Zoe's progress

So it's been 3.5 months since Zoe recovered her first deer, time has flown by and now she has just gone 10months and successfully recovered 15 Sika. Over this period she's had alot of opportunities to practice the skills taught to date. She is definitely progressing and becoming more relaxed although the inner puppy comes out after glassing for a wee while just like my kids. Things we are still working on is speed in the track/stalk and range. Currently if shes on the scent of a downed animal and knows what's coming, she can get tunnel vision and track too fast and further out than I like, which was likely induced by hunting her pretty early, we live and learn. It's hard to imagine deer stalking without her now as shes been very handy indeed.

Of particular note was a hunt conducted with my mate Bryce a few weeks ago. We set off for a quick evening hunt after work, stalking along a ridge top with scree and tussock slopes leading down to the beach forest below. Zoe was picking up alot of wind and ground scent things were looking good. Soon she got very keen and took us down a small spur. I put her on a sit and started to attach my bipod before cresting the rise, all the while she was shaking and frantically scenting the air. I said to my mate, "there'll be something down there" Just as I had said this, Bryce whispered "don't move, I've got antlers!" Sure enough a Sika stag crested the rise and Bryce dropped it with his 7mm-08. We released Zoe and she took us in to the downed stag. It was an awesome wee hunt and her first stalked and indicated deer, until then she had either tracked and recovered downed game or taken me in but never quite sealed the deal it was a great result. Pictured below is Zoe and I with Bryce's stag and a few other pictures of memorable hunts.

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Awesome mate

awesome indeed...when you two get the mojo going ,life just becomes fanfarkintastic...... leading you into deer and mate shooting it,all the while dog under control...PERFECT..... give that dog a pat,owner can have one too.
love the photos.

Stories like that are what dog handlers dream about and I certainly envy your sucess. It doesn't come without hard work and I dare say some frustration as well. Good on you.

:thumbsup:

Cheers all, plenty of stuff ups and frustration, we are both still learning as we go, but happy overall.