Shed Dogs?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Brotsky
30-Mar-18
Have any of you guys trained your pups to find shed antlers? We have new member of our family and in addition to the normal waterfowl/upland training I will give my pup, I want to train him to find sheds for me. He loves his deer antler and finds it every time I hide from him now, I would not think it would be hard to train him to find them in the woods. If you have trained them do you know of any good books or other resources on the subject? Thanks guys!
From: HUNT MAN
30-Mar-18
Best dogs I heave seen are antlers dogs and antler dogs only. I have a co worker that has a golden and she is amazing . Over 200 This year alone. . Cute puppy. Enjoy. Hunt
From: t-roy
30-Mar-18
Check out Dog Bone Training System by Jeremy Moore.
From: Brotsky
30-Mar-18
Thanks Hunt, I wondered about that myself. When you're a dog how do you know what the hell you're supposed to be looking for? A Pheasant or an antler? Seems like looking for both could be counterproductive to performance.
Thanks Troy, I'll check that out! Kia and I want to take him out to find elk sheds in the spring here in the Black Hills. I think it would be a blast!
From: Brotsky
30-Mar-18
That's a pretty cool system T-Roy. I'd love to train him to find our deer too. Gonna be a busy summer!
From: LKH
30-Mar-18
You won't know until you try. I had a Boykin Spaniel that hunted all upland birds, ducks, geese, blood trailed (without training) and worked cattle to some degree.
If you can figure out how to tell a smart dog what you want, they will do it.
From: Overland
30-Mar-18
North American Whitetail had an article on training shed dogs many years ago. There are likely better resources, but I recall it being a good article.
From: TrapperKayak
30-Mar-18
Kayak was the first horn dog I even knew, in the 80s. He found many dozens. I miss him. Yellow lab, not at all hard to train. He just took to it naturally. I like your pup there, good dog!
From: Ogoki
30-Mar-18
Have 3 Chocolate Labs. Lost a tracker at 15 last year. My 7 year old took her place. She was a natural. Drug a 12 x12 inch piece of deer hide with tarsal gland and it didn't take her too many times finding it to find her first deer. I even let her track ,when I was sure it was close and down for practice. Now have a pup to start training. My other lab is not a tracker but is amazing at finding sheds.
From: Reload
30-Mar-18
I agree with LKH. If they've got it between the ears you can teach them any and everything. Those that scoff at the thought have never seen it first hand. My last lab could find horns, track deer, retrieve waterfowl by hand signals, and helped tremendously on my coyote trapline. All before his second birthday. Tragically he was killed before reaching his max potential. Give it time, patience, and an honest assessment of what your dog can handle. I'm not suggesting all dogs are capable of such. But when you do get such a dog, enjoy all that it has to offer. Good luck!
From: midwest
11-Apr-18
I swore I'd never get another but he caught me at a weak moment.
I'm not much for shed hunting anymore but will be training for blood tracking and a running companion.
From: Brotsky
11-Apr-18
Atta boy Nick! Labs are the best! Congrats on your new best friend! My little guy is getting pretty good at finding antlers around the house. I'm not sure if he'll blood trail or not but if a deer was wearing a sock I'm pretty sure he'd find it!
From: Bowboy
11-Apr-18
Nick he'll best the best running companion you'll ever have.
From: South Farm
12-Apr-18
Should be a law against cute puppy pictures on here! (Says the guy that wants one one day and doesn't the next)
From: Smtn10PT
12-Apr-18
South Farm, why stop at one?
I have some RackWax training scent I will use on old sheds I've found and these two pick them right up during training, as far as finding them on their own I think they run by way more than they get. I'd love to find someone with a "good" shed dog and take them to areas I've looked to see what we have missed.
