Remi's incredible track

In Justin's own words: "You would not believe the track Remi just pulled off. Is was the most amazing track. It was incredible. I cried when we finally harvested the buck. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this Remi."

We are dying to hear details.

Remi and Justin, a blood tracking team from Utah, recover a mule buck

We are happy to report that Remi (Remy von Moosbach-Zuzelek) from Utah recovered his first mule buck of the season. Justin Richins sent us a really nice e-mail with a quote from his client (slightly edited): "Anyway, Justin, thank you so much for interrupting your day to help me. I am leaving donation for all you do with Remy. Please buy him a big standing prime rib bone-in roast, cook it rare and hand it to him for me! Or eat if for dinner with your family and just throw Remy a bone. As I said to you earlier in the sagebrush, this outfit you guys are running, from the people, to the lodge, to the guides to this amazing ranch….is absolutely the best I have ever seen, and I have seen some great ones. Keep up the great work until I get back."

"It took Remi about 1 min to lock on, then its was an easy short track for the liver/stomach shot mule deer. We ran the trail during the 85 degree heat of the day around 4 pm and the deer was shot early in the morning. We had a little heavy cross wind and when Remi picked his head up high in the air I knew the dead buck was close."

Justin's website: www.thehuntingcompany.com

Leashed blood trailing dogs approved by Utah

GREAT NEWS from Justin Richins from Utah, who wrote:

Utah just passed a leased tracking dog law. It was proposed at our RAC meetings and approved on Tuesday.

The wording is:
R657-5-15. Party Hunting and Use of Dogs
... (1) A person may not take big game for another person, except as provided in Section 23-19-1
and Rule R657-12.
(2) A person may not use the aid of a dog to take, chase, harm or harass big game. The use
of one blood-trailing dog controlled by leash during lawful hunting hours and within 72 hours of
shooting a big game animal is allowed to track wounded animals and aid in recovery.
Source: http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/2012-04_packet.pdf

Just another day in Remi's life

Justin sent a picture of Remi with this caption: "Just another day at the office - 3 cow elk, 3 men and one Dog all stuffed in the Polaris Ranger."

I have been actually asked by some of you how Remi is doing. He is doing really well, but Justin has been very busy with guiding as he is short of staff. He has not done as much tracking this year, but I am sure that we will hear more about Remi when the hunting season is over. Justin will be adding another wirehaired dachshund to his tracking team in 2012.

Remi's blood tracking training

Justin Richins from Utah sent us this video a couple of weeks ago. Justin, I hope that by now you see more signs of spring. For those who missed earlier posts on Remi (Remy von Moosbach-Zuzelek, a son of Joeri and Gilda) -- he is a wirehaired dachshund, and in the video he is just over 9 months old. He has done really well so far in real tracking and training on artificial lines.

The video shows Remi's work on a line, which is 17.5 hr old, laid with scent shoes and blood, and it includes a lot of sharp checks. I think it is another stellar performance. Remi has some very minor difficulties, and Justin analysis and conclusions are sound. Thank you Justin for sharing!

Life on the rocks bonds Man and Dog

Another great video of Remi from Justin Richins - if you are afraid of heights, don't watch it!

My heart just about stopped few times when I watched it, and some shots left me a bit dizzy. Not to mention a view of Remi almost tumbling down... Justin has been working hard on developing a close relationship and partnership with Remi, and it is very nice to see their progress. Remi's responsiveness is very impressive, even with live deer and elk around.

Remi rocks! A video of blood tracking dachshund puppy in training

Justin Richins, an outfitter from Utah, has been working intensively with Remi, who is a littermate to Rilla and Ranger from the two previous posts.  The track in the video was 19.5 hrs old. It was 35F when Justin laid it out and 25F when he ran it. 

This video blew me away! This was a very difficult track; it would have been a difficult track even for a much older and experienced dog. I think that Remi's work for his age of 8.5 moths is just exceptional and  in my opinion Justin pushed him a little too hard. I really like the way he implemented the idea of cooperation and partnership where Remi had to rely on Justin's help with  getting over some obstacles.

John's comment to Justin was: "Justin, I think this video demonstrates that a hunting dachshund is something more than the cute little "wiener dog" that so many people laugh at. Remi has the drive and heart and body to carry him over many tough miles on a real track. This doesn't mean that you have to push him this hard at his age.

I like the way that you are allowing him to correct his own mistakes when possible. However, when Remi is working a check I think that it is best not to say "good dog" until he actually has the line again. An enthusiastic
"good dog" should be his reward for solving the problem and recovering the scent line.  The video shows that you have a great working relationship with your dog. This is a case where "a picture is worth a thousand words"...or even a book."

This is an example of the tracking/hunting dachshund bred according to the FCI standard, and when I watch the video I get goose bumps. This is so much better than watching dachshunds with exaggerated conformation at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Many thanks to Justin!  

Another winter training line for Remi

Here’s another very instructive video illustrating the education of a talented young dog handled by Justin Richins, a big game outfitter in Utah. Justin himself is still in his first year of tracking, but like Remi he has a passion for tracking and natural talent for  working with his partner.

