West Michigan Whitetail Tracking

All set and only 38 days, but who’s counting ?

Oh the drive on this one never stops. A early morning beach walk with the dogs has Picabo finding her favorite scent. Had me laughing as she stopped and started following the mule deer tracks.
Only 40 days until opening day !

Fun training session helping new tracker Ben and Tucker prepare for a test today. Ketchum also ran the storm crushed 27 hour line laid day before and not run. He worked out a couple of major struggle points cutting a corner where it appeared the scent just disappeared.
Looking forward to a weekend training session with Renee and Ella as she prepares to be challenged with a UBT 3 this August at the Michigan event in Grayling.

I guess I should have checked the radar before putting out a training track for a new area tracker that’s getting ready for a started dog test.
Oh well, there’s a nice line and hide out to run tomorrow after a good thunderstorm and hot weather for tomorrow around the 26-28 hour mark. I’m thinking Ketchum right now.
Also will be putting out a new 3 hour old training line too.

Summer weather HEAT training has started to prepare for September out West tracking. This has been something we’ve done regularly each year by running our lines in the hottest, driest part of the day. Not waiting for dewpoint to increase.
Tonight Challis struggled and could not complete the 21 hour 452 yard line. She got to about 120 yards very sloppily and I decided to pull her.
An hour later I put Ketchum at the start and he worked very slowly getting through Challis’s back and forth searching holding the line. Ketchum did complete and find the hide after 2 areas of struggle doing many circles and checks.
This track was put out with 1/2 oz. of blood diluted with about 1 oz. of water. The hooves used had been used on 3 previous tracks.

2026 and 2027 coming changes

Tonights training was a 2 oz blood with unused hooves in Wasgua shoes line that I should be sharing a video of. Somehow I did not start the video and saw it as she approached the hide. Frustrated on me, but so so pleased with her work. Challis and Janice ran the track blind as always. No recalls with several circles back to line when Chal’ lost the line on 90’s. This pup is so easily read and her pace is very comfortable.

What did we learn on yesterday’s 3 training tracks?
All 3 tracks showed much similarities by each dog. All lines had a dried hide for the target and app. 1 oz of blood on each line.
Ketchum ran the first 26 hour old track with Janice. She did not know the line. He struggled to start with winds howling in the mid 30 mph range. He bracketed and circled often overrunning 3 of 5 90 degree turns. this line had much elevation change with low pockets and valleys. Scent pooling and drifting was observed. Near the end he struggled to move up a 15-20’ steep hill to the target that was upwind. It looked like all the scent was stuck down low. He finally punched up the line finding the hide.

Picabo was next up with me handling her. Wind was dying down a little and line was about 27 hours old. She very sloppily ran the line fast and bracketing. Cut 2 of the 5 90s and was downwind often. She hit a diagonal road crossing and easily went across even with hundreds of cars going over it at the middle school. She worked through autumn olive to overrun the last 90 and circled back to the upwind hide hidden in a spruce tree.

We decided to let wind die down so Challis ran a 29 hour line. Her line started on mowed grass next to ball field. She really struggled to hold the 150 yard working it downwind. When she hit the field edge she methodically worked with many checks and circles through the CRP type field, brush to some hard 90s. A recall was needed to start her again and she picked up line again. It wasn’t pretty but she worked up a hill into a woods where it took many circles and a reset for her to find hide.

Training like this is one of the ways we learn the subtleties of when the dog is struggling or off line. Watching 3 dogs that track quite differently also teaches us much. Seeing all 3 struggle under same conditions reinforces patience and understanding. The hooves used were previously used 2 weeks ago on a UBT test and I feel did not put a lot of scent down.

September WY/CO season will be here before I know it. Base campsite is reserved and

2 training tracks set , one more to lay for Pic’ , Ketch’ and Challis. 450-500 yards each aged 26-28 hours, with 1 oz of blood and hooves and 30 mph winds hopefully will challenge them tomorrow evening.