Liver drags for puppies

Yesterday puppies were exposed to a liver drag, first individually and then in a group. At the end each pup got a piece of deer liver.

Comments needed regarding Virginia hunting regulations

Rick M. from Virginia wrote on the United blood Trackers Message Board:

Virginia is having its review of hunting/fishing regulations for the 2011/12 season. The comment period is now open. Please post your desire to have leased tracking dogs allowed. VA has a complex dog hunting system that allows dog in the south but not the north. The legislator will not take up changes to those regulations (too politically charged) but if we can get them to see that "tracking and recovery" is not dog running then we might have a chance http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/regulations/scoping/

Great news for Pennsylvania deer hunters and blood trackers

According to today's press release the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners "Approved a resolution to publicly support House Bill 2526, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Pyle (R-Armstrong/Indiana), that would amend the Game and Wildlife Code (Title 34) to legalize the use of blood-tracking dogs to recover lawfully harvested or lawfully wounded white-tailed deer."

For the text of the bill click here. This has been such a long, uphill battle that today's development is a cause for celebration and hope.

A big thank you to Andy Bensing of Deer Recovery of Pennsylvania and Steve Kremp for keeping us updated on the recent developments.

Trying to catch up - a short update

I did not mean to abandon the blog for a week but life got just too busy. This is just a short update, and in the coming week I am going to expand on some of the items.

1. We are raising two litters of puppies, and they are 4.5 and 4 weeks old - 14 puppies total. Right now they are going through a gradual process of weaning, which in Gilda's pups case might need to be sped up. Today Gilda has been sick and most likely she will be going to a vet tomorrow morning. She was not up to being with pups today at all. I will post more on this on our puppy journal tomorrow - http://borntotrackpuppies.blogspot.com/

2. John spent three and half days at the North American Teckel Club events at Rockaway, NJ, and I was there on Sunday showing Paika at their Zuchtschau. Her conformation was rated as "excellent". I took a lot of pictures at the show and will do a separate post on this event as soon as I can.

3. John's new book Dead On! Deer Anatomy and Shot Placement for Bow and Gun Hunters. Tracking Techniques for Wounded Whitetails is finally done and was submitted to a printer a week ago. Tomorrow we are going to get a proof, and if we accept it, the book will be ready for printing and distribution really soon.

4. Two weeks ago Mariel von Munterkeit owned by Beth and Gentian Shero was bred to our Billy. Again we will write more about the upcoming puppies when we know that Mariel is pregnant.

Georgia Outdoor Blast and blood tracking dogs

If you plan to attend Georgia Outdoor Blast on July 23-25 in Macon, stop by booth 107 to meet some UBT members and their blood tracking dogs. If you have any questions, contact Ken Parker at ken@hillockkennels.com.

Chuck and Moose, and some random thoughts on breeding

We are going to continue the thread of  spring field trials with some pictures of Chuck Collier and his three-year-old male dachshund Moose. Moose's registered name is Nurmi von Moosbach-Zuzelek and we wrote about him before.

Because of his remote location and long distances Chuck attends only local field trials in Michigan, and this spring he went to one weekend of trials given by Wolverine Dachshund Club on May 8-9. on Saturday Moose was first in the open dog stake and he also was the best of open stakes. I got really nice pictures of from that trial taken by Patt Nance (thank you Patt!).

We received a very enthusiastic feedback from friends who attended the field trials. They all loved Moose, and were very impressed with his performance. We are impressed with him too. As far as blood tracking goes, Chuck and Moose have found so far 26 deer and 3 bear. Moose has a terrific temperament, nice size and he opens freely on rabbits. We are thinking about breeding our Paika to Moose next year, when Paika turns two years old. Some people, especially in Germany, will shake their heads as dogs with the coats like Moose's are disqualified from breeding in the German DTK system.  The smooth coat like his is inherited as a recessive trait. In the US we are working with a very small gene pool of wires bred out of hunting European bloodlines. A dog as talented as Moose should not be excluded from being used in breeding just because of his coat. Actually he would be a very good match for bitches with fuller, softer coat, and Paika falls into this category. Our litters are not registered with the DTK anymore, and currently we breed only AKC-registered pups. I found that DTK breeding policies were too restrictive for our American situation and the exclusion of smooth dachshunds out of wire parents from further breeding would narrow our gene pool too much.

