My squirrel dog just keeps getting better and better.

Oldcountryboy · #1 01/09/12, 10:50 PM

With all the leaves gone, my little rat terrior is treeing squirrels left and right on a daily basis. Everytime I come driving up the driveway he looks toward the woods behind our house and then he takes off in a dead run. In a few minutes he'll have a squirrel treed. I'll either grab the rifle right fast and go after it or I'll send my daughter (age 10) after it.

We don't always get the squirrel. Seems we only get about 2 squirrels for every 5 or 6 squirrels that he trees. Sometimes when we get there we don't see a squirrel but we'll see a squirrel hole or two in the tree or a big nest up toward the top. Sometime when we get there the squirrel takes off and starts hitting the tree top to tree top till it finds cover.

This morning I took him out for a while and out of 5 times he treed, I manage to shoot 2 squirrels. So I have really been enjoying fried squirrel here lately.

I got to get one or two more terriors to hunt with us.

OkieDavid · #2 01/09/12, 10:58 PM

Sure is nice to have a good tree rat dog hanging around in the yard. Also helps to bring a young dog into the mix to keep a good bull pen handy.

manawar · #3 01/09/12, 11:26 PM

Sounds like a good match.

Working dogs really enjoy doing a good job for you. Does he ever get some of the leftovers?
Next you got to teach him to shoot'em and skin'em.

moonwolf · #4 01/10/12, 06:26 PM

It's grand fun treeing squirrels with terriers. When two are out chasing around my trees they keep the squirrel mixing it up as the dogs on the ground go opposites at the tree and make the target much easier to pick off when the rodent shows itself eventually.
My kuvasz (not a terrier) is comical also when I find her mouth full of a squirrel that she chased down and captured. A mighty nice snack for her!

HillRunner · #5 01/10/12, 09:16 PM

Hello everyone I was wondering how y'all trained tour dogs? My neighbors have a black mouth cur almost a year old very nice dog. He asked me the other day if I would like her I said yes. She hasn't been started is it to old to start?

Oldcountryboy · #6 01/10/12, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manawar

Sounds like a good match.

Working dogs really enjoy doing a good job for you. Does he ever get some of the leftovers?
Next you got to teach him to shoot'em and skin'em.

Leftovers! Oh you bet he does. When skinning the squirrels he gets to eat the head, feet, and guts. I keep the hide and nail on to a tree by the driveway. Then after dinner he gets the leftover bones and gets to lick the gravy pan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonwolf

When two are out chasing around my trees they keep the squirrel mixing it up as the dogs on the ground go opposites at the tree and make the target much easier to pick off when the rodent shows itself eventually. !

That's why I want more dogs to hunt with. It's kind of tricky to try to walk around and around a tree trying to find a squirrel that keeps going around and around the tree hiding from you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HillRunner

Hello everyone I was wondering how y'all trained tour dogs? My neighbors have a black mouth cur almost a year old very nice dog. He asked me the other day if I would like her I said yes. She hasn't been started is it to old to start?

I've never hunted with a cur dog. I'm not sure if they tree by sight or by their nose. My terrior trees by sight. I started him with a squirrel skin stretched over a empty plastic water bottle that was hung hanging down from a tree limb. He would have to jump to reach it but wouldn't be able to hold on to it. From there he got to chasing live squirrels that would come into our yard looking for walnuts. Then I would take him hunting as much as I could. Now he thrives on the chase and dreams about it all night long, waiting for daylight to get here.

Forgot to mention. When out hunting the terrior dog will run all over the place till he surprizes a squirrel which will run up a tree. Then he keeps his eyes on it and barks letting me know he's got a squirrel treed. He can cover a lot of ground fast. I'm getting good excersize running up and down hills trying to get to keep up with him before he gives up on me. I'm hoping if he had another partner they both might stay on the tree longer.

Ed Norman · #7 01/10/12, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldcountryboy

Leftovers! Oh you bet he does. When skinning the squirrels he gets to eat the head, feet, and guts.

My great uncle had usually 3 rat terriers for squirrels. When we got one the first time I went with him when I was little, he made a tiny slit in the belly skin. He told me the dog that found the squirrel gets the spaghetti. Then he bent over and let the winner suck it out. Off they went again. Great fun.

My best rat terrier would also see them in the limbs and leaves, not only on the ground. He had amazing eyes, and he could run ten feet up the tree if the bark was rough enough. That surprised quite a few squirrels.