Question about hunting with licensed tracking dogs in the Northern zone

[jjb4900]

7 hours ago, NFA-ADK said:

You are basically jeopardizing the health of the dog and possibly terminating its life if you fail to come back, in real remote woods it is not a possibility it can become a reality.  Make sure that dog is leashed at all times regardless of if your hiking or not.  Not every hunter knows what a tracking dog is and in deep woods during hunting season a tracking dog can be mistaken for fox, yote or any other excuse to take him out as vermin, don't let that happen!

 

Don't bring your dog, just hit the range more, your confidence will be so high you will not worry about need a dog to track.  We all have some issues when it comes to shooting a big deer, make the shooting part of it second nature and practice stopping the deer or managing yourself to take more ethical shots and you will not even think about ever needing a tracking dog. 

Start tracking for some hunters, you will see why you as a tracker and dog recovery tracker should have the ability to take exceptional shots, so when you have a marginal error it still leads to a dead deer within 100 yards.  

when I first starting tracking and my dog was new, I was obsessed with using him on every track regardless of it was good or bad, I live on Long Island but would take him on my trips upstate with me as well, although he stayed back at the cabin while I hunted, and honestly my thoughts were always, "I hope I shoot something so I can go get the dog to find it".....my own hunting took a pretty big hit the first two years I was tracking because it does become an obsession....I didn't think the original poster was really looking to bring the dog as a crutch, but maybe because he's a little excited about using the dog and looking to see how the dog works, I really don't know, but that is a possibility......but in my opinion, using that dog as much as possible should be a priority if you want it to be as good as it can be, using it once in a while when only absolutely necessary isn't really the best way to go about it....so if you have a tracking dog and you're really serious about the dog and tracking, it really has nothing to do with you're own abilities as a hunter or your shooting abilities, it's about training the dog.....although if you're a crappy tracker yourself that certainly doesn't help either.

Edited August 5, 2016 by jjb4900

[Padre86]

12 hours ago, NFA-ADK said:

You are basically jeopardizing the health of the dog and possibly terminating its life if you fail to come back, in real remote woods it is not a possibility it can become a reality.  Make sure that dog is leashed at all times regardless of if your hiking or not.  Not every hunter knows what a tracking dog is and in deep woods during hunting season a tracking dog can be mistaken for fox, yote or any other excuse to take him out as vermin, don't let that happen!

 

Don't bring your dog, just hit the range more, your confidence will be so high you will not worry about need a dog to track.  We all have some issues when it comes to shooting a big deer, make the shooting part of it second nature and practice stopping the deer or managing yourself to take more ethical shots and you will not even think about ever needing a tracking dog. 

Start tracking for some hunters, you will see why you as a tracker and dog recovery tracker should have the ability to take exceptional shots, so when you have a marginal error it still leads to a dead deer within 100 yards.  

I appreciate the feedback, but I'm fairly confident with myself when it comes to marksmanship and dog handling.  I'm a decent enough shot and have no issues with accurately placing a bullet on anything within 500 yards.  I know the in's and out's of handling my dog, especially in the woods during hunting season.  I do intend to leash him up if I track or walk through an area with hunter activity.  Otherwise, I've had no issues with him off leash during hikes and walks during hunting season; he knows to stay close and I put an orange harness on him to make him stand out.

 

I do like working with my dog, which was one of the main reasons I sought clarification on this issue.  I don't plan on taking bad shots on purpose, but I do want the opportunity to put my dog's nose to work, whether it be for myself or for other hunters. 

 

11 hours ago, grampy said:

The very last thing I think I may need when I go deer hunting, is a tracking dog. Through practice with my hunting implements, I have gained sufficient confidence in my abilities to get the job done efficiently enough on my own. Tracking dogs are to be used as a last resort only! After all other efforts have failed. 

Like I said earlier, this was never about my "needs."  I don't need my dog at my side when I go hunting.  But then also I don't need a scope on my rifle, nor do I need camo,  a rifle sling nor a tree stand.  One could argue those items are practical to have, but certainly not "needed" for a hunt.

I see a certain practicality in having a dog readily available to track in the backcountry.  That practicality may be lost on someone who only walks 500ft from his car to his treestand, but anyone who has spent extensive time bushwacking in the remote parts of upstate NY knows that it is very easy to lose your bearings, especially when you are looking for something on the ground.  I understand the stipulations on how and when such tracking can be conducted in NY.  And, as someone else has acknowledged, it can be fun and educational, for both the dog and the handler, to track wounded deer, even if the deer's location is known.  Tracking is a perishable skill, and the only way to get better at it is to actually do it.

[grampy]

58 minutes ago, Padre86 said:

I appreciate the feedback, but I'm fairly confident with myself when it comes to marksmanship and dog handling.  I'm a decent enough shot and have no issues with accurately placing a bullet on anything within 500 yards.  I know the in's and out's of handling my dog, especially in the woods during hunting season.  I do intend to leash him up if I track or walk through an area with hunter activity.  Otherwise, I've had no issues with him off leash during hikes and walks during hunting season; he knows to stay close and I put an orange harness on him to make him stand out.

 

I do like working with my dog, which was one of the main reasons I sought clarification on this issue.  I don't plan on taking bad shots on purpose, but I do want the opportunity to put my dog's nose to work, whether it be for myself or for other hunters. 

 

Like I said earlier, this was never about my "needs."  I don't need my dog at my side when I go hunting.  But then also I don't need a scope on my rifle, nor do I need camo,  a rifle sling nor a tree stand.  One could argue those items are practical to have, but certainly not "needed" for a hunt.

I see a certain practicality in having a dog readily available to track in the backcountry.  That practicality may be lost on someone who only walks 500ft from his car to his treestand, but anyone who has spent extensive time bushwacking in the remote parts of upstate NY knows that it is very easy to lose your bearings, especially when you are looking for something on the ground.  I understand the stipulations on how and when such tracking can be conducted in NY.  And, as someone else has acknowledged, it can be fun and educational, for both the dog and the handler, to track wounded deer, even if the deer's location is known.  Tracking is a perishable skill, and the only way to get better at it is to actually do it.

Well said. I do agree with this. Good luck out there this year!

[NFA-ADK]

Good luck I would just make sure when you are "hiking" with your dog you do not have a firearm.  Don't think you will be meet with open arms if you see a hunter who is hunting while you and your unleashed dog are hiking though but good luck.