Thread: heading dogs for deer

I read on a recent issue of a hunting mag an article about breeds of deer dog. The writer in conclusion recommended a heading or heading cross above pointers and the like. What are your thoughts on that claim? Have any experience with them on deer? Pros/cons

Yep, only one, they do well enough. Know another fella who had one as well, his was pretty handy in a bail up too. Not overly strong noses, some have issues with gunshot. If deer was your only game, find a nice, quiet, not so highly strung one and your away. If you needed a dog to do other hunting tasks, look to the hunting breeds.

Have often thought a lab/collie/heading dog combo would be a useful allrounder.

Yep most dogs with a half decent nose and the right training would indicate deer. The old man uses a couple of his heading bitches on deer quite often. They'll eye deer rather than point, but are keen as. He even had a hunt away that was a pretty good hunter, although she was a bit loud. Never barked, just clumsy.

Originally Posted by Barefoot

Have often thought a lab/collie/heading dog combo would be a useful allrounder.

That would commonly be called a mongrel Barefoot.

I took my heading dog out once and had a hard time from keeping him from casting out so i havnt taken him out again,but he had a good nose on him I should start giving him a command in a hushd voice?.

Originally Posted by Rushy

That would commonly be called a mongrel Barefoot.

I think you mean "useful".

Kingsley Field wrote a book called "Master Hunters" one of the guys featured was one of the best cullers in NZ. He outshot all the other DOC cullers working on Mt Taranaki combined. He used several heading dog type dogs. They were second or third generation hunting dogs. Mind you I think he used them to tree the goats so he could shoot them.

Good book that

Do you think a lab-heading cross would make for a dog that doesnt pant so loudly as a lab, but isnt so high-strung or prone to cast out as a heading dog? My first dog will only be for deer and so I think id sTay awau from one of the pointer breeds (at least pedigree ones). Do lab-gsp crosses come out well?

I have recently found an interesting breeder up north who has a seventh generation work line... I love how there are still people in NZ who breed for WORK not papers. At the moment she has a tri-colour litter of collie/heading mix and also kelpie/border collie mixes. Super hard out eye on these dogs. Massive drive, great collie stealth if you know what I mean.

It'd be worth checking out I reckon. Breeders (espcially people like her) are usually pretty keen to have you come check out the dam and dog as well as the puppies and will be honest about what the pup can do for you. Like some others have said on here, you'll get a dog with great eye, I am not sure how the nose work will end up for you but I can imagine that dog will work his ass off to see a smile on your face and he'll soon figure out that sniff up bambi did it!

Originally Posted by phillipgr

Do you think a lab-heading cross would make for a dog that doesnt pant so loudly as a lab, but isnt so high-strung or prone to cast out as a heading dog? My first dog will only be for deer and so I think id sTay awau from one of the pointer breeds (at least pedigree ones). Do lab-gsp crosses come out well?

You never know till you look at them.
people seem to ask real money for pointer/lab crosses so some reason.
You get a number of the heading/lab crosses on farms and are typically cheap, when one of the workers visits the bosses hunting lab. If the parents are good at their job I'd expect the offspring to get at least some the good qualities but it's all a gamble.

Don't be put off by a pedigree dog, a kinder type of wirehair or a lab would do well for deer. Pointer/lab is a good first cross if your hooked on a mongrel and keen for a gamble

Got a lab/wire cross here for the rabbits, bloody good nose and starting to point. If it wasn't for the fact she's a rabbiter you could see her going real well on the deer.

We went out with my mate and his 4 yr old HD bitch on Saturday avo. Every time it went sneaky over the edge we did the same and smacked over a few cunning hiding fallow.