I haven't seen a thread on this subject and it is one that is near and dear to my heart.



Last August, while on a PG hunt in RSA, I became acquainted with a rookie 18-month old JR Terrier owned by my PH. He was always a happy companion and added a certain extra to the outing. It wasn't until the 6th day that I learned just how critical little 10 lb. Maximus would be to a successful Blesbok and Warthog hunt.



As with most August mornings in RSA, it was a brisk 30 degress F and Max was tightly pressed to my chest as we rode in the back of the cruiser to an open flat area of grassland where we had spotted a large group of Blesbok a couple days earlier. One hunter in our group had already taken the new No. 1 SCI Handgun Blesbok @ a true 18-1/2" the day before and although I carried a 300WSM bolt-action, I was looking for a decent trophy as my last animal of this trip.



After several failed stalks, we caught a break with the wind and some rare cover to get within 200 yds. of a very shootable herd ram. I had time to setup, held the crosshairs of my Weaver Grandslam 3x10 on the front shoulder and started to squeeze...but just as the trigger broke the ram bolted, resulting in a missing left rear leg and a spectacular leap straight in the air. The ram took off like he had 5 legs, instead of 3.



Now the real hunt was on...Max hit the ground and 2 trackers, the game scout, the PH and 2 hunters jogged through the brush in pursuit. The PH estimated 1 hour and 3 miles later, Max at my feet, we both spotted the ram in a thicket still standing. Max was on him in record time and brought him to bay. I made a quick off hand shot at about 75-100 yds. that ended what should have been a much simpler effort.



The next day, Max lit into a old wounded boar warthog and saved the day for my hunting partner. I've hunted over a lot of different types of dogs over the years here in the U.S., but was never as impressed with the sheer determination, speed and fierocity of that little 10 lb. fireball for 7 days in RSA. He was very kind and gentle with the human contingent, but if it had 4 legs and was trackable, there was no competition!



Anyone else have some Jack Russell tales to tell???

Here is a picture of a Jack Russel from my hunt in RSA
Very brave dog.


Cheers,

Andr�

This is a message I had posted in the Troy's Critters thread. It involved my hunting partner. Photo follows. -TONY

The only animal that took two shots was the duiker!

They spotted it just at sunset, and the PH immediately knew it was dandy. By the time they got within range -- about 275 yards if I recall -- it had made its way into some fairly dense brush. Troy thought he was holding on the shoulder but was actually farther back, i.e. a gut shot. So the PH put his JR terrier on it, and Troy eventually shot it the second time. -TONY < !--color-->

RHS,

I do have a JR tale for you.

I hunted RSA six year ago with two of my hunting companions.
Two of our PH�s had JR dogs and my PH was one with a JR terrier.

The other one was a two year old dog that belonged to one of the PHs girlfriend and it was the most stupid dog you can imagine: it would run for the truck when ever he spot any game, but he would spend the later afternoon jumping up the walls trying to reach the various shoulder mounts hanging there.

My PH�s dog was a different story! He was barely seven months old and of a completely different breed!
That dog would spot a warthog half a mile way and we had to get old of him or he would start running for it!

One morning when we were trying to close on a blue wildebeest that we spotted on a plateau, when going in line thru a small valley, �Mischief� the JR terrier, suddenly stopped rock solid and looked to the left! After a glance we saw this old bushbuck at about 120-130 yards and I got a clean shot at it.
It was a very, very old and beautiful bushbuck, with almost no teeth, that probably would have been dead in one or two months!

After we put the bushbuck in place for the photos �Mischief� lied down by its side and we simple couldn�t move him from there! So he is there in each and every photo!

After all it was �his� bushbuck as much as it was mine!

B.Martins

I used to have a Russell. Tenacious little dogs and they have an excellent hunting instinct! I had this dog before I bought my farm so at the time I had to board my horse. Mine had one bad problem though, he liked to gorge on the manure piles on the farm. Then in the middle of the night he'd "explode". Truly a nightmare experience. I had no idea he was consuming so much crap! I had to leave him home from then on.

His best buddy was a large male housecat I had. They would both wrastle day in and day out and play hide and seek on one another. Better entertainment than TV.

Some of my PH's have talked about their Russells, most ended up getting stomped by buffalo.

B. Martins,

I'm taking my son back to RSA in a few weeks, leaving June 22nd... Same PH and I hope Max will be along. But rumor has it that due to the heavy lion population near the Limpopo River where we will be, Max may not be on board. Lions and JR's don't mix well. The JR's don't know their limitations. The safari company we book with, Madubula, has lost more than a one or two to lions. On one occasion a client fatally wounded a big male lion, but he got in a dense thicket. The owner, John Abraham, sent in his two best dogs to locate the big cat. They heard a few yelps and ran to investigate. One of the old lion's mates, a scarred up lioness was standing guard over him and had killed the two JR's quickly. She ran off when the trackers showed up. John was quite upset and said neither dog would have hesitated to attack the lioness...he said you can't train it out of them. Fortuneately, his wife breeds JR's and they already had two younger dogs that were ready to step in.

