Hunting season + blood tracking training

This weekend, the big game hunting season has started and after my enormous toothache I was able to take Ruudi to the "big" hunting. What we usually do is, we surround one section of the forest with gunmen and start searhing through the area with a line of chasers. So, me and Ruudi were the chasers and we always took the center line of the section. First section was a swamp and quite tough. Ruudi had to jump up and down in the meadows of the bog, swim cross the rivers and dodge fallen trees. I was quite sure that the first chase would be quite difficult to him but as can be seen in the next picture, Ruudi brought one long stick and asked me to throw it :) Ok, you ain't seen nothing yet...

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After the second chase we got one deer and I let Ruudi to meet him and Ruudi was very interested and at every possibility tried to rub himselt into the blood of the deer. You know, one true hunter needs a good desguise.

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Covering himselt in the blood was not enough. Ruudi had to pull the animal away. He was so active and eager that even the visiting Germans said that: "Good dog, good dog!"

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The next day started with a little play with other hunting dogs and Ruudi is just a perfect dog. He get's along with everybody. Absolutely not angry to anybody.

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Riding in a pick-up car is also fun. No troubles at all. Covered in blood and a dead wild boar next to him only make it more interesting.

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In the end of the last hunt, we went to a dead wild boar and Ruudi started barking at him. I was so pleased and praised him for that. He did it for at least 30 minutes or more. Just perfect!

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To conclude, I was very pleased with the weekend. Ruudi did not chase the living game which is good because I still have hopes to make him a good blood tracking dog. And I was very pleased that in the end of each track he found a wounded animal and started barking at it!

We took at least 10 km of very rough terrain, and I mean very rough. Ruudi had to jump around all the time and swimming through the water - not to mention at least 10 km more to move around. And then, the DOG STARTS DIGGING IN THE GROUND AFTER THAT!! Whatta!? Laikas were drop-dead tired already and were looking at Ruudi like watching a UFO.

I had marked down a blood track the day before and I was afraid that Ruudi is too tired after the hunt to do that - but I had no other option than to try. So I was absolutely exhausted myself but still took the long red rope, commanded Ruudi to sit until I "investigate" the shoooting place (marking the start of the track) and then took Ruudi to the beginning of the track and..... DAMN THAT DOG!!! I was too slow to command him anything. He was just so keen on starting searching along the track that.... I couldn't do anything than just follow. The track was 24 HOURS OLD!!! And Ruudi was reading it like a book. The only trouble is that he is too fast and keen (unfortunately too fast for a blood tracking dog). He ran passed the track at the first 180 degrees turning but luckily understood the mistake quite soon and after a few jumps, started going along the track again. The second 180 degree turning he somehow luckily got it right away and it took only a few minutes to find the "dead animal".

I was so amazed. The dog was covered with fresh blood (wild boar, moose and red deer) and just had a two days hunt. He took 24 hours old track and he was reading it like a book. I was just impressed!!! Maybe.... maybe Ruudi will become a good blood tracking dog after all.