United Blood Trackers and the Expansion of Leashed Tracking Dogs

by John Jeanneney for Full Cry, March 2011

The count of states that have legalized leashed tracking dogs is now up to 22; the rate of legalization has been accelerating since the year 2000. This has been due in good part to the promotional and educational work of United Blood Trackers. This organization has been making hunters and outfitters aware of what can be accomplished by a well-trained leashed dog and handler team. Most hunters now understand that that use of tracking dogs to find deer after the shot is very different from hunting deer with dogs. A dog on a leash does not disrupt deer hunting.

Map showing the 22 states in which tracking dogs have been legalized

In New Mexico, which legalized in 2007, it was the elk outfitters who encouraged the state DNR to change their regulations. One outfitter told me “Our rifle and bowhunting clients were losing a certain percentage of elk. This had been accepted. Now we know that something can be done about this!” He had learned about leashed tracking dogs from sources outside the state. The UBT web site and its members were behind much of this educational process. If one goes to the UBT website information on the regulations of all the dog tracking states is available.

In Iowa, two UBT members, Brian Hibbs, and Patrick McCaffrey, an Ohio attorney, worked with the state DNR. With a PowerPoint presentation and supporting documentation they won the DNR over to the idea of legalization. Tracking dogs will be working in Iowa next fall.

Of course there is a lot more than legalization involved in establishing the use of tracking dogs in a new state. As we all know hunting is a matter of the heart as well as the mind, and the heart changes more slowly. In much of the United States, outside of the South, we all bought up to understand that “deer hunting and dogs don’t mix.” Changes in attitude don’t come over night.

This was quite evident in the state of Maine, where the DNR promoted and established the legal use of leashed tracking dogs in 2002. Little was done at that time to publicize this change or to educate hunters and handlers; little tracking activity took place in the first few years. I made phone calls to a number of hunting guides, and got several types of responses. One guide said, “We don’t have any real need for this up here!”; another claimed that he had tried it and it didn’t work very well.

The doors in Maine didn’t open a crack until UBT member Susanne Hamilton, a German woman with a German dachshund, began tracking and finding wounded whitetails in the southern part of the state. In 2010 at the annual banquet of the Maine Bowhunters Association Susanne was Guest of Honor and named Supporter of the Year 2009 in recognition of her “accomplishments and dedication to the bowhunting sport”.

In Maine the greatest need for tracking dogs today is in moose hunting. Moose with their great body mass and insulating coat of hair spoil rapidly if they are not found within six hours. Little progress has yet been made in introducing the use of tracking dogs in moose hunting. In 2009 UBT presented a tracking workshop in New Hampshire near the Maine border, but no Maine guides attended. Sometimes a new idea like the use of tracking dogs is a tough sell.

This winter United Blood Trackers has been invited to have an educational booth and a seminar at two Deer and Turkey Expos organized by Target Communications. The first event in Lansing, Michigan has already taken place as I write, and the second in Columbus Ohio will take place on March 18-20.

The Lansing, Michigan booth was a great success. The presence at the booth of tracking dogs, including “cute” wirehaired dachshunds pulled in the crowd, and then the experienced handlers manning the booth could explain what the dogs has already been accomplishing in Michigan. At the end of the day we were all hoarse from talking about our sport and its purpose. Leashed tracking dogs have been legal in Michigan since 1998, but it was surprising how often we were asked: “When are they going to start this in Michigan”. It takes a few years for things to sink in! There are at least 20 very active handlers now in Michigan, but after the Lansing Expo there will be more of them.

The UBT booth and staff at the Lansing Michigan Deer Expo.

Left to right: Don Dickerson, Brian Reisner, Kyle Stiffler, John Jeanneney, Chuck Collier, Chris Hodyna.

 

Larry Gohlke explains the use of scent shoes in the training of blood tracking dogs.

This is a Bavarian Mountain Bloodhound owned by Chris Hodyna.

Cheri Faust says hello to Brian Reisner's wirehaired dachshund puppy.

UBT actually began focusing its efforts on Michigan last year when it held a “Trackfest” tracking workshop in Marshall. This drew 26 already converted trackers from Michigan and surrounding states. The focus at the Marshall Trackfest was on training dogs and handlers rather than on promotion. Both approaches are needed and our next target is Ohio.

Participants at Trackfest 2010 in Marshall, Michigan

The Deer and Turkey Expo in Columbus on March 18-20 will be a big challenge. Ohio legalized tracking dogs in 2005, but as in Maine there was no publicity or education about how tracking dogs are trained and used. As of 2010 there were only a handful of serious handlers tracking, and deer hunters are still largely unaware of the possibilities. There is much to be accomplished in Ohio.

The last major event of this year for UBT will be Trackfest 2011 to be held on May 21-23 near Pocahontas, Arkansas. Tom Baker is hosting the event at his Buck Hollow Ranch located in northeast Arkansas close to the Missouri border. This workshop will consist of indoor presentations on training, tracking breeds and real tracking in the woods combined with outdoor field work, evaluations and tests. This will be the 6th annual Trackfest put on by UBT, and early evidence suggests that it will be the largest ever.

Using your dog to find shed antlers in early spring fits in perfectly with tracking wounded big game in the fall. This year Roger Sigler, a professional trainer of antler dogs, will be one of our speakers.

Both new and experienced handlers, who have attended previous Trackfests, say that they learned much from seeing different types of dogs work training lines. After each exercise experienced UBT instructors discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each dog and suggest how the work can be improved. In an atmosphere of camaraderie at a Trackfest everyone exchanges tracking stories; the learning and the fun never stop.

More details and registration materials are available click here. You can register by contacting Todd Rockhold at 701-340-6367 or stonegripper@gmail.com.