BGBTO Presents: An Introductory Seminar / Workshop

[jweese]

Big Game Blood Trackers Ontario (BGBTO) Presents:

An Introductory Seminar and Field Workshop about Using Trained Tracking Dogs to Find Wounded Big Game.

When: Saturday, July 18th to Sunday, July 19th 2015

Where: Peterborough (Saturday), Bethany (Sunday)
Cost: Pre-registration only -- by July 3rd -- $40.00 (or $25.00 for one day)


For more information, the official flyer and registration form / waiver, please visit us at http://biggamesearchon.com/

[C.A. in TO]

Going to have to check schedules but this sounds like a great weekend.

[Bigshrimp]

Agree...try to see if I can make at least one of the days....see a lot of big names in the blood tracking world on the presenters list

[Grasu200]

My cousin back in Europe is into blood tracking - here is a clip of his latest addition to the pack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP7cyob_d08

[maplevizsla]

Cool vid. What a 'clever' puppy. Nagyon szep kis kutya. Fog meg!

[MikePal]

I have to ask....with the regulations saying your tracking dogs must be leashed.....what kind of "training" is being taught ?

I've been using dogs ( RedBone's/ Beagles) to track wounded game for years. The dogs natural instinct is to track and never thought that I needed to train them, especially if they are leashed and there is no requirement to call them off the kill etc.

What to these course teach ?

[C.A. in TO]

Leashed blood tracking is a team activity -- handler and dog. So much of the training is of the handler. If your dog is a "natural" much of the training is slowing them down, also learning to appreciate the true trail and not to be distracted by the more recent scents that cross the true tracking line. Learning to understand what you are seeing, be it the brush damage or the colour of the blood or where it lies so that you can better predict what lies in front of you. You learn to read your dog and your dog learns to work. It isn't about enjoying everything in his path but holding to task because there's nothing better than exercising his nose and pleasing his master. My youngest loves to follow a trail. He's disappointed when he finds the game because that means it's over.
And just to comment on something you said -- if you and your dog are assisting another hunter, then you DO have to call them off the kill.

[marysburg]

Thanks for posting this, I am signed up. Great opportunity. Anybody else?

[MikePal]

And just to comment on something you said -- if you and your dog are assisting another hunter, then you DO have to call them off the kill.

If I'm on one end of the lead...and he's 6' away on a leash....a simple heal will do to stop him.

Thanks for posting this, I am signed up. Great opportunity. Anybody else?

You'll have to give us an after action report, I'm still curious as to what they will be teaching you about handling the dog.

I love watching a good dog on a hot trail is a fabulous experience.

[Bigshrimp]

I love watching a good dog on a hot trail is a fabulous experience.

I think that's it right there Mike. These dogs are expected to stay on the same old, cold, difficult line for as long as it takes...passing over fresh, hot tracks in order to recover the wounded animal. Not to run the hottest track they can find once they run into difficulty with the old line. A different story to bring a dog to a track left by a bow shot deer a day or two later after a rainfall, than taking a hound to a track 20 minutes after it was shot with a 30-06.

Also, the 2nd day of the agenda shows a lot of work on understanding by looking at sign, how the site of hit can be determined and how that will affect the track.

Very cool stuff, which attracts specialists in this art, and has developed many dog breeds which specialize in it....for good reason.