quote:

Originally posted by Norseman:
Irish Paul,

while you are in Germany, could you find out how those hunter hunt boar with pointing dogs such as Deutsch Drahthaar, Weim, Deutsch Kurzhaar and even Deutsch Munsterlander? in otherwords, how is it done?
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Norseman,

I'm sure that it's done many different ways, but most boars in Germany are shot at night from a high stand. The dog is either quiet at the base of the stand or very close nearby, to be immediately available if needed to track which is the Federal law! Since many boars are wounded, dogs are employed to track the blood spoor and are often released, sometimes in pairs to bring the beast to bay. Oftentimes the boar will be killed due to it's weakness from loss of blood and the dogs will return and lead the hunter back (totvervieser). Hard to believe but it's all based on force break to retrieve. It's currently in vogue for the dog to stand on the game and bark until the hunter arrives (totverbeller). I had a chance to observe this on a deer while I was there.

I was in Bavaria in sub freezing weather (29 or 30 F)and it was raining to boot. We were all VDD members there having a party and the phone rang at about 11:30 PM. The person on the other end wanted Hugo Bremauer (owner of the kennel "Vom Richtof") to come and bring his famous pair of DD boar trackers. Mrs. Bremauer had a fit due to the time of night and the weather, and Hugo was about 70 at the time. Nevertheless, he went immediately and I heard the next day that he had the boar 30 mins after his arrival at the revere.

That's very cool, but here's the rub for me. The dogs that are bred in a kennel that puts a lot of emphasis on the tracking of big game and the necessary aggression to handle the game at the end of the track sometimes select for a naturally low headed dog that tracks very well, and neglects the field aspects. They can always pass a dog through the pointing and search areas of a test, and usually with a very good score even if the dog is weak in those areas. That makes for weak pointing instincts and I have seen a lot of it. They really don't worry too much about it because if a dog indicates game and doesn't point they simply blow it down (to a lying down position) which is the basis for pointing training there. Very practical but it has no appeal for me...Tom

Thanks.