to get a tracking collar too, else they may pull a deer and you wont see them for hours, until they have eaten the bugger!!!

 

in more open areas i walk across the wind, and the dogs will hunt off along scent away upwind, so to the side of me. collie crosses make great hunters, but saluki crosses will too, many are just run off slip so dont get the opportunity to learn nose work, but yours will pick it up soon enough.

 

love working the dogs loose myself, not knowing what they may get hold of, like to get them out hunting on moonlit nights too.

beast they wouldnt go that far away from me tbh,and their recall is excellent,i use the kelpie x also and shes very determined at times but its on and off at the minute,shes never gone too far.the saluki x's are very obedient,the one dog i find with an excelleent nose at times is a dog from lucas,hes flushed a few big rabbits from large expanses of trees and scrub.its a good craic and a handy way of letting the dogs have a bit of fun too,

[jigsaw 11,863]

as far as you can see i walked every inch of this up and down and never saw a dam thing,i let the dogs loose on this spot just in the hope of some bit of craic.usually i see a few big rabbits here but their gone scarce as hell.

dogs doing their own thing,

[will.f11 24]

Get a good spaniel mate I don't let mine hunt covers unless out ferreting they can use their nose abit then but spoils lamp dogs if they start smelling too much if you ask me

[chris87 297]

I used to live right on a forestry had some of the best sport scaling up and down the sides of mountains and through forestry with the dogs working up , they didnt catch a whole pile but had constant hunts and was such exciting stuff hearing the terrier yapping away up in the distance knowing the others werent far behind . Great crack

[jcm 2,327]

A lurcher using his nose and finding game is a must for me my dogs are used for lamping as well and does not hunt up on the lamp at all