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• Posted By : UHUNT APP - Jesse Farr
• Posted On : Feb 05, 2020
• Views : 3212
• Likes : 7
• Category : DEER HUNTING » ARTICLES, TIPS & HOW TO GUIDES
• Description : In this article, I am going to talk to you about why pointing breeds are so useful for hunting Sambar Deer.

Overview

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  In this article, I am going to talk to you about why pointing breeds are so useful for hunting Sambar Deer. I’ll also explain to you what I believe are the best pointing breeds for stalking Sambar Deer the way that I do.
  
  HOW CAN A POINTING DOG HELP US FIND MORE DEER?
  A pointing dog can help us find a lot more Deer while stalking because they can cover more ground than we can. The further a Dog can work away from us while we are stalking the more Deer they have the chance to find. The terrain Sambar live in is brutal on us sometimes, and we can’t always follow our Dogs. This is why we need to use our pointer effectively as how they have always been used for Bird hunting, which is to range, find and then hold point on an animal. This way we can move in without scaring that animal off and still get a shot. If we can train that, then we’ve got a weapon in the bush. Not only will they help us find many more Deer but training and bonding with a Dog is a very rewarding process for both the Dog and the Trainer. 
  
  Once a Pointing Dog locates a Deer, it should remain stationary on point away from the Hunter. This is what separates a Pointing Dog from a non Pointing Dog breed. It is the main reason why non Pointing breeds would need to be worked much closer to the Hunter. There are a number of reasons why a Dog holding point further away will help us.
  1. It keeps us further away from the Deer which increases the chance of seeing the Deer before it takes off. 
  2. It helps us move around difficult terrain instead of through it while we move in on the Deer. 
  3. It gives us a line of sight as to where the Deer is in thick cover.
  
  The skills of a Pointing Dog are even more important for Sambar hunting in Australia because Sambar spend so much of their life in thick and often dry vegetation. In this habitat it’s very noisy to stalk. But by working our Pointer away from us and even using a tracking collar the Dog can be on point out of sight, while we move in on the Deer slowly. 
  
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  WHY ARE GENETICS IMPORTANT
  There is a saying that its not the Dog it’s the Trainer that determines if a Dog is good. While I do agree there is truth in this saying if Genetics weren’t important every Horse could win the Melbourne Cup. So, of course, our Pointing Dog Genetics matter. With good genes and training one of my dogs Dottie was finding Sambar from 6 months old. A common mistake I have seen over the years is someone buying a pup because they have been told the parents are used for Deer Hunting.
  Any dog can be taken Deer Hunting, but it’s their natural ability that matters. The best proof for a good pup is video of the parents Pointing Deer. There are three key reasons why we want the best Pointing Dog Genetics possible as Deer Hunters.
  
  1. It will be easier to Train a Dog with good Genetics. 
  2. It will be faster to Train a Dog with good Genetics. 
  3. The higher the level of success we will be able to achieve with our Dog.
  
  WHAT BREED IS BEST FOR STALKING SAMBAR
  At this time, I will say I am talking about breeds according to their historical and general traits. Of course, some specific bloodlines and individual Dogs will not fit the general breed standard. While all pointing breeds can point, there are two categories of Pointing dogs that are generally recognized around the world. They are known as the Versatile Pointing breeds and Specialist Pointing breeds. 
  
  VERSATILE VS SPECIALIST BREEDS
  Versatile Pointing dog breeds include the ever-popular German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP), The German Wire Haired Pointer (GWP), The Hungarian Vizsla & Weimaraners.
  The versatility for these breeds was achieved by selecting and breeding Dogs with an increased desire to catch game as well as point them, and as a result, versatile breeds became more proficient at water retrieval, blood trailing and even catching small game than the traditional Specialist Pointers. The second group of Pointing Dogs the Specialist, include the English Pointers (Pointer) & the Setter. 
  
  For centuries Specialist Pointing Dogs have been selectively bred to find Birds on land using the Bird’s body scent and then point them out for the Hunter. They have been specifically bred to have less desire to catch animals which inturn further added to their steadiness at holding point. Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked with over 100 dogs from different pointing breeds that are being used currently for Sambar stalking. Across all breeds, the genetic skills have ranged from good to not so good. 
  
