Hello to you all! This is my first post here and I would want to ask you some things about tracking gear for wounded game.

What do you use? guns? how long leash and what kind of? Harness or collar? how long time before you go after wounded game?

Hi and welcome.

I use a German Wirehaired Pointer, (GWP).

I dont use a leash or harness.

How long before follow up that depends on the situation

Tumme
that is a really wierd first post ???
any chance of enlighten us more for such questions??

Well the man says he is finnish, so we all should cut him some slack,

but yes I to would wonder the reason for asking, us swedes and the finns for that matter have long standing traditions of using tracker dogs.

Take this for what it is, a lightly off collar joke with a serious note enclosed.

Best regards Chris

Chris
i was not having a go
just trying to establish how to give the right advice from the experiences i hav gained over the years

Richard- I am sorry,

I must have missread your reply, for that I am sorry,

however I have the same inclanation as I thought that you had,

ie to wonder who is doing the asking and why.

That is just the lawyer in me rearing his misstrusting head.

Tuume- where are you from in that lovely country of yours?

I have realtives in Vasa and Helsinki.

Best regards Chris

It depends on:

- area
- game
- wound

My gear is always as follows: R93 tracker in 9,3x62 & 10-12 cartridges, H&K in .45 ACP with 2, 8 shot magazines), backpack with small 1st aid, pocket (Swiss army) knife. When tracking red deer, roe deer, chamois, mouflon…I put a Docter 1-4x24 on my rifle. When I am after DG (bear, boar) the scope is off. Matches or lighter. Pocket or head torch. Cell phone.

Dog’s gear is wide soft leather collar (not tight so dog can pull it over its head if needed), with minimum 8m leash – I use 11m one - used to have leather one but now I prefer synthetic - dries out faster), signal collar for additional safety of the dog if other hunters are involved in searching or when dog gets lost and returns by itself via roads...

I have always 5 l of water in my car, if area where I do the tracking is without fresh water I carry 1,5 l in plastic bottle in my backpack.

If tracking under icy conditions on slopes I carry crampons as well.

After game was wounded I wait at least 3 h (prefer 4), unless game is hit in the snout, front leg or grazed – in those cases IMO its better to start tracking ASAP.

quote:

After game was wounded I wait at least 3 h (prefer 4),

Wow! That is very long.

Yes sounds like it, but...

1.

My dog is used to track on cold trail - it is a precise narrow trail that stays on the ground and not a wide hot mixed trail in the air - only cold trail reveals enough distinct smell of a wounded individual in a herd situation or doe/hind with a calf (doe/hind - any mother as a fact will do anything to protect their youngs) for a dog to solve. Otherwise a dog is only guessing and is seduced by scent of an healthy animal with ease.

2.

Gut shot animal will retrieve into nearest thicket after the shot and (if left alone) won't be able to even stand up after 3 or 4 hrs, however if you insist to track it right after the shot it will make a desperate run causing a lot of trouble - you are even risking loosing it.

Mouse93:

Right. I agree but perhaps the effect from a gut shot will kick in earlier than 3-4 hours?

We usually wait about one hour.

But sure, better safe than sorry.

Kindly.

Chris
no need to apologise
i feel we are on the same wave length here

quote:

Originally posted by Goldeneye:

quote:

After game was wounded I wait at least 3 h (prefer 4),

Wow! That is very long.

not really goldeneye
waiting that length of time callows the deer to stiffen up and also reduces the amount of scent that is floating about
so hoof scent is not as strong so leaving a stronger blood trail to follow
last thing you need is a lively beast that keeps getting up and moving on as you get close
not always can you release the dog to secure the wounded
ATB

quote:

Originally posted by Goldeneye:
Mouse93:

Right. I agree but perhaps the effect from a gut shot will kick in earlier than 3-4 hours?

We usually wait about one hour.

But sure, better safe than sorry.

Kindly.

Depending on how hard the animal is hit I would normally go after a gut shot deer after 20-30min with the dog running free.

I have been reading this forum for past two years and got much information how things are done in other parts of the world. So the question was because I have this idea that the things dont have to be done same than they have been done for many years.

The questions where about how things are done in the rest of the world.

In Finland we use elk hounds to hunt elks. They follow the game silent and when the elks stops they start to herd them by barking. Elkhounds are usually the only dogs used in hunts. I prefer scent hounds use after the hunt stops, and the wounded game hunting starts. I have an year old golden retriever what i use for tracking wounded game.

Husgvarna 98: central Finland.

For waiting 3 hours sounds very long time!

Would you mouse93 have an picture of the collar?

Tuume sorry not a pic at hand but similar to this one:



Also worth to look at is this one:



And just as reminder - there are odd things happening when tracking wounded game and it is hard to put it in tight frame (any frame as a fact) - I still get shiver when I remember tracking wounded big boar in a sea of corn - his spleen was completely shattered but - oh he was still very alive 16 hrs later.

Odd indeed - another example of a 3 y.o. stag that was shot (probably as a calf) through both shoulders and both lungs - bullet (7mm - 9g) was found under the hide on exit side - stag was halted on regular hunt 2 years later by a dog and then shot. Weight 58 kg.

And another story:

Guy was waiting for piglets so he brought 243W along. However a big boar appeared - he took it - so far so good, but when he called me to help him found it he was afraid to tell the truth and told me that he made a shot with 8x57 (min. caliber for boars is 7mm here). 10hrs later and 1 klik away on reasonably good lung blood trail I got charged by a boar - my dog was killed on the spot and myself knocked down by a raged beast - fortunately boar didn't pull it through otherwise I wouldn't be writing this down - it was hit low in the chest - pretty sick but still lightning fast and deadly. If I'd wait 4 hours more (and i would if I'd knew it was shot by 243W) I believe none of above would happen.

Wednesday 20th of june 2001 the day I will never forget - 3 y.o. 103 kg - dressed:

Mouse- I am all for peace and hunting,

but had I had a dog, and someone caused it´s death by being deceitful, then I would have had to put some real hurt on him too.

That stag in the pic, did it weigh 58 kilo live?

It must have been in some great pains,

Best regards Chris

He was fighting for his life - very brave animal - forgiven long ago.

Stag's 58 kg was gutted weight.

quote:

Depending on how hard the animal is hit I would normally go after a gut shot deer after 20-30min with the dog running free.

Dog running free is all new to me. Do the dog come to get you when they have found the wounded game, or do they stay with the animal?

Its wonderful to hear nice stories form real life mouse93! more please.