Anyone using Dachshunds for Deer Hunting

[mchughcb]

I'm looking at at getting a dog again after a 25 year abscence. My last dog was a whippet and it was real rabbit hunters. My last year I've spent a bit of time with scent trailing hounds and they impressed me how much game we got.

I have just ordered a book on tracking dogs for finding wounded deer and the author uses dachshounds.

Is anybody using dachshounds for hunting or been with somebody game, in particular deer?

If so did the dogs, bail up the game or flush it?

thanks chuck

[Corjack]

Retrieverman has a weiner dog, I would like to see it trail a deer.

[mchughcb]

Retrieverman has a weiner dog, I would like to see it trail a deer.

Okay over to RM.

[Vaughan]

One of the members of my hunting team uses a little wirehaired dachshund for roe deer. They are commonly used here to drive/flush the deer to the hunter, in principle.... The short legs means they can not chase the deer and exhaust it or pull it down, just flush it out of the thickets. It seems to work OK. The breed is surprisingly (to me) charming. I wouldn't one one myself but can see why someone would. Nice hunting form as well I think.

[mchughcb]

Thanks Vaughan. I've looked on the net and only found them for tracking wounded deer in the US, not flushing them out like you mention, which is what I was after. I did have a copy of Vapen when I was in Sweden last year and they had an article on ones being attacked by boars that were too big and getting hurt.

Do they flush out other game such as foxes, or is it just trained for deer?

cheers chuck.

[Vaughan]

I've no personal experience with this sort of hunting however my understanding is that they flush fox and hare just as well, but they do not have the ability to stick on them the way a hound would, for obvious reasons. I think the little fellas are good for mix field/woodlot hunting rather than large expanses of either forest or fields but I could be wrong

I do not know the fellow who hunts with one on our area very well, he does not hunt moose with us, just small game. It would be fun to follow along with his dog some time.

Just got back from a short walk with the bird rifle. One big old caper cock and a nice blackcock are now hanging in the cold cellar I had 2 other caper in my sights but let them go. They are big and not easily frieghtened - I shot one at about 180m and his 2 brothers just kept feeding and I saw a couple more a little later but at least they had the sense to look nervous.....

[retrieverman]

The wiener dog that lives in my house actually belongs to my wife and will only "hunt" a biscuit.

Growing up, my Grandfather had a couple Dachshunds for "squirrel" dogs, and they were incredible to watch work. We killed tons of squirrels that those little dogs treed.

I am a Lab guy, but I do have a fondness for the Dachshund breed. From what I have read on the net, they make great tracking/trailing dogs, and I wouldn't mind trying one myself someday. In my view, because of their size, they would be more "user friendly" that a large breed dog.

[Dom]

I don't have any personal experience either, but they are earth dogs, and can be sent down fox holes to kick out fox, pretty fiesty fellas. They are stubborn though. They are often used as Vaughan states, on drive hunts, as they trail and push game without it running by you 100mph And on top of that, they can also track wounded and shot game to find it. Pretty good hunting dogs, small, don't need a 5 mile hike daily for exercise either I'd like to get one someday, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[mchughcb]

Thats pretty much what I'm thinking Dom. I only have a small yard but there is some "wilderness to send them" in the city within 20 minutes walk. I didn't want to have to take them for a 1.5 hour hike everyday. My boss had a springer spaniel and now an english pointer. He lives only 6 min from work so he can afford to do that whilst I"m spending closer to 1.75 hours per day in traffic. They are too big and require too much exercise for me, given the time I waste in traffic its not fair on a larger pointer dog.

[Vaughan]

When we lived in town we had to go home every lunch time to take our GWP out for a walk in the forest and that gets real old fast..... This was the main reason we sold the house in town, even though it was 15 min walk from work, and now live 40 min drive away on an old farm. The dogs now get a long run in the monring spend the day in a big pen and get another long run in the evening........ and I get to shoot deer and fox 5m from my front porch Would never in a million years have persuaded my wife to buy such a place - until she bought her dog..... and to think for yearts I kept saying NO

[msinnema]

Hi all, Just joined last week. Got my first (of hopefully many) Blasers (and/or barrels) last weekend. R93 Offroad .308 with Match barrel. Was out hunting last weekend and got a Reh Kitz. Waited the requisite 15 minutes (too bad I quit smoking) and then me and my year-old Wire Haired Dachshund went to go look for it. Got a good look through the scope and knew it wouldn't go far. "Mauser" (didn't have a Blaser yet - and "Blaser" auf Duetsch has a pretty bad connatation in Geman) went directly to the point of the shot and correctly followed the blood (Schwiess) trail right up to the deer. (20-30 meters)

His father is a master hunter (Teckel) and a master show dog. His mother is also a master show dog. We have taken him on several hunts from the age of 10 weeks but, this was his first opportunity to make his first "track" on a deer he couldn't see from the shot point.

He hasn't been formally trained to track, but did a fantastic job.

I agree with the other posters - I would not (with my dog) use him for driving game - although I have seen many here in Germany who do. The only reason not to use him for drive hunts is that he is stubborn and unwilling to quit - if he starts tracking, he will follow for miles. (And I would like to keep him around). THe only more stubborn breed of doge I have found its the Terrier!

BTW - the offroad shoots .5 inches @ 100 Meters - very happy with the purchase.

Waidmannsheil,
Mike

[Corjack]

Hi all, Just joined last week. Got my first (of hopefully many) Blasers (and/or barrels) last weekend. R93 Offroad .308 with Match barrel. Was out hunting last weekend and got a Reh Kitz. Waited the requisite 15 minutes (too bad I quit smoking) and then me and my year-old Wire Haired Dachshund went to go look for it. Got a good look through the scope and knew it wouldn't go far. "Mauser" (didn't have a Blaser yet - and "Blaser" auf Duetsch has a pretty bad connatation in Geman) went directly to the point of the shot and correctly followed the blood (Schwiess) trail right up to the deer. (20-30 meters)

His father is a master hunter (Teckel) and a master show dog. His mother is also a master show dog. We have taken him on several hunts from the age of 10 weeks but, this was his first opportunity to make his first "track" on a deer he couldn't see from the shot point.

He hasn't been formally trained to track, but did a fantastic job.

I agree with the other posters - I would not (with my dog) use him for driving game - although I have seen many here in Germany who do. The only reason not to use him for drive hunts is that he is stubborn and unwilling to quit - if he starts tracking, he will follow for miles. (And I would like to keep him around). THe only more stubborn breed of doge I have found its the Terrier!

BTW - the offroad shoots .5 inches @ 100 Meters - very happy with the purchase.

Waidmannsheil,
Mike

Welcome Mike, glad to hear your thoughts on this.

[retrieverman]

Mike

Welcome to the board! I am glad to hear that your Offroad shoots well. That is a nice looking pup, and he seems to be on his way to making you a great tracking dog.

Do you work him on or off a leash?

[mchughcb]

Thats great to hear Mike that your dog tracked so well without any training.

I hunt with beagles on driven game that will travel kilometres on the scent of fox, I hope that the dachshund can be trained much better.

[msinnema]

Mike

Do you work him on or off a leash?

I am thinking hard about taking him through the German hunting dog qualifications. All that work is done on leash. Usually a 20 meter long line. Right now I have some boar and reh blood in the freezer and I make distinct trails through the back yard and put a "prize" at the end. Starting to age the trails a bit, next will be to lessen the amount of blood, and put some cross-overs in.