I was wondering if someone could help with some advice here.

We have a 6 month old Lab pup, and a 9 year old son who wants to start hunting squirrels. I'm wondering how to combine the 2.

I used to hunt squirrels a lot, but only by myself with a 22. Either by quiet stalking or more often just sitting down in a thicket and staying quiet for a while. I've never hunted them with a dog, and don't know where to start.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've already taken my son out a few times but like most 9 year olds he has trouble sitting still for periods, so if we could bring our dog along I think all 3 of us would be happier!

We can't squirrel hunt in BC, so I don't know how a dog would fit in, but I can tell you that is a lot of fun hunting with a young pup. Here's my lab at 4 months (just about 13 years ago!)...





I am sure you will be able to come up with good way to combine squirrel hunting with your son and your young lab!

Best of luck,
Canuck

I would be very careful about taking your lab squirrel hunting unless you do not care much about retreiving.

My experience:
Years ago, I took my young lab out on a squirrel hunt. Also along was my young son. We got under a fox squirrel and dropped him out of the top of the tree with a 20 ga.

About the same time he hit the ground my lab Max was on him and picked him up to bring him back to me. The squirrel was not dead and bit Max on the nose. Talk about blood! I forgot how many stitches that took.

After that Max was very reluctant to pick up anything except his practice bumper.

I eventually got him back to picking up ducks but I never took him squirrel hunting again.

I also noticed that he left yard squirrels alone for the rest of his life.

I take my Golden Retriever squirrel hunting occasionally and he loves it. We primarily sit and he retrieves. He loves it!! I realize we're not training for an AKC championship, but we really have fun together.

He did get a hold of one that did get a hold of his face. Luckily it just had skin, and I'll never forget the look of my dog snarling his lip trying to get the squirrel to let go, all the while smiling from ear to ear.

quote:

I'll never forget the look of my dog snarling his lip trying to get the squirrel to let go, all the while smiling from ear to ear.

Reminds me of my Lab's first goose. The goose was not quite dead when he retrieved it and it grabbed onto the side of my dog's face....Kody ignored it all the way back, looking as proud of himself as possible the whole way, and when he released the bird to my hand it still had a death grip on his face.

He's unfortunately had a couple battles with wounded geese since, but he seems to love it (even diving underwater to chase them!).

Good times.

Cheers,
Canuck

quote:

He's unfortunately had a couple battles with wounded geese since, but he seems to love it (even diving underwater to chase them!).

Our lab just loves the water, the down side of which is that I have a pond next to the house she goes into several times a day and since we have been having a drought all summer it is more mud than water.

However, your post reminded me of last week she dived into the hot tub, went completely under the water, and came up with a plastic dinosaur in her mouth! She's done it several times since, but the first time was the funniest.