"Hunting" Antlers

Heidi

A good hunting activity for those who don't want to hunt live animals. Seems really fun. Of course, it will also provide antler chews for your pup.

http://antlerdogs.com/

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2009/09/training-your-dog-find-shed-antlers

Saya

I wouldn't mind trying it got tons of deer in my forest, but only thing I had found was a deer femur bone.. lol

So a dog to help me might make it easier.

okiron

That would be awesome.

shishiinu

Nice! kick me down some antlers when you get some.

BradA1878

Neat idea!

StaticNfuzz

Looks like that is "doable", if you have in an area that has enough deer or elk population that gain enough maturity to actually shed or can be hunted.

Sadly here it's mostly about scrounging off the near by highways. Small antlers are often found by parking lots too. In fact animal control often comes out to pick up spring fawns that are being petted by staff on lunch or smoke break. The deer just have very little fear in some restricted areas. Really weird or surreal what closed off non hunting quadrants and forest areas will create when there are not any natural predators.

Snf

Heidi

The deer are pretty ballsy around here, too, and they're all over the place. At my shotgun lessons one day, while we were shooting skeet, there were deer walking calmly around in the field. The guns didn't scare them at all, they just looked up every once in a while.

Anyway, I found someone who will sell me a pound of antlers for $8. I tried freecycle, but no one responded. $8 seems okay. I think I'll get Rakka started on this.

shishiinu

We used to have a nice healthy deer herd here but when the cougar population exploded, the deer herd has been on the decline. Although I still manage to shoot nice bucks every year, I see less groups of deer.

When the pigs were released, the cougars began taking the pigs so now the deer are making some what of a comeback. But now the feds want to eradicate all the pigs so not sure what's going to happen.

In the last 20 years of hunting deer, I have only found two set of sheds.

Heidi

http://www.gundogsupply.com/dokkens-shed-dog-kit.html?source=html-email&publish=1308100343

Dave posted it in another thread, so I thought I'd post it here, too for future reference. If only I knew what each of those items was for. Maybe that's why you need the book.

Heidi

Okay... here's what I'm pretty sure all that stuff is for, based on another website that sells the products and gives more information on what each item does (link)

"Training Your Dog to Hunt for Shed Deer Antlers" booklet by Jerry Thoms

Leather Rack Strap - to display your antlers

Rack Markers - I don't really know.

12" Rack Rope with Power Throw - for throwing the antlers and dragging them around to make them more toy-like and fun for dogs to play with

Rack Scent Wax - just training scent

Antler Training Silhouettes - just antler dummies, I guess.

Rack Wash Powder - to remove human (and other) scents from the antlers so the dog is tracking antler scent only

Rack Washer Bucket - a bucket

Kevin

Most shed-hunting dogs are labs and other retrievers b/c of their decent nose & inclination to retrieve.

shishiinu

I need to get hana into this. Especially cause she only hunts from november to january and then a few days in may again. Great way to get a seasoned dog out on the off season.

Kevin

Especially if Hana has the nose to be an upland dog, I would recommend you get her out to find some sheds. Besides, it would be fun.

shishiinu

Yeah I think after I'm some what had koyuki started I might start hana with that. She would love it. Now I just hope she doesn't goof off and only look for sheds when we quail hunt...

Kevin

I think she'd understand the difference. Your equipment would be different, the season would be different, and basically everything would be contextually different. Plus, your commands would change just as they do for upland/waterfowl hunting.

Heidi

I've read lots of places that dogs can do both.

shishiinu

I'm sure she will be good at both. Right now she has, waterfowle, pheasants, quail, rabbits, and finding pig rooting down really good. I just need to concentrate on Koyuki first before I get Hana into some thing new.