I'm sending my Springer off for some training, (Boot Camp as my misses calls it...)

I was curious to know if anyone has ever had a springer steady enough to stalk with. Fern now follows blood trails well so is usefull after the shot but I cant walk/stalk with her yet.

Is this a possibility or should I start dropping hints that another puppy is on the way!!!

FB

I have seen some older springers used, but at the end of the day all it boils down to is can you teach her to walk to heel? If she can do that, you can take her stalking with very little additional trouble.

My only concern is that if you go overboard in teaching her to walk at heel, would you spoil her for hunting/flushing?

A Norwegian Black Elkhound is a dog breeded with the intension to be used in a leash as a stalking dog for moose and red deer in Norway.
Outside Norway this is a unknown breed, but I'am sure it would a perfect dog for british deer stalkers. It is also a very good tracking dog.
It's a reltive small dog Height: 18-20 In.
Weight:40-44lbs

Some pictures at this homesite from a finnish guy living in Norway :
www.ulvik.org/~ino_taisto/finsk%20.htm
click on kuvia (kuvia is a finnish word for pictures)pictures

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
I'm sending my Springer off for some training, (Boot Camp as my misses calls it...)

I was curious to know if anyone has ever had a springer steady enough to stalk with. Fern now follows blood trails well so is usefull after the shot but I cant walk/stalk with her yet.

Is this a possibility or should I start dropping hints that another puppy is on the way!!!

FB

Start now (I would say that wouldn't I )

I have stalked with a pointer before this - all I would say is that stalking with a dog that you know permanently wants to overtake is not fun. The number one asset of a dog for deer is calmness.

I have no experience with springers, but I've been using my old Lab when stalking. He has been very useful and usually is the first one to spot the deer (by smell or hearing).
Another nice thing about this is that he is very good company when I'm talking my gun for a walk.

Henrik

Hi
I stalk in the UK using two dogs, the hungarian viszla is pretty unsteady in pheasant shooting terms but she can find a deer extremly quickly if you let her do her job of casting into the wind. The speed she does this at looks a bit wild but thats the way it goes. I do not use her to heal as she shivers and twitches too much. I also have a Hannoverian Bloodhound who ground scents and she is slow, steady and methodical and is better in thicker cover when air senting is bad. I work her on a 12m lead. I suppose you have to work to the dogs strengths and weaknesses so I keep them in the car until the beast is down but the stalking areas I have allow me to do that safely. Fallow are very good at spotting wagging tails.

Regards

Mark

Hey Mark,

I have worked Viszla's in Cyprus fora long time. They are a great breed in my eyes and I was seriously contemplating the idea of one for this purpose if I needed a second dog.

In reality I don't think the ESS is going to do the business. Talking to the trainer on Friday, he said that to get the dog steady enough to work deer the instinct to hunt wil have to be broken down which defeats to object of having a Springer.

You can see how much I need to convince myself!!!

Are you planning to breed your Viszla?

FB

Dear FB

Unfortunately Pippin the viszla was spayed before she decided to reveal her deer finding talents. The bloodhound Lola we will breed from when we bring a dog over from Czech. You can always give me a phone call to discuss stalking dogs further.

VBR

Mark