Justin’s approach in winter training is innovative. There is a wintering area for mule deer where he lives, and a major highway, roads and a railroad run through it. The toll of road-killed deer is  heavy. Justin finds a recently killed deer, removes the hind hoofs and  attaches them to his tracking shoes. For this training session he hiked down the road about a mile and then laid a track with the deer’s interdigital scent (from those hoofs), and with deer blood back to the deer carcass. This is a long track for a puppy’s training exercise, but Remi never loses his enthusiasm.

For Remi the toughest aspect of this training exercise is the abundance of healthy deer in plain  sight. When Remi sees or smells the deer, his natural instinct is to go for them. He is still in the process of learning that a healthy deer is of no more interest than a cow. Justin does an excellent  job of refocusing Remi on the old, cold training line without harsh reprimands. This is the most important single aspect of training.

Training for natural tracking is not a matter of command and obey, as in retriever training. When Remi gets off the scent line, note that Justin asks him, with a questioning tone of voice, “Is that right?” Remi reflects and responds. The tracking dog must feel free to use his own judgment. In natural tracking the dog will usually be the only one who knows where the scent line is.

Remi on a Scent Shoe Track in Utah

Sometimes an exceptionally-gifted puppy and an inspired natural handler come together. This video is a good illustration of that combination. You will see that in this partnership Remi listens to his handler and Justin, the handler, “reads” his dog.

For most eight-month-old puppies this exercise would be too much to ask. Normally it takes an older dog to deal with the distractions of snow, freezing creeks and fresh deer tracks. Don’t force this on your own puppy. Wait until you are sure that he is ready.

While tracking a wounded elk Remi runs into a porcupine

In the last 24 hours we received two pictures from Justin Richins showing that Remi (Remy v Moosbach-Zuzelek) is living an active life.

Justin's caption:This fox realy did not need any tracking but my little budy went nuts when I shot and wanted to track him anyway.

Justin says: Finaly had a chance to track again a wounded cow elk. Remi was doing great on the 16 hr old track, then he came to a thicket that I could not go through. I let him go off lead as I waited on the other side for him to come out and this is how he came out. We were lucky as he could have lost his eye.

For a good article on dealing with porcupine quills click here. Possible complications resulting from the injury due to porcupine quills are addressed here. Unfortunately, our dogs have had many encounters with porcupines, usually when they were off leash running rabbits. Luckily they did not suffer any long-term complications.

Remi, we hope you feel better soon!

Dreaming of elk.. or moose

I bet that Remi is dreaming of tracking elk or moose. It is a tough life for a little dachshund in Utah.

The best mule deer of the season is recovered with Remi's help

This story came from Justin Richins from the R&K Hunting Company in Utah. Justin's tracking partner is "almost" six-month-old Remi, a son of Joeri and Gilda. Justin wrote:

I’m not a writer so I asked Kody the guide to write this. I’m sure glad I called John as my first thought was to let the buck go for a while before tracking. John assured me the way to approach deer with this type of wound was to keep right on their trail because they would still bleed out through the bone marrow. If we waited, we ran the risk of the wound clotting up.... Thanks John!!!!!

A west view towards the hit site about 3/4 the way down the track

By Kody Whitear

Victor and I had been chasing this buck for a few days and he had given us the slip every time. We probably should have moved on to another deer, but as a guide I have a responsibility to take my hunters to the best buck on the mountain. The first day we had him at 200 yards in the jack pines when the doe he was after busted us. The hunt was over for that day. Day two we saw his head sticking out of the chaparral for 30 seconds as he worked his way into the dark timber of a straight up and down canyon. This had been going on for over two weeks now. Day three was a whiteout snow storm that kept us confined to the lower end of the ranch. Day four, our second to last, was our only opportunity to hunt high at 9,000 feet before the next storm rolled through. Day four was the day to get it done so I called for an extra set of eyes in my cousin and phenomenal guide, Justin Whittier.

As luck would have it we put this buck in Vic’s crosshairs several times on that fourth day as he was running around acting like a froggy buck in the rut. The breeding season brings the big boys out of the bushes, but they never stand still for more than a few seconds. After jumping out of Vic’s scope three different times in a 10 minute period he ran 500 yards down the hill and stopped. Vic had shot well at the range out to 600 yards earlier in the week, but I didn’t want to press our luck with the wind. This was too nice of a buck. So we dropped down to a big rock as I brushed off the snow and threw my heavy coat over the top of it. I dialed up the Huskemaw scope to 412 yards and backed it off two clicks as we were shooting on a heavy decline. We both knew this moment was it. This was our last chance at this buck.

I asked Vic how he felt and he replied, “Pretty good! My crosshairs are steady.” I said that I was ready when he was as he held his breath and let the 168 grain Berger fly through the air. “Hit! Throw another one in the chamber Vic, he’s running pretty fast.” Our buck was flying down the mountain as fast as he could, but I could see some red towards his hind quarters. Then I could see that his hind left leg had been hit. The bullet impacted eight inches behind the vitals, caught his flank, and passed out the opposite side breaking his hind leg high in the quarter. The elevation on his aim was perfect, but Vic must have slightly pulled to the left as he shot with all the adrenaline that we had pumping through our veins.

I watched our boy run 800 yards down into the bottom, stop under a pine tree, and then blow out from under that pine a hundred miles an hour for another 400 yards before slowing to a walk as he dropped out of view. Usually at a time like that my heart would sink into the pit of my stomach. This one was different. I had a good feeling we’d be able to find this buck. Vic was pretty disappointed as we headed to the Ranger, but I told him not to worry as we would do whatever it took to find his buck. I had my cousin take Vic down to the bottom of the slope.

When I hit the tracks the first thing I noticed was that he was bleeding heavily. With every bound in the snow it was easy to see that the shot would most likely be a mortal wound. The buck would pass by nightfall and it was only a matter of whether or not we would be able to find him.

We have asked the Utah GnF several time about the legality to track a wounded animal with a dog and there answer was yes, you can use a dog to aid in to recover wounded/dead game. Therefore, when our outfitter, Justin Richins, showed up with his little wirehaired dachshund (Remi by name) we put him right on the track. Being a pup he was a little over anxious those first 15 minutes as he missed the track, rechecked himself a few times, then took of on the track like a bat out of hell. Justin lost the leash a few times as Remi was moving as fast as he could, nose to ground never looking up. After I finally got a hold of the leash again with Justin in tail we were finally able to slow him down a bit. And as luck would have it the tracks left in the snow had slowed to a walk. Then we hit our first bedding area where the blood was pooled up. After spending a short time checking where the buck left this first bed Remi found the tracks heading out and further down the mountain.

The blood pools left after we got the buck up and moving in a light snow

There are a few ways to approach tracking an animal. If they are gut shot we like to let them lie in their beds  for several hours before we move in. When we have an animal that is passing a fair amount of blood we like to keep them moving so they don’t clot up and recuperate per John's advice. Every situation is different and on this one we decided to keep the buck moving. Once Remi got on the fresh tracks out of the bedding area he became excited all over again. We had to slow him down and confirm blood as we were starting to drop in elevation enough to move out of the snow. When we came into the opening that Vic had been covering, our hearts sank a little as we knew our buck had moved into the lower, thick oak brush. Justin and I looked at each other knowing that it was going to get rough down in there as we were already a mile below where the buck was first hit.

Cover

We again sent Vic and my cousin even lower another 800 yards where there was a good shooting lane. As we started into the brush we jumped a cow moose with a calf that moved right across our track. This spelled trouble for us as Remi had been on a moose track earlier in the year where he had recovered a bull in the thick oaks. When we crossed the moose tracks we didn’t know if Remi had diverted from our buck – the moose tracks would have been a hot scent only being laid down a minute earlier. It took another 20 yards to confirm blood. Remi was still on the right track and completely focused on our buck! It was a milestone for a five month old pup.

Every time when we came into an opening and could see Vic up on the ridge we knew that had he been there a few minutes earlier the hunt would be over. We were 20 minutes behind this buck. The blood kept getting fresher and soon it didn’t even have the slight glaze that sets in 10 to 15 minutes after it falls. We came to another bed, then another, and finally a spot where we could tell that he had fallen down. The thought of an injured buck was heart breaking. I make it a point to always take an ethical shot and limit the potential for a wounded animal. We quickened the pace as we knew we were closing in on him. The tracks made their way into a ravine that dropped down just prior to the shooting lane that Vic was set up on.

Suddenly, Remi froze right at the deer butt and started growling like he had visually spotted something. I ran for Vic and my cousin motioning them to come my way. We quickly slipped down into the bottom of the ravine where we saw the good luck that had trapped our buck. A small quakie had fallen across the ravine three feet off of the ground with branches that created a barrier. As the buck had dropped into the bottom he came chest first into the tree – he couldn’t go under, couldn’t jump over, couldn’t turn around from the narrowness of the ravine, and having lost his strength had laid down. Vic crept up and was able to finally harvest his buck.

Right side entrance

Left side exit

We celebrated with some humility knowing that we had needed help beyond our own ability. The snow put us on the right track in the first place, Remi tracked him once we lost our snow, and the felled tree held up the buck long enough for us harvest him. It was an emotional 10 minutes of relief while we congratulated Vic on the nicest buck to come off the ranch all year.  

Victor from NJ and his recovered buck

Little Remi, having found his quarry, then turned into a pitbull protecting his find. He ran around trying to chase us away from his new property so we gave him his time to be possessive and experience the reward. Remi had been on the tracks for over an hour which is unheard of for a pup this young. From start to finish he had tracked for nearly a mile through the thickest brush. This final track of the year ‘made’ that dog as it taught him to never give up. It also taught us as guides and hunters – to never give up. Everything worked out that day as it should have and Vic was able to return home with his trophy mule deer as well as a story for his friends. It was the perfect ending to the season. 

A map of Remi's track - click to enlarge

Remi in Justin's truck

 Thank you Justin and Kody for sharing this adventure with all of us!