Advice for bringing your dog on a hunt

def90

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Aug 12, 2020
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Colorado
Just keep in mind that your dog may need the same emergency medical requirements that you do. Some years ago a friend of mine went on a an easy hike outside Glenwood Springs Co with a group of friends. The dog was running along the trail being a dog and jumped over a log and got impaled on a branch through the leg causing a nick in the artery.

He had to make an adhoc tourniqet and then he packed the dog in to his backpack and ran the 4 miles back to the trailhead and then to a vet as fast as he could, the dog was losing a lot of blood. They made it through in the end.

Be prepared. Other than that, you are your only judge on how well trained your dog is and how it will respond in being in a back country situation and around other wild animals.
 

4rcgoat

WKR
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
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1,192
Location
wyoming
I take my dog on almost every hunting trip! He always likes my plans:)

Orange vest
Kifaru Weebie
And wax for his pads if they get cracked or blown.

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From our hunt last week.


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That's just awesome!
 

AKG

FNG
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
83
Location
WI
If you have porcupines, consider bringing a short cord and wood dowel to use as a bite block, I tie mine to the dogs collar to keep it in place. Then a multi tool or pliers for quill pulling. In the woods, when not bird hunting I just keep the dog unleashed on heel but carry a Jaeger type lead to tie off to tree or brush if necessary.
 

twofer

FNG
Joined
Nov 27, 2018
Messages
28
Location
Colorado
The legal details of big game hunting with a dog are going to vary from state to state. Colorado law is clear that, except for mountain lion, you can't use a dog when hunting big game. It is interesting to note that Colorado law is super strict when using a dog to trail wounded game: you need an annual tracking license, you have to call the fish and game office stating location and time of the tracking, the hunter must accompany the dog tracker, only the hunter himself can dispatch the animal if found alive, and, the dog must be on leash the whole time. That is because the State doesn't want people hunting big game with a dog trying to say they were "just tracking a wounded animal."

I know your plan is for the dog to be a companion dog, not a hunting dog, but, based on the multiple restrictions, including the full-time leash requirement even when a dog is allowed to be in the woods with a hunter, my guess is if a game warden sees you walking around the woods with a rifle and a loose dog, the odds are you're gonna get a citation. I do not know what the chances of a game warden seeing you are, but if caught, you would pretty much be at the mercy of the good graces of the GW.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=8160&fileName=2%20CCR%20406-0

JMHO
 
Last edited:

grfox92

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Joined
Mar 14, 2017
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2,480
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NW WY
Killed my archery bull this year with my partners 30lb Blue Heeler sitting at my feet. He's gone everywhere with us and never cause a problem. But he is well trained.

He stalked in on an antelope with his owner this morning into 50 yards if a bedded buck, was told to sit and stay and stayed even after the gun shot.

That's his well behaved well trained Heeler...if I brought my mountain currs on any type of hunt it wouldn't go well.

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OP
N

NVVAHunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Messages
220
Location
VA
Well wanted to follow up. First thanks for the recommendations I appreciate all the input.

1)foot wax worked great
2) took some coaxing to get him to use the z-seat but he was fine after
3) he moved around in 2+ feet of snow way easier than I did.

My wife works for a small animal vet so I got a med kit all sorted out before we left. Brought along certain meds and nsaid/pain meds for him just in case. He has a history of getting “swimmers tail” on rough terrain so I made sure I had meds for that.

All in all he loved the trip and I was able to tag out on my first mule deer with my buddy. IMG_9963.jpg
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WyoKid

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2019
Messages
313
Carry heavy duty wire cutters or cable cutters as part of your dog kit. Getting a dog wrapped in barb wire or caught in a snare is a nightmare without good cable cutters. Leatherman sometimes works with a lot of grip strength but not for aircraft cable used for snares.
 
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
916
I take my dog on almost every hunting trip! He always likes my plans:)

Orange vest
Kifaru Weebie
And wax for his pads if they get cracked or blown.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Thanks for suggesting the wax.

Me + dog are headed to MT on Sunday. She (dog) usually goes with, incl bow hunts. Am thinking the wax will help with dried gumbo balls between the toes and pads - should slip off easy if wax is gobbed on paws. Can follow up after I return.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Messages
1,159
Location
Western Montana
My youngest son and I brought our dog today on a mule deer hunt. My oldest brought her on a couple hunts and 2 pack outs over the last two weeks. She is a lab that is afraid of all species of mountain grouse as well as huns. Shed hunting, she can sniff out deer, elk and moose horns… sometimes.

But most importantly, she will not get 5ft away from me and literally sit on my foot if I do one quick, quiet, low pitch whistle. Basically a whisper. She is completely silent and over the last couple years, we have decided to start bringing her more and more often.
 

Elk97

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Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
782
Location
NW WA & SW MT
My oldest son takes his Golden retriever with us elk hunting (archery, rifle). He's well trained and never makes a sound when elk are around. He also is great at alerting us if a griz is close, attacked one when a griz was sneaking up behind them while walking up a logging road. No downside, good dog.
 
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
13
I have a male yorkie i have promised over and over that I'll take hunting . Im worried about somthing snatching him up. Hes an excellent hunter and is bad News on squirrels . He'll sit still
 

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