  But there are some common themes I’ve seen which of course do marry up to the traditional uses of each breed. I’ve seen that the specialist pointing breeds will naturally be more inclined to work air scent then ground scent. The specialist will more naturally move in on Deer slowly and point them from further away, and they are often easier to train to stay on point for long periods, even when out of sight. So with all that said, in my opinion, a specialist pointing breed is the best suited for finding and pointing Deer. Of course this assumes that the dog has good genetics within that breed.
   
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  VERSATILE BREEDS 
  
  GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER (GSP)
  The German Shorthaired Pointer is believed to have descended from a breed known as the German Bird Dog. That breed itself is related to the Old Spanish Pointer and Hannover Hound, which was crossbred in the 1600s. It is also likely that various German hounds and tracking dogs, as well as the English Pointer and the Arkwright Pointer also contributed to the development of the breed. In the beginning, pointing was only one of the many traits the German Shorthair possessed. Therefore a good portion of the breed’s ancestry was made from the various breeds. These breeds were used at various times to reinforce the pointer instincts. Often referred to as an all-purpose hunting, pointing, retrieving breed.
  
  
  
  In Germany, dense forests blended with open fields housed all types of feathered and furred animals. Most German hunters typically hunted on foot; so they also wanted a dog that had enough discipline and inbred instinct to remain staunch on point once the animal was located to allow hunters time to close in on the target as well as a hunting partner that would retrieve fallen animals both on land and in water. The breed became an all-purpose breed that is skilled at flushing and locating game for their handlers, as well as retrieving it for them. 
  
  GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER (GWP)
  The German Wirehaired Pointer was developed around the beginning of the 19th century. The GWP’s breed is believed to be made up from the German Shorthaired Pointer. As well as the Pudelpointer, a dog that was a cross between the Poodle and Pointer. Other breeds used to create the German Wirehaired Pointer include the Polish Water Dog, the Stichelhaar and the Griffon. 
  
  
  
  The GWP is a double-coated breed, the outercoats is short, wiry and harsh as well as being waterproof, helping to provide protection in thick cover when hunting and retrieving. The undercoat is thick in the winter and thin the summer making them ideal dogs for colder climates and bird dogs. Due to this the breed is still one of the most popular bird dogs, and they are becoming more popular for both land and water retrieval. When the breed was first developed their coat was their most important asset — considered as an all-terrain, all-weather hunter, proficient in tall grass, deep woods or water. This breed can point, track, retrieve, and work as a gun-dog, in both field and water for both feather and fur. 
  
  HUNGARIAN VIZSLA
  The Vizsla (meaning “Pointer” in Hungarian) is the national dog of Hungary. The Hungarian Vizsla has an ancient history dating back to the 10th century. Though the history is a little unclear, it is believed that they descended from hunting dogs used by the Magyar tribes, who settled in Hungary more than a thousand years ago. Early 10th century etchings show a Magyar warrior and a smooth-coated dog resembling a Vizsla. For centuries the Vizsla was used to scent and search for Birds that were then either caught by falcons or netted. After the introduction of firearms during the 1700’s it required a gundog with an all-round ability to hunt Fur and Feathered game, on the plains of Hungary. The dogs needed to be fast and have good noses which would enable them to point the various game Birds and Wildfowl. 
  
  
  
  The Vizsla was also used for hunting Deer, Wild Boar, and Wolves, all of which they were expected to hold & point. This work was usually performed using several dogs working together. During the 20th century, after two world wars and the Russian invasion of Hungary the Vizsla nearly become extinct. After the First World War about a dozen dogs remained and these became the basis of all registered Vizslas in Hungary. These dogs were exported to America and Vizslas re-appeared in the 1950s, the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1960. Despite only being 60 years ago, the Vizsla was a lot different from todays modern breed – they had longer muzzles, both lighter and darker coat colors, longer ears, and a hound-like appearance. Today the Vizsla can be found performing a multitude of jobs. Some were even working at Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
  
  WEIMARANER
  Developed in the early 1800s, the Weimaraner was bred to be used as a gundog, and also to hunt large game such as Bears, Wild Boar, Wolves & Deer. Thought to have originally descended from the Bloodhound, the modern Weimaraner is the product of selective German breeding, with a mixture of some of the following, Red Schewisshunds, German Shorthair Pointer, English Pointer & the Blue Great Dane. As time moved on the number of large game available to hunt dropped and the breed was then trained for hunting Birds, Rabbits & Foxes. Their breeding was kept a close secret in Germany for many years by a very strict breed club, and it was not until 1929 that the Weimaraner was introduