# Deer Dogs and E-Collars



## labman626 (Jun 26, 2011)

We are having some problems this year with my club. We lost some land so the blocks we are hunting this year are smaller. I would like to be able to call my dogs off of a chase when they get out of the block to get them back easier and not have problems with still hunters etc...I am an avid still hunter as well so I know what it is like to have dogs run over you while sitting in the tree. Just curious if you have used e-collars on your dogs how you did it to get them to come back. I am very familiar with the collar I use it on my lab I run in hunt test everyday. Just not sure about using it on a hound. Anyone feel free to chime in. Thanks!


----------



## JuliaH (Jun 27, 2011)

The dog needs to know the command to come back to you without the e-collar. If you call him back in the yard and he comes, but forgets all about you in the excitement in the field, that is when it is handy. Call him and if he does not come back, hit the button on that collar. Continue the call then zap until he figures out if he does not come that thing keeps bothering him.

I use the lowest setting possible to get the desired response. Just remember that the e-collar is a correction tool, not a training tool. I can work my dogs often with the collar on, but the receiver turned off just because they understand I can "reach" them if needed. 

Some collars have a beeper, so that is the lowest setting. If that works, you never need higher settings. If not, then use as high a setting as it takes to get the desired response, but then training time at home helps too. You can make errors with the collar where even a great dog will not leave your side with the collar on. Obviously that is an example of a collar misused.


----------



## chris mcdaniel (Jun 27, 2011)

i used  to use them competion coonhunting when the hunt was over i would holler for him for 2 to 5 mins and then hit collar if he wasnt back and usually he was just out of my sight and would yelp when i bumped it,gonna need a tri tronics trashbreaker though to reach out to them, Good luck....


----------



## JuliaH (Jun 27, 2011)

1 mile range is important too, for big running dogs... sorry, forgot that in my other post


----------



## labman626 (Jun 27, 2011)

Yeah when I collar conditioned my labs I did it to obedience commands but with hounds and beagles I don't really want them to learn obedience. Just when I holler come running.


----------



## simpleman30 (Jun 27, 2011)

i've heard of guys that use shock collars on their deer hounds... actually i've only ever heard of one guy using them successfully.  i talked to a guy a couple of weeks ago at a fox/coyote field trial that uses shock collars on his fox dogs in the pen and has had success.

to be honest, it will probably be more trouble than it's worth.  either that or it will affect the dog negatively.  a dog that has run deer all of it's life and is praised for it and then all of a sudden "disciplined" for doing so is not likely going to want to run them anymore.  that's why rabbit hunters use shock collars to break rabbit dogs from running deer.  most hounds i've seen are not as receptive to periodic discipline of any kind as a lab, retriever, or any other dog that constantly receives direction, discipline, and affirmation.    

IMHO, any hound that's worth it's feed bill isn't going to break off a hot track, either by calling or shocking unless they're just exhausted.  my beagles will break off when called but only when they're absolutely spent from running for a day or two.


----------



## grouper throat (Jun 27, 2011)

I never put a hand on any of my deer dogs once in the woods and haven't for 4 years. They probably handle as good as most trained bird dogs and I can stop a race anytime I need to by toning their collars and they come to my truck horn. I've broke 10-12 hounds and never found one to be stubborn once they realize what's going on. 

There's alot of deer dogs here that are trained to handle like a dream as deer dog hunting is big business here.  It's much easier to work with young dogs than experienced dogs also. PM me if you need help and I'll try and help you.


----------



## StikR (Jul 3, 2011)

simpleman30 said:


> i've heard of guys that use shock collars on their deer hounds... actually i've only ever heard of one guy using them successfully.  i talked to a guy a couple of weeks ago at a fox/coyote field trial that uses shock collars on his fox dogs in the pen and has had success.
> 
> to be honest, it will probably be more trouble than it's worth.  either that or it will affect the dog negatively.  a dog that has run deer all of it's life and is praised for it and then all of a sudden "disciplined" for doing so is not likely going to want to run them anymore.  that's why rabbit hunters use shock collars to break rabbit dogs from running deer.  most hounds i've seen are not as receptive to periodic discipline of any kind as a lab, retriever, or any other dog that constantly receives direction, discipline, and affirmation.
> 
> IMHO, any hound that's worth it's feed bill isn't going to break off a hot track, either by calling or shocking unless they're just exhausted.  my beagles will break off when called but only when they're absolutely spent from running for a day or two.



Well stated.  I'd try running smaller dogs


----------



## GA DAWG (Jul 3, 2011)

I don't know how it is with deer dogs but my hounds will come back with one. Its all in the training. Gotta work with em regularly. Don't just expect to turn em out and then shock em back in. Takes hours of work. To me any hound that want come in ain't worth the feed bill!!


----------



## simpleman30 (Jul 5, 2011)

i guess i'm just not as concerned about where my dogs go as some folks.  my dogs will be back to the clubhouse or my last turnout spot within a day or two if not within a few hours.  if not, i'll catch them back up the next week.  i'm not going to break them off a hot track.  i know i'm going to lose a dog or 2 every year to being shot or run over so i don't intend to work them enough so they will respond to an e-collar.  that's just one more expensive thing i have to pay to replace when they kiss a log truck or meet an intolerant neighbor.


----------



## Stinger (Jan 13, 2013)

grouper throat said:


> I never put a hand on any of my deer dogs once in the woods and haven't for 4 years. They probably handle as good as most trained bird dogs and I can stop a race anytime I need to by toning their collars and they come to my truck horn. I've broke 10-12 hounds and never found one to be stubborn once they realize what's going on.
> 
> There's alot of deer dogs here that are trained to handle like a dream as deer dog hunting is big business here.  It's much easier to work with young dogs than experienced dogs also. PM me if you need help and I'll try and help you.



Yep!!!! Having well train dogs takes most of the aggravation out of it! My dogs have been horn broke for two years and not once have they ever been hesitant on taking a cold track much less a hot one. Moreover, the faster you can catch your dogs the more deer you can run!


----------

