# Training A Bluetick **** Hound to track wounded deer



## Hunting18 (Jul 16, 2014)

Hello All, I have recently started taking care of a 1 year old Bluetick **** hound that the owner could no longer care for as it was to hyper for him. Has anyone on here tried training there dogs to track wounded deer? If so how long did it take, and what worked best for training. Currently I am working on calming the dog down and teaching it basic commands such as Sit, Stay, Slow (which has been a challenge as he is full of energy and doesn't like to list/focus) I will start one or two days a week training with blood/liver, probably the week of October 1st. Or as soon as myself or a friend shoots a deer so I can get some fresh blood to use. 

Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated!


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

http://deersearch.org/

If you have some venison in the freezer you can use the blood from the meat when it thaws. All of the deer processors will have a leg available starting Oct. 1st.
I'm sure the hound will track, the question is whether he will stick with the 1 deer that you are after or, worse yet go after small game when he crosses their trail.

L & O


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

My buddy said he trained his dog. save some blood, use a deer leg, or skin , make the blood trail kind of heavy and not a great distance. When the dog finds the object, lots, and lots of praise, so it appears as a game to him. as he starts to get it, make the blood a little more sparse, and even on the drag object, lift it up periodically , so there are gaps and the dog has to search. My friend said it was pretty easy. I used to train dogs for obedience, and his methods made sense to me


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

Oh yeah, I would do this on leash. so your words of encouragement will help him or if he goes off track, you can coax him back on. long , loose leash


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## Hunting18 (Jul 16, 2014)

I am having a hard time acquiring some blood until myself or one of my friends shoots a deer this year. Does anyone think any kind of smelly substance will work? If so will he pick up on what he needs to do when blood is actually used?


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## MichiganMan67 (Mar 29, 2015)

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Hunting18 said:


> I am having a hard time acquiring some blood until myself or one of my friends shoots a deer this year. Does anyone think any kind of smelly substance will work? If so will he pick up on what he needs to do when blood is actually used?


I'd recommend scent glands and blood off a road kill.


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## mkriep2006 (Mar 28, 2011)

No need to acquire blood , go talk to your local butcher , take them some zip ties ask the to pair the deer legs they cut off and save them for you for two or three days. Get a hide cut it into some 1' squares and away you go. 

A dog does not need blood to track , blood is a bonus scent ,


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## Hunting18 (Jul 16, 2014)

Thanks for your replies everyone, the previous owner decided that he could handle the dog now and wanted it back (after I got it to sit, lay, stay on command etc...) so I will not be training a blue tic any longer. I will be getting a Lab puppy shortly after the new year and hope I will be able to train him to track deer.


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## junkman (Jan 14, 2010)

For tracking dogs you don't need to select from the typical hunting breeds.Hunting is in the DNA of all dogs.You just need to show them how to do it.And dogs like nothing more then making they're owner happy.Heck most mutts can track and retrieve as good as any pure bred.


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## Quarter Section (Oct 26, 2016)

Hunting18 said:


> Hello All, I have recently started taking care of a 1 year old Bluetick **** hound that the owner could no longer care for as it was to hyper for him. Has anyone on here tried training there dogs to track wounded deer? If so how long did it take, and what worked best for training. Currently I am working on calming the dog down and teaching it basic commands such as Sit, Stay, Slow (which has been a challenge as he is full of energy and doesn't like to list/focus) I will start one or two days a week training with blood/liver, probably the week of October 1st. Or as soon as myself or a friend shoots a deer so I can get some fresh blood to use.
> 
> Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated!




Do you listen to podcasts? If so, check out Wired To Hunt, episode #124. John Jeanenney is the Obi Won of deer tracking with dogs. He has a couple of excellent books as well. 

Good luck. I've lost 2 deer in large fields of standing corn and would have paid good money to not have that sick feeling at not finding them.


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