Anyway, I know that there are quite a few nice, talented dogs out there now. However, if these dogs are never brought to any events such as blood tracking tests, workshops, seminars, field trials, NATC shows etc, other breeders will never have a chance to see and evaluate them. So if you own a male that you would like to be used at stud, you must particpate in some performance events so others can see the dog for themselves. We will never breed to a dog that we have not had a chance to evaluate, even when he comes from our own breeding.

Spring field trialing season for young wirehaired dachshunds

I am way behind with posting information and pics about field trials that took place in May. I promise I will catch up soon, but I will try to do it in small doses. This is part I.

This great picture was sent to me by Beth Shero and was taken at Batavia field trials on the weekend of May 22-23. I was scheduled to judge there, but had to stay home because of Keena's whelping. The picture shows (from left): Gentian Shero with Mariel Von Munterkeit, Beth Shero with Mae Von Munterkeit  and Sara Stokoe Burr with Bentley (Poker von Moosbach-Zuzelek). Actually these young dogs are related as Mariel and Mae (sisters) are granddaughters of Sabina, who was Bentley's great-grandmother.This was a first field trial for Bentley, and on Sunday he placed 2nd in the open dog stake. On Saturday Genti and Mariel received a fourth place. On Sunday, Beth received a First place with Mae and the Best Open Stake, while Genti received a fourth place with Mariel. Genti, Beth and Sarah are Deer Search members and use their dachshunds for blood tracking. It is so great to see young people getting involved in deer tracking and field trials and appreciate dachshunds for their working qualities. BTW Genti, I like your t-shirt. Pink Floyd is my all time favorite band!

 

The above picture shows Sarah with Bentley and two Judges, John Robinson Sr. and Wayne Smith.

A couple of months ago Sarah sent some pictures of Bentley ( who is a brother of our Paika):

Sarah wrote in March: "Bentley truly loves the snow, which I didn't expected. I figured being so low to the ground he wouldn't enjoy the cold sensations on his sensitive underside...boy was I wrong! He jumps into the biggest snow banks head first and loves to carry snowballs around, he even tries to sneak snowballs into the house to eat! Just this afternoon Pat (my husband) took Bentley outside to help get some red squirrels out of our shed so he could shoot them with the BB gun because they are destroying the interior of the shed. Bentley had them flushed out and up a tree in seconds. He loves being outside, but he makes himself very comfortable in the house lounging on the couch too.

Since Sarah lives only 20 minutes from Batavia, I am sure that we will be able to see her and Bentley at the field trials in September.

Going back to field trials, I am going to share more pics of the Sheros with with their wires::

 

 

Also congratulations are in order to Laurel Whistance-Smith whose Lykke Von Lowenherz, our Joeri's daughter, finished her field championship this spring.

 

Good going Lykke!

UBT 20-Hour Blood Tracking Test, September 4, 2010, Berne, NY

UBT 20-Hour Blood Tracking Test is being offered for the first time

Date: September 4, 2010, Location: Berne, NY

Judges: Andy Bensing, John & Jolanta Jeanneney

The test is limited to 6 dogs. Entries close August 14, 2010. If there are fewer than 4 entries on the closing date, the test will be cancelled.

The UBT-20 is one of the UBT’s advanced blood tracking tests. At the end of the test each handler/dog team will be given a thorough oral evaluation of performance along with a detailed score/rating (Prize I, II or III). Dogs passing the test will receive a certificate suitable for framing. Handlers will be able to ask questions and receive training advice at the end of the test.

Training is needed to pass a 20-hour blood tracking test. Dogs should be trained in advance under simulated test conditions (1,000 yards, 20 hrs, 8 oz. blood) and be adequately prepared. The test will take place regardless of weather conditions.

The rules of the UBT 20-hour blood tracking test are posted at http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/  under tests. You can also contact me at info@born-to-track.com or 518-872-1779, and I will mail you the rules and entry form.

