Remi's hardest track yet

Thank you Justin and Suzette for this beautiful write-up of Remi's track. Remi  (Remy von Moosbach-Zuzelek) is owned/handled by Justin Richins of R&K Hunting Company. Now 7.5 years old, he is a son of FC Joeri vom Nonnenschlag and FC Gilda von Moosbach-Zuzelek. He is one of the most accomplished dogs we have ever bred. Thank you Justin!

Yesterday, was quite a day. It started off with waking up to our little Yorkie completely lifeless. We rushed him to Marion Lott, at River Valley Vet, barely breathing. They spent quite a while trying to bring him back & get him going again. He had gone into hypoglycemic shock, and I thought for sure he was gone. As we were anxiously waiting, praying he would respond to their treatments, he finally began to show some signs of life. 

During the midst of this, I received a phone call from our friends at J&J, saying they had wounded a deer Wednesday evening, and were wondering if Remi the wonder dog could track it down. I left with Remi & his gear in tow, and we headed towards the mountains. This turned out to be one of the most intense, grueling, difficult tracks this little teckel has done. We started out in the high country, in a mix of chaparral & pine trees, worked our way around the mountain, down a rock slide, through several thick oak brush and maple stands, down the middle of a few two track roads, and across some grazed off pastures.  Just as we were about to call off the search, due to extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and being completely out of water, we caught a glimpse of what looked to be an antler between some grass and sage brush. Sure enough, against all odds, and some extremely wicked terrain, Remi saved the day once again! 

The track was over 3.5 miles long, not including all the loops and back checking work the dog has to do, to continually double check himself. Calculating that distance in, the miles were easily doubled. Every time I work with Remi on a track, especially one of this magnitude, he never ceases to amaze me. Especially considering he has been run over by a 3/4 ton truck, which required him to have a total hip replacement, was gored by a deer, which lacerated his liver, and punctured his intestine, went head to head with a coyote, multiple throw downs with porcupines, disappeared the whole day, after jumping out of the truck in the rugged mountains of Wyoming, to go after an antelope that he watched fall down after trying to justo through a fence, signaling the "this must be a wounded animal I need to track" response. My little soul mate has definitely defied all odds on multiple occasions. We gutted the deer, gave Remi his liver reward, then quickly sped home to watch my other son play his last football game. He threw some amazing passes, and a long distance  touchdown pass. I am so grateful for these boys of mine. Definitely a proud papa, full of miracles day.

Justin Richins

www.thehuntingcompany.com

R&K Hunting Company Inc.

www.submoafirearms.com

Winding down...

by John Jeanneney

My old German tracking dog Joeri (pronounced Yori) and I are winding down from our tracking careers. For me that career lasted 40 years. Dogs, even if they are of German origin, aren't as fortunate.

   Having to finally retire, when you are a dedicated and passionate tracker, is not easy. Here are the ways that Joeri and I handled the transition.

   First, let me write about Joeri, who understands well that the bond between tracking dog and handler endures, even when adventures in the woods are over.  Joeri is beside my chair as I write this. If I go to another room, the bathroom, for example, he follows. He sleeps with me on my bed.

   Joeri has several big rawhide chew bones, which he leaves around the house. But it is an old, dry deer leg, hair, hoofs and all, which he carries with him everywhere in the house. This is not for chewing, but it is a souvenir of the best years of his life that he will not forget.

In parallel with Joeri I have my own souvenirs. On my desk are my "trophy antlers” that a little, six point buck knocked off against my jaw and chest as he charged me near the end of the track. The buck "cold conked" me and gored Sabina, my tracking dog. With a deep gash in her flank, Sabina was licking my face as I came to and opened my eyes after the blow. We kept on tracking.

   Still fresh in my memory are the two cases where hunters teared up with joy when I found their deer. My tracking dog and I shared the hunters' emotions.

   I still dream of tracking, but I shuffle through the woods and realize that I am no longer capable of taking a real live call. I feel useless, and all I can do is answer the telephone and dispatch calls to other trackers Some of them use another of my dogs, Tommy, whom I trained and tracked with up until my final good year at age 80.

Getting old is not easy; Joeri and I comfort one another.

Joeri sunbathing in John's office, next to his deer leg.