You mentioned your old bushbuck, that's the animal that is on the top of my wish list, actually the only one on my wish list. Would like to find an old boy to put out of his misery...I'll let you know how I make out...

RS

Good Luck RHS and also to your son!
Can't wait to hear the report and see photos Must have photos !

I have had my but bailed out by a JR terrier enough times to realize how helpful they can be.When I got back home after my last trip to Africa I started looking into tracking dogs and settled on a Jagt Terrier.Slightly bigger than an average JR but with lots of the same tendencies.A bit more independent but a very determined hunter.Before he was quite 8 weeks old he assisted me on a deer recovery and since has been in on several hog tracking jobs.At six months he is starting to show real promise.The advantage that those dogs in Africa have is the amount of opportunities for work.The more trails they are exposed to the better they get.I guess I should shoot more deer and hogs ...eyedoc

RHS,

I sincerely hope you both get your dream trophies!
But remember that sometimes the trophy you end up to treasure the most his not always that particular one that you where seeking so eagerly!
Like this bushbuck of mine! I wasn�t even considering bagging a bushbuck but, he is actually one of the trophies that brings me the more vivid memories!
The way it was standing on that hillside, with the late afternoon sunrays right on him, was such a picture that got so deeply imprinted on my brain that I will never forget it! And it is my firm believe that that old boy was standing there hopping that some one would come along and put him out of his misery preventing him from starving to death.

B.Martins

Jack Russels are one of the most intense colorful breeds of dogs, and as mentioned before think that they are ten foot tall and bulletproof. I have an acquaintance that maintains a wild boar hunting ranch and keeps several as trackers. They truly are a splendid breed!

B Martins,

I believe the same...my Springbok last trip was the same type situation. Wasn't looking for one, but on our way back to camp after my Impala kill, the cruiser slammed to a stop...I was having a cold drink standing up behind the cab and darn went over the hood...the driver pointed out a lone Springbok bedded down in an open pan about 250+ yards off the road. We glassed him and the PH said he was a monster. Didn't give me much time, but I found a steady hold and two quick shots later, I had a great trophy! Like your Bushbuck, very old and an unexpected bonus. He ended up being my best animal, score wise.

I promised myself no "wishlist" this time, but the lastest scouting reports from the PH has a lot of bushbuck running around where we will be hunting. I figure if the weather is dry enough my chances are pretty good. Anything else I get a chance at will be whatever Africa decides to offer. My son, however, has his eye on a SG Kudu. We'll see how things pan out...

This isn't African game nor is Jake a "full blooded" JR but ...

Whiskey, looking very comfortable in the bed of the cruiser.

Whoo! Bill MC that one aggravated possum! How come you're not using coon hounds? I'm kind of partial to red bones myself. Great Picture!

Not an African JR tale but one from closer to home.



A few years back a mate and I booked a couple of days stalking from a stalker (guide) advertising in a shooting magazine. After a longish drive, we turned up the evening before as arranged but perhaps a little early. The guy we were hunting with was friendly enough, but seemed, well, a little "strange"..He was in his early 60's, wore glasses that hung on a bit of string around his neck and spoke with enough of an inflection to make you think that just perhaps he batted for the other side so to speak.



Anyway's, rather than wait till morning Tony says that seeing was we are early we can grab a quick stalk that evening. So its into the caravan where we were staying, a quick change and outside with our kit in about 10 minutes. As we had not eaten, I brought a cold chicken drum stick to munch on as we traveled to the ground.



Tony, our ever so slightly effeminate guide, showed us to his "hunting car" which turns out to be a tiny Suzuki SJ410 4x4. One of the rear seats had been removed to allow a tiny storage area.



My mate being quicker than me grabbed the front seat and I folded myself into the back along with a carcass tray, two roe sacks and 3 rifles in slips...to say there was not much room is an under statement.



Oh, in addition to us two legged occupants there was also "Bumpkins", "Bumpkins" being Tony's Jack Russell terrier.



Why "Bumpkins"???? , I have no idea, but if there was ever a missed named dog, this was it...all I know is that Bumpkins obviously had a chip on his shoulder; hell on both his shoulders for that matter and was not exactly a sociable dog.



Anyways, we set off down some winding country lanes at about 40mph, which as anyone from the UK will tell you is about 25mph too fast...I was getting shaken about in the back good style, so was trying to hold onto the rifles with one hand and steady myself with the other. Bumpkins mean while was doing a tour of the vehicle...he goes from standing on my mates knee looking out one side window to trying to get on Tony knee and look out other window. Tony in the mean time is trying to light a cigarette, steer the Suzuki,, fend off the dog and tell us what to expect from the stalking. The result is that Bumpkins is getting more and more excited and this seems to trigger his wind problem..Not a desireable trait in such a small car...



It was at this point I made my big mistake...seeing as we had got on to a stretch of slightly less tortuous road, and seeing as I was really hungry, I decided to eat my chicken drum stick. Still trying to hold the rifles in one hand, I ferreted about in my pocket and fished out my drum stick and unwrapped it out of the foil with my teeth. I was just about to sink my teeth into it when this little furry white and tan blur launched it self between the front seats onto the kit besides me...Not to be put off easily, I goes to take a bite of the chicken but that was simply too much for Bumpkins, who takes a bite of the other side and starts growling...



So picture the scene, one hungry stalker nose to nose with a highly agitated Jack Russell desperately trying to wrangle it off him. I have no hands free and Bumpkins is tugging away like a good one and growling louder and louder, and me growling back..To this day I remember what an impressive set of teeth Bumkins had and wondered if I the disputed chicken was worth the potential loss of my nose.



My mate had spotted whats going on by now and is convulsed with laughter, while Tony is doing his best to ignore his dogs transgression. In the end, Tony hit a particularly bad pothole and to save myself I had to relinquish my hold of the chicken. Well, thats my excuse and I am sticking to it. Bumpkins in the mean time has darted under the front seat and proceeds to chew his prize. A couple of furtive gropes on my part resulted in some fairly serious snarls and snaps and I decided that perhaps I was not that hungry after all...



Once out of the car Bumpkins was very much the perfect stalking dog and very switched on. However, I must say I took great pleasure in putting my toe under his arse and flicking him tail over head every time Tony was not looking.

Ta for that. Damned funny, and well written.

Leighton

That possum di not play possum. In 5 minutes he
was really dead. I had to bury him.

Here's a little Aussie pig hunting JR.

Damn fine dogs, with balls like coconuts! Most people won't believe that a Jack can stop a large antelope from escaping wounded, but they are worth a lot more than a huge hound that gets left in the truck!
The last ranch I hunted, a JR killed-- an ostrich!! Chased him around the paddock, the animal tripped and the terrier latched onto his neck, voila!
Unfortunately these gutsy dogs don't generally live too long with the action-packed lives they lead. Most of the ones on that ranch were killed by snakes (they try to kill them) eventually...

My next dog is going to be a JR! Love em�.

I hadn't thought much of Jack Russell terriers over the years, save seeing the odd lap dog encountered in New York or London. They just seemed like yappy little things typically owned by Anglophiles and such.

Then I went to Namibia on safari to Gras Lodge in 2002. Jannie Spangenberg had two. The female stayed at the house, while the male was always ready to go with the guys on each mornings hunt. As the mornings were cold in August, I was amused by the dogs propensity to jump up on my lap and burrow under my coat for warmth. After all, it wasn't my dog.

The other PH, Errol Lambrecht, told me the little stubby-tailed terrier had a habit of running ahead and claiming downed animals till the hunters got to them. Errol was right, of course, and with each killed plains game beast, he was found sitting atop of the carcass waiting for his Master.

Amusing enough, I thought, till one morning when we got to a box trap set for translocating leopards. It had a wild cat in it.

The tiny terrier leapt off the truck, charged the trap, entering it without delay, and managed to jump atop the cat's neck and throttle him till dead in a matter of minutes.

That got my attention, and my respect. I will never look at another on a leash in New York or London again without the utmost respect for the breed.

Incidentally, that JR was a year old at the time. It is doubly interesting to me he should have the ability to do what he did instinctually. They are truly fearless animals.

It is strange that such a small breed would become popular in a country full of big game... You would imagine that the a hound or GSP would be better for large game, but they just don't seem popular.
BTW, was there a particular reason they were 'translocating' leopards?

Lambrecht told me their tails were clipped short to act as handles for pulling them out of mongoose burrows. He suggested that mongoose control was the reason they were brought to Africa in the first place. How true that is I can't say. I can only assume the breed proved capable of all the other feats they have become known for.

Spangenberg said they were trapping leopards as part of a government program. He also added local cattle ranchers had problems with the big cats. I can't add any more than that.

I figured one of the Gras alumni would post to this thread. Those two JR's are great dogs. Candace is the male, I can't remember the female's name.

George,

Thanks for reminding me what Candace's name is. Great photo by the way. I never did learn how to post photo's here, otherwise I'd have a few up from that hunt. Bring's back great memories. Thanks for that.

Wayne

Wayne,
I just remembered that the other dog's name is Carla. I knew if I stopped thinking about it, it would come to me.

We used to have a JRT, was my wife's dog before we met, she's into horses and they all loved them before they got so popular recently. I think Bernie would have been a good hunting dog, he was fearless and was afraid of no other dog regardless of size, sounded like a huge dog when he would growl and looked like a crazed wolverine with his canines showing. He was a super dog and well trained. He used to win races at her horse shows. There are many poorly trained ones here in the US by people that had to have them since they are so cute. Bernie lived to be 17. I wrote a little obit for him.

http://www.mseanbrowne.com/bernie.html

Wayne and George,

They have another one now too, but I can't remember it's name. Carla is Jannie's dad's dog, so Kandas (the Afrikaans spelling) now has a friend full time at the ranch.

Hope you guys are doing well. I'm hoping to make it up to Gras sometime soon. I know I'll head up there in November when my parents get down here for the wedding. My mom wants to go since she has heard so much about the place.

Here is a picture of Linus smiling


Cheers,

Andr