Thread: Good Dog!

Over the last 11 years I've shot and found 284 deer with a dog helping or a dog with me. For 10 years it was Tilly the wirehair pointer (258). Now it's Bella the Lab. She's 14 months old and we have shot 26 together.

Here she is.



A couple of evenings ago Bella really was a "Golden" lab... worth her weight in gold.

Ive had a really lean roar. I guess because the first week or so was spent wallaby hunting, and then when I really got into the deer I just couldn't connect with a stag or buck. Inspite of seeing heaps of deer I just couldn't connect with something with a decent head. To change my luck I switched from my usual .223 to the 270wsm for this particular hunt - perhaps that would do the trick.

We (Bella and me) hunted to near dark and hadn't seen a stag (I did shoot a little Fallow spiker at 3.30pm though), so I decided to try one more spot while there was shooting light. It meant I had to sidle a face bellow a bush edge and watch ahead, below and above and remain unseen. I froze when I spotted a hind 200 odd yards ahead and while we were doing the statue thing I heard a roar on the bush edge straight above me. It was 26 April so I hadn't expected any roaring. But there was a stag and obviously a good one pushing a hind ahead of him and intent of investigating the first hind I saw. He was on my side of the bush edge ridge and I dont think had seen me. In the open and about 150 yards away. Steep up hill.

I quickly loaded and fumbled with scope getting it down to 4 power for enough light (4-24 Delta). It was a standing shot and all happened quickly. I never knew if I hit him and he wheeled around and disappeared over the ridge and back into the bush. Silence. Bella was still there standing beside me. Good girl. I wasn't confident.

I left all of my gear except for what I had on my waist (knife, torch, plb and stuff) and trotted up to the ridge. Bella's nose was active but it would have been anyway 'cos 3 deer had just passed through. Bella wasn't over enthused about where I thought the stag might have gone so I followed the ridge until she showed some interest - winding down into the bush and wanting to track. I called her off and walked another 100 yards along the bush edge and she wasn't very interested so I went back to the "hot spot". It dropped away very steeply and I knew that it was a big bushy face with open areas. If hit it could be anywhere. I got my torch out and told Bella it was up to her. I didn't put her tracking lead on because it was back in my pack where I had shot from.

So off we went with the commands "find it Bella" and "steady Bella". The wonderful pup mixed ground and air scenting as she zig zagged her way down the face at a bit of an angle. She stopped every now and again and air scented strongly as if she was getting her bearings, and then moved on steadily. She was insecure enough to be looking over her shoulder at me from time to time and making sure I was in contact with her, which was good. I never saw a spot of blood or a scuff mark. Hmmm...

After what seemed quite a distance (I guess 200 yards) she sped up and disappeared out of sight for about 20 seconds and then came back in sight staring intently down hill. I joined her and there below us was a large stag thrashing out his last breaths. I encouraged her down but she wasn't too keen on getting too close while it was moving. That was a good thing. I stood there with her and once it stopped moving she cautiously approached it.





I was pretty much overwhelmed by what she had just done. There was no way I would have found this stag by myself. I wasn't even sure I had hit it and in any event thought it had gone in a different direction. I was also certain that if it was hit it wouldn't have gone far and I would have found signs of it stumbling.

I had hit it very low in the shoulder (shooting step up hill). The bullet broke the bottom shoulder joint and I suspect it might have been a heart shot. 117 grn Hammer bullet.



He was a big beast and it took some effort to get him set up for a pic.



I took the head off and what meat I could carry back up without my pack. It was quite a bash up but I was a very happy hunter. Not sure what made me the happiest - Bella or getting the stag. Deep down I actually think Bella.

People decry private land hunting as if it's second class to "public land". Well I can say right now that for me it's all about the personal pleasure derived from the hunt, not about the mana possibly earned through the judgement of others. I'm very happy in my own skin in my own hunting environment - a hunting environment that suits my stage of life very well.

I was brought back to earth about Bella with a thump on the way home I shot a yearling stag in the torch for the charity at about 100 yards and with great confidence sent Bella off to find it. Up went her nose and off she went...only to run right past it 2 yards away and disappear into the dark. I saw her carry on for about 15 yards and then do a loop. She must of then cut its wind and she came galloping down to me like she had done all of the work. But I was already standing there next to it

Awesome story Bruce sounds like a great evening hunt and a great dog, yup private land doesn't always mean easy, I've hunted some pretty intimidating gnarly private land myself. For me private means safer place for parking my vehicle and less likelihood of running into other hunters which is comforting especially if I have kids with me......it sure ain't paddock hunting

Well done Bruce, I know how you feel after following Lily for nearly 200ydw to find a hind I would never have found without her.

Great to hear you got on to a stag Tahr, even if it was in the dying minutes of the game! And Bella may have gone 15yds past the second one, but she came back. She's young, she'll learn!

Hunting is hunting, does it matter where you do it? I think anywhere is better off with loess deer right now, whether it's public or private. If it's not your own, private mostly just means you have worked hard to develop good relationships, and people trust you.

Nice work, thanks for the write up!

Stoked for the two of you. Give her a pat from me please. Awesome result and awesome you trusted her.... THAT'S teamwork at its best,you did your bit then trusted her to do hers,it can only get stronger from here.

Lovely dog

Nice stag Tahr.

She's come on fast for such a young dog! It's great to read stories about the hunter/dog partnership. So many times the dog ends up taking the hunter somewhere other than where the animal is 'supposed' to be.

How low the hit was (shoulder peeled back - the bullet busted up the bottom shoulder joint on its way in too)

Great story Bruce. Bella's looks like a real beaut, good company on the hill and a deer tracking machine.
Much of a change in temperament from your wirehair?

Originally Posted by GSP HUNTER

Great story Bruce. Bella's looks like a real beaut, good company on the hill and a deer tracking machine.
Much of a change in temperament from your wirehair?

@GSP HUNTER

I was lucky and had a very calm wirehair. She never caused me a single bother (apart from scuffing over little dogs and cats).

The lab is a bit more edgy and I need to be firm with her. it has surprised me because I thought she would be easy. She comes from a very strong hunting line and has oodles of natural ability. Personality pus and a wonderful pet around home.

This is her sire: https://www.vitesselabradors.co.nz/n...-dancing-brave

Great Report and Great looking dog!

Shes going very well bruce.

That’s cool,nice dog a good mate


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I love a great dog story and this is one of them, I’d swap Doc land for a private in a heartbeat.