The flyer and entry form are posted at http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/images/pdfs/ubt-20-berne.pdf

Why should you attend a blood tracking workshop such as a UBT Trackfest

Based on the feedback we have received, the UBT Trackfest 2010 was a great success. When I read some of the e-mails, I thought it would be a good idea to list benefits a handler gains from attending a blood tracking workshop such as a UBT Trackfest. Here is the list that I put together with help from borntotrack yahoo group:

1. Meeting and networking with other people who have similar interests

2. Opportunity to learn from "experts" who have done it for a long time

3. Getting hands-on training experience for a handler/dog team
4. Identifying strengths and weaknesses of both handler and dog that can be incorporated into future training plans
5. Opportunity to see and evaluate blood tracking equipment and purchase merchandise
6. Opportunity to meet your dog's relatives

7. Getting motivated and inspired

8. Gaining a better perspective, seeing a larger picture that goes beyond a handler's own situation

9. Having fun
10. Socializing your dog

I am sure that the list is not complete.

Don Dickerson who was instrumental in finding superb facilities for the Trackfest 2010 wrote:

This was my first Trackfest and I had no idea what to expect. I can tell you unequivocally that I was blown away, in a very positive sense by the whole event. The Trackfest team (listed in alphabetical order) of Andy Bensing, Cheri Faust, Larry Gohlke, John Jeanneney and Al Wade each brought their own specialized expertise, experiences and opinions, they did a fantastic job. I was especially impressed with the amount of hard work, organization and planning that goes into a Trackfest weekend. Not to mention the amount of equipment, supplies and of course blood. I not only learned numerous things about tracking , I think more importantly, I learned how much I don't know. If would have taken me years, through the process of trial and error, to learn what I learned in one weekend. I especially enjoyed meeting the other participants, sharing tracking stories and comparing notes about dogs and tracking. Thank you all for coming to Marshall and thank you for being so willing to share your knowledge. For anyone that has not been to a Trackfest, I strongly urge you to do so in the future, it is very well worth it. Working with and meeting good people you have so much in common with was the best.

Don, thank you for everything you have done!

A sample of other comments says it all:

1. Special thanks to Cheri Faust, John Jeanneney, Andy Bensing, Larry Gohlke, and Al Wade for an awesome Trackfest 2010 in Marshall, MI! Also thanks to Don Dickerson for securing a beautiful farm for the event. It was everything I'd hoped it would be. It was so hard to get to know everybody in 3 days, I could have easily stayed a few more. It was still a fantastic learning experience.
Chris Barr

2. I also appreciate the high level of instruction and unselfishness. The weekend could not have been better. What better group could there be than a combination of dog people and deer hunters. Thank you very much!
Pat McCaffrey

3. The weekend did prove to be incredible! Meeting others, having the ‘Billy reunion’, getting the expertise of the UBT folks that put the weekend together, getting the benefit of the practice tracks, and all of the fun we had as a group. I certainly came away with an agenda of tasks to reinforce Greta’s and my relationship in the field and work on the black dot problem. The weekend provided clarity and direction and I can hardly wait until the next Trackfest. Thanks to all who put the weekend together and all of those who made the commitment to come and be a part of a great learning experience.
Susie Gardner

4. Yes indeed, and thank you for putting this seminar on! Although Kathy, Ruby and I could only make it Saturday, it was v nice to meet everyone and put faces behind the names. I really appreciate the advice and friendly atmosphere, a good time was had by all...
Andy Pedersen

5. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the UBT members involved in organizing and executing the 2010 tracking event. Training hunting dogs is not new to me. However, I have learned a great deal from your individual experience. It was also a pleasure getting to know each of you. It is exciting to have new tools in the form of knowledge to train my dog to a higher level. (...) I personally have a high regard for the UBT and will always speak well of you club.  Thank you again for all the helpful advice,
Aaron Kenstler

Off topic - The Johnny Cash Band

This blog does not stray from the topic of blood tracking dogs too often, but everybody needs a break once in a while. We needed a break from all our involvements in puppies and dogs, clubs, books, workshops etc so last night we went out to see  The Johnny Cash Band at the WAMC Linda Auditorium. I heard the band on our local NPR station and loved it. We both are huge fans of Johnny Cash music, and this was the next best thing to the real Johnny. Check it out when the band plays in your area. We highly recommend it as they are exceptionally good.