Dog Help (squirrel stuff)

[ncsporksman]

been noticing my redbone trees but loses the squirrel almost immediately in most cases. She’ll put paws on bark, but isn’t seeing the squirrel from what I can tell. The squirrel timbers and she goes onto the next tree, I tie her up and try to point with not much success. I’ve sparingly used trapped squirrels hoisted way up and she always finds the tree but 50/50 on spotting the squirrel....is this a matter of time/practice or is there something I can do to get her looking up. I don’t want her getting used to the trap and I don’t shoot unless she sounds off on the tree....any tips/opinions greatly appreciated, starting to think I bought a deer dog

 

[woodmoose]

Redbone?

looks like it has some walker

thats your problem

 

[nccatfisher]

If the dog is primarily hound (and I suspect it has other things in the mix) you can forget it using it's eyes a whole lot to tree. They instinctively are going to tree by scent. Quit trying to correct it's natural impulses and just focus on the issue, getting it to stay on the tree once it commits.

I am guessing you have been working the dog quite a bit with caged game, I can't enumerate how much that will cause issues down the road. Put the dog in the woods and let it find it's own squirrels. If you must put feeders out where you can concentrate squirrels but once it is treeing "easy" squirrels off the feeder get away from that. But either way once the dog trees, get to it and keep it on the tree, either by command or by leash. And when I say trees, I mean barks, it doesn't have to be blowing the top out but at least a bark at first. Get it leashed up and on that tree and get that squirrel out to it and let it know what you want. Then repeat, repeat and repeat. One other thing I forgot to throw in do not under any circumstances shoot out to the dog a squirrel that it does not bark on, you will create a monster that you will have one more time overcoming unless you are willing to have a dog that does not bark.

 

[ncsporksman]

If the dog is primarily hound (and I suspect it has other things in the mix) you can forget it using it's eyes a whole lot to tree. They instinctively are going to tree by scent. Quit trying to correct it's natural impulses and just focus on the issue, getting it to stay on the tree once it commits.

I am guessing you have been working the dog quite a bit with caged game, I can't enumerate how much that will cause issues down the road. Put the dog in the woods and let it find it's own squirrels. If you must put feeders out where you can concentrate squirrels but once it is treeing "easy" squirrels off the feeder get away from that. But either way once the dog trees, get to it and keep it on the tree, either by command or by leash. And when I say trees, I mean barks, it doesn't have to be blowing the top out but at least a bark at first. Get it leashed up and on that tree and get that squirrel out to it and let it know what you want. Then repeat, repeat and repeat. One other thing I forgot to throw in do not under any circumstances shoot out to the dog a squirrel that it does not bark on, you will create a monster that you will have one more time overcoming unless you are willing to have a dog that does

yessir only 3 times with caged game in a year, and won’t be doing anymore, and def don’t shoot unless she barks on the tree, I think you hit the nail, she is killer with scent just gotta let her put 2 and 2 together. I hadn’t thought of the bait idea that sounds like a good way to give her a layup early in the season. halfway through this years pair of boots with her so far

 

[nccatfisher]

Yep, MOST of your h

yessir only 3 times with caged game in a year, and won’t be doing anymore, and def don’t shoot unless she barks on the tree, I think you hit the nail, she is killer with scent just gotta let her put 2 and 2 together. I hadn’t thought of the bait idea that sounds like a good way to give her a layup early in the season. halfway through this years pair of boots with her so far

Yep, MOST of your hound breeds will not utilize their eyes thus they will not timber a squirrel. Notice I won't paint any breed with a broad brush and say all. I did have an English female that would, she was an exception in many ways.

Personally I don't care if they don't timber, it does bother lots of folks but I have killed thousands of squirrels over dogs that won't. I have owned dogs that do and don't, so I haven't seen a big difference at the end of the day.

 

[bowhuntingrook]

Yep, MOST of your h
Yep, MOST of your hound breeds will not utilize their eyes thus they will not timber a squirrel. Notice I won't paint any breed with a broad brush and say all. I did have an English female that would, she was an exception in many ways.

Personally I don't care if they don't timber, it does bother lots of folks but I have killed thousands of squirrels over dogs that won't. I have owned dogs that do and don't, so I haven't seen a big difference at the end of the day.

If they don't "timber" then what do they do? I'm learning what a successful squirrel dog needs to do.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[nccatfisher]

If they don't "timber" then what do they do? I'm learning what a successful squirrel dog needs to do.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

If they don't "timber" then what do they do? I'm learning what a successful squirrel dog needs to do.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

They stay stuck to the tree the squirrel went up telling you to come kill it.