Sure, Rocky wanted to play. The only real issue is that Rocky weighs more than any Florida deer could hope to weigh. If he "played" with a deer, he'd break it within the first couple minutes.
Like milkman said....almost any dog can do it....if they want to....the main thing to training a dog to do anything is that it has to want to please you.....Ive trained a couple to track deer....the first was a Jack Russell and they do a great job..and Im of the opinion, the smaller the dog, the easier to keep up with, the less food you have to buy, and the smaller the turds......they trail slow so you can keep up with em and a really smart dog....my dog that I use now is a springer spaniel and the last deer she found this year didnt bleed a drop...I asked the guy where he thought the deer went into the woods, put her on the spot...and she went right to it....and that was after we had given up and thought the guy missed completely.
Start working with em as pups and give them a smell of fresh venison while you are cleaning a deer and start using the phrase "find the deer". I use to save deer legs for training and would tie one to a rope, and wearing rubber boots, have someone drag it a short distance...take the dog to the spot where the legs first touches the ground and tell em to "find the deer" always use the same words. Start with a very short trail of maybe 10 to 20 feet, let her find it, and give em some fresh venison if you have it as a reward. Some guys recommend putting a small bell on their collar when they track so you can hear them in the woods at night. My dog doesnt bark when she's trailing so it helps to locate them. The only thing I ever let her eat that isnt dried dog food is fresh venison so she keeps her interest up. Dont know about having a dog "finish off" a wounded deer....I'd rather just shoot it if necessary, but 99% of the time, they are dead when you find them and I wouldnt want my dog tearing the nose up on a trophy buck....but that's just my opinion. Once they figure out what you want them to do, its pretty easy and you cant fool their nose.......
Also...when dragging the leg, try to drag it going down wind so the dog has to put its nose on the ground, and isnt just using the wind to cheat....makes them a better tracker.
After using the leg for a while I would have her track deer even if I knew that they were 50 feet from where they were hit....in other words, an easy track job....you want the dog to be successful everytime in the beginning and make a big deal and praise the dog when they find the deer. Once they catch on its easy....
Another thought....if you are having the dog track a deer for real...its best not to have 10 guys in there tracking up and adding scent and walking back and forth across where the deer might have run....it just spreads the scent around and confuses the dog, but the dog will still be able to figure this out once they become experienced.....
If you have any questions let me know....its def. worth the effort, and once they start finding a few deer, you're really going to be glad you did it...
That some good info Dave.
Thanks....it works....and having a dog that can find deer is a big plus for me....I really hate to leave a deer dead in the woods....just a hell of a waste....especially a real nice buck....thats what made me get a trailing dog....
I don't want to highjack the thread. My son has an 'English Lab'- a yellow lab trained in the English tradition. It supposedly gives them a 'softer' mouth when retrieving birds, etc. I'm hoping to get one soon. I'd guess tracking a deer could be an option.
