Breaking from running deer

[Bowyer]

What are your favorite methods to break beagles from running deer? I have a couple of young dogs that are starting good and once in a while they want to run a deer. I haven't had beagles for many years and when I had them before we lived in a area that had no deer so I haven't had any experience in breaking from running deer. I know there are several methods but was wanting imput on what you all may have used with good success.
Thanks
Rich

[Hare Hunter]

get a shock collar, get a good one that has at least 1 mile range, put it on them everytime you run them, if you do shock them be 100% sure they are running off game, then don't try to be nice, let them have it, hopefully you are close enough to them to then scold them and tell them " no deer", if they have run more then 1 or 2 deer it may take a few applications but be persistent, watch them very closely to see if they both are working deer scent or is one starting it then the other going along for the ride. Good luck and I wouldn't run them anymore till you can controll the deer running or they may be ruined for good. Hare

[warddog]

I use the tri-tronics. Where I live is in the middle of woods with about a 5 acre grass field behind my house. I have a state park across the road so deer are pretty plentiful. I keep the dummy collar on a dog that I am breaking in the kennel and when I see a deer in the field I go get the dog, trade the dummy for the live collar, lead the dog up to about where I saw the deer and cut them loose. I have the collar on the highest setting and when the hound opens up I lay the wood to em. This usually only takes a couple of times. The last one I broke I rolled the first time out. The second time I saw a deer bedded just inside the wood line so I lead the dog up, the deer jumped and I cut the dog loose. The dog went right into the spot where the deer ran and smelled the deer trail but never showed any interest. I let it hunt around in the thicket until she came into me so I snapped her up and lead her to the deer bed. Her and I were standing right in the middle of the warm deer bed and she sniffed and sat down. I unsnapped her and she went out again but showed absolutely no interest in running that HOT deer track. Shock collars work as I have used this method on several.

[Big Dog]

The shock collar makes deer breaking a lot easier. I have broken all of my dogs except 1(I think I got her this morning) with the aid of tritronics. I put a collar on young dogs every time they go out, that way you never miss a training opportunity. I never avoid a deer, if I see one while I am out I always walk the dogs in the direction that he went. If I see a deer bed I will go and stand right in the middle of it and hunt the dogs all around it. I like to see a deer and then walk the dogs the way he went when I am breaking a dog. If he opens I let him run the line for about a 100 yards and then I put my collar on the highest setting and then bring him to his knees. I will shock them until they get all the way back to me. When they get back I will tell them No deer and scold them. On some dogs it only takes once or twice on others it may take a couple of times. The key is breaking it up while they are young and before they get a good taste of running deer. I had 6 young dogs on the ground this morning and walked up on a deer bed, I stood right there and the dogs hunted all around it and never showed any interest. One dog came up and got the happy tail and buried his nose in it and I gave him a hard bump just to let him know that I don't play that. A little later I jumped a deer all of the dogs turned it down except one, I let her get going on it good and then I nailed her. After I shock them off deer I try to get them on a rabbit and praise them up real good when they run it.

Big Dog

[sgc]

I would also shoot some rabbits over them after shocking them off deer & let them mouth them good and praise them a lot. They learn what it is you're wanting them to chase. This goes a long way, I think, in solving the problem.

[Joe West]

We never use a shock collar and don't recomend them. Instead we down them off the line and shake them hard enough to hurt while giving the "no" command in a harsh tone of voice and then lead them away from the deer line.

[bowhunter59]

lol if my dogs did get on a deer joe u would never catch them lol shock collar only way to go !

[bob huffman]

My Uncle Farley trained all the deer in his running grounds not to run when they saw his dogs coming. The deer would just stand there and stick their tongues out at the dogs and of course this offended the dogs and after a couple times of this, they got to where they didn't like deer. After that he could hunt them anywhere. Uncle Farley was a man of few words and never gave out his trade secrets, but one night I got him drunk and he told me, I swear!

[Joe West]

bowhunter: lots of people say the that the hounds can't be caught on a deer and if your trying to run up behind them your right. BUT, you can cut them off just like getting a marked line on a rabbit.

[Emery]

The simplest and most fun way to break the dogs from running deer is to shoot all the deer and then you don't have the problem anymore. Of course, you may bet into trouble with the law...

I would recommend the shock collar bit. Take the dog to where you saw the deer standing in a field and let the dog sniff it up really good. You obviously would have it on a leash. Then when the dog shows interest in it, give a stearn NO command and a dug on the leash. If this doesn't do the trick give a belt with the collar. Then walk back to the truck and try it again the next day or so. Be sure to run on rabbits in between.

Good luck,
Emery

[bowhunter59]

yes u could joe if u can find a place to cut them off but mine r dang fast and if mine were to take off on a deer i want to burn them up quick so they exactly why they r being puinished i do understand that some folks abuse collars and ruin dogs but that is the owner fault ! didnt mean to offend u joe please except my apolagy

[MasonsBeagles]

Shock collars are the way to go. I am not an expert but running shock collars on a pup usually does the trick. If you are lucky enough to catch them on the very first one then you usually dont have any more problems. Definately alternate between Deer and Rabbits. THey will learn good and bad. Years ago I had a female that loved deer. The shock collar would stop the race, but she would still occassionally hit a deer on me. This was because she got away with it several times. I had to take her to a gentlemans deer breaking treatment and it did the trick. He cuts them loose in a deer pen and if they sight chase or run track he shocked them. Then he would put them up and try it again after a couple hours. After a couple of sessions of this he would place them in a rabbit running pen where they could run all the rabbit they wanted. Some take their medicine and keep going others it does affect a little. The little female never hit a deer on me after that. The guy that owns her know says all of his but her will run a deer and it has been over four years since i had to do that. This time around I purchased shock collars first thing on getting back into dogs. I have been fortunate that I have not even had the resemblance of a deer race with the pups I have know. I do still run collars on my dogs though. Like I said if you stop the first one it is usually no problems after that. At least that is what I have witnessed. Collars as was said in previous posts need to be utilized conservatively I have seen good dogs ruined with them. But I will and have laid it wide open to stop off game. Dogs figure it out real quick if a collar is utilized right. Other methods work but with collars it keeps me from blowing a gasket by the time i catch a dog. Hot blooded steppy dogs can sure cover alot of ground in a short time if you get one that decides a deer race will be fun.

Dont take this as law as I am no expert. I am just sharing my thoughts and what has worked for me in the past. I would even venture to say that shock collars has saved the lives of alot of great dogs. Years ago the old run and catch was the only thing going. As a matter of fact I think Ill post the question on the shock collars just to see if anyone has the same thoughts. Well good luck and happy running.

[Guest]

E-collars are used and recommened buy most top dog trainers. Very effective when used correctly. I'd like to see someone run a dog down where I run! LOL!!

[AlabamaSwamper]

FRY THEIR BRAINS AND DON'T LET OFF UNTIL THEY SHUT UP AND COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wingpatch]

There is an old fashion way that was tought to me some 45 yrs. ago, But it is illegle Less you do it in deer season.??? I am sure some of you old timers know what i am talking about ,It works ....But the remote collars are the way
to go now days..But you got to use common cents
Wingpatch