Caught a Turkey - Mid Air

Don't know whether to be concerned and just let it slide, or try to break her of it but - on the way back into the hunting camp last Friday; Misty was trailing close behind the ATV's when she veered off the trail sharply. I stopped the bike and called her when I hear "GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE", but more of a panicy sounding "gobble".

I got off the bike fast enough to see the turkey running from Misty and it jumped into the air in an attempt to fly away when Misty jumped in the air after it, caught it by the neck and tried to finish it. The bird did manage to get free with a spur to Misty's face (just a scratch, after some clean up at the camp she'll recover well).

I thought it was a fluke but we caught her again, twice more this weekend back at the same spot looking for turkey, and once more running after a bird in another location, and even giving chase for 5 minutes after it had taken flight.

Obviously, I don't want my deer hound running turkey. Any thoughts or suggestions around this? Should I be concerned? Our dog man who was there for the work weekend said that once she's on a deer she won't give a care in the world about turkey and said not to be concerned but I figured I'd present it to the collective here anyways :)

I agree that once on a deer, she will have no interest, but on slow days when not a lot of deer movement, she might start wasting time on turkey and other animals if she gets bored. That's what my beagles do.

Maybe a few training days in that area with a lead on her so you can correct her when she wants to follow them

"once she's on a deer she won't give a care in the world about turkey and said not to be concerned" True

I think that hound always wanted to be a bird dog. :)

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Originally Posted by Utah

I agree that once on a deer, she will have no interest, but on slow days when not a lot of deer movement, she might start wasting time on turkey and other animals if she gets bored. That's what my beagles do.

Maybe a few training days in that area with a lead on her so you can correct her when she wants to follow them

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I find this funny, we had one guy who said you could not let your dog run a rabbit because once they did then they would never run a deer again.

My beagle used to hunt grouse, he would run into the brush and flush them out, but he was scared of the gun so after I shot he would hang out 10 yards behind me for a half hour.

Seeing that this is only Misty's second year coming up we'll see if she goes back to deer or not. I'm sure she will, there have been a few instances a month or so ago when she'd take off on a track and start tongue'ing. Not to mention, she was all over rabbit last summer before she'd even seen a deer - then deer season rolled around (her first season) and she ran all week with the dog-man and the other dogs.

I think she's just having some "summer fun".

Sorry, by no interest, I mean no interest in the turkey. My dogs do chase other things when not on a deer but you can always hear the change in their tone when they cut a deer track. Nothing else like that sound!

question: If one's dog kills a turkey/rabbit /grouse out of season do you keep the dead animal for dinner or leave it on the ground. I would take it home but I guess would be in trouble if a C.O. stopped me??

I believe you could be in trouble with a CO regardless. In any case, I wouldn't take the bird home.

Seems like a waste to leave it.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

Seems like a waste to leave it.

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really only way to "prove" it was an accident and not intentional harvesting of game out of season.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

question: If one's dog kills a turkey/rabbit /grouse out of season do you keep the dead animal for dinner or leave it on the ground. I would take it home but I guess would be in trouble if a C.O. stopped me??

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I'd most likely keep it and eat it up, out of season or not - if she accidently (I mean, a real accident) killed a turkey I'd hate to see it go to waste.

That being said - I was told by our local CO not to let her run free on the off season because she is a deer hound, he said - he personally understands she's a dog and needs her exercise, and it's private property but other CO's could be s and say she is hunting out of season.

Go figure.