Thread: First Hunt - GSP/Lab

G'day Team. Bit of a write up here.

I've been training a 10 month old GSP/Lab called Flo to be a deer indicating dog. The training has been going really well for the most part. All the hunting specific stuff is set up well, but behaviorally she's been a bit hyperactive, especially when my wife is in charge. Stuff to continually work on but she's been getting bored and frustrated with the usual training routine and has shown impressive focus and control on scent work so I took her for her first hunt. We went to a spot where I knew it was highly unlikely we would come across other people/dogs and there are good deer numbers. I hunted her on the longline so that I could keep 100% control, recognising she's still young. It was heaving with rain when we started walking but the forecast was to clear early/mid morning.



The hunt went as well as it could have gone. Flo maintained good range 99% of the time, and when she did range out, she continually looked back to check up on me. I gave her a little bit of room to work. As soon as we got into the areas where there were deer, she started tracking. It was obvious because (as with scent training) she slowed right down and her body language was vary cautious. We tracked these deer for over an hour before bumping them from 10m away in dense bush. They ran into a nasty, lawyer-laden gut so we left them.
We relocated to a ridge where the bush was more open and the wind was coming uphill. Flo immediately got onto a direct wind scent. We stalked slowly into the breeze with Flo indicating constantly. After about half an hour she fully locked up. I took a photo of her and spent about two minutes looking before I spotted two yearlings between some trees 50m ahead. I positively identified the target, raised the rifle, and shot straight over top of her. The deer staggered for 20m then dropped. Flo didn't move a muscle. We sat down for 10 minutes then slowly approached. Flo was apprehensive when we got to the deer, but I let her take her time and eventually she went in for a lick, a tug at some fur, and shortly after she got a nice hock to chew on.

This was definitely one of the most rewarding hunts I've been on and it's great knowing Flo will only get better with age and continued training.

Epic man, looks like you've done well with her! The hypo part's probably the GSP...she should grow out of it.

That is very cool. And it demonstrates that its not just all about the dog. You need to know how to hunt too. Well done.

Originally Posted by Tahr

That is very cool. And it demonstrates that its not just all about the dog. You need to know how to hunt too. Well done.

Yes - I found that after my GSP bitch learnt the fact we needed to be a partner in crime to get the animal on the deck - she started teaching me more about "bush" hunting than I ever knew or could have ever learn't from another hunter.
The ultimate hunting in my book.
Well done
Hope you have plenty of country and opportunities to bring out the full potential in both of you

PS
Can I swap you my Bush for your Bush please :-(

Awesome you'll be happy with her.
Are you using the Blue print to train her?

Try and discourage ground scenting
Wind scenting is a must
It also puts you in the correct downwind approach (be careful though - as its a recipe for getting bush disorientated and with today's GPS gear - you will prob see you are doing loops not straight line advances)
A young Dog will mostly start with ground scenting which is normal and all good
But try and limit as time goes on and eliminate it fully unless tracking a wounded/shot animal
Limit it by pulling the Dog off the scent and moving in a circle and eventually the smart ones will also put it together that ground is history and wind is ahead and there - not now 2 gully's away that you unknowingly scared 10 mins prior :-)

nice work and looks like your gonna have a great dog there

Originally Posted by Tahr

That is very cool. And it demonstrates that its not just all about the dog. You need to know how to hunt too. Well done.

Ha! Not sure about knowing how to hunt, but it's fun giving it a nudge!

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Yes - I found that after my GSP bitch learnt the fact we needed to be a partner in crime to get the animal on the deck - she started teaching me more about "bush" hunting than I ever knew or could have ever learn't from another hunter.
The ultimate hunting in my book.
Well done
Hope you have plenty of country and opportunities to bring out the full potential in both of you

PS
Can I swap you my Bush for your Bush please :-(

Honestly, the nice open bush where I shot the deer was the exception to the rule in that spot. Was pretty grim before I got up on that ridge.

Originally Posted by MAC

Awesome you'll be happy with her.
Are you using the Blue print to train her?

Yeah have been mate. She hasn't completed the whole program yet but for various reasons I decided to hunt her earlier than what I had originally planned.

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Try and discourage ground scenting
Wind scenting is a must
It also puts you in the correct downwind approach (be careful though - as its a recipe for getting bush disorientated and with today's GPS gear - you will prob see you are doing loops not straight line advances)
A young Dog will mostly start with ground scenting which is normal and all good
But try and limit as time goes on and eliminate it fully unless tracking a wounded/shot animal
Limit it by pulling the Dog off the scent and moving in a circle and eventually the smart ones will also put it together that ground is history and wind is ahead and there - not now 2 gully's away that you unknowingly scared 10 mins prior :-)

Yeah good call. I don't want to actively discourage it because it's pretty useful in plenty of situations. But I'll definitely put emphasis on encouraging wind scent. And will continue concentrating on wind scenting in training.

For you reloading nerds.

7mm08 16" barrel shooting 120g TTSX with H335 going around 2900 fps. Shoots good groups at 100m but I'm not super happy with the consistency in velocity. Anyway, the deer was slightly quartering away, entry wound front shoulder, must have deflected slightly and the projectile (below) ended up lodged in the back femur. No significant meat damage but very good organ destruction and blood trail even from the entry wound resulting in a win for bush hunting with the TTSX.

Go the GsP/Lab. My one is a bit hypo as well but they slowly grow out of it.

Awesome story

if you hadnt said 2900fps...looking at that I wouldve guessed 2000fps.... AWESOME writeup and awesome control on dog.....you are doing great. may there be many happy years together bring home the venison.
lab/gsp is a great cross...Misty was just that and as hard as nails,she did feel the cold.....a neopreme vest does wonders for dog who feels cold.
keep us updated with progress.

That's awesome Edunn she looks very eager to please in that sitting in the middle of the fern pic, Although she doesn't look convinced the deer is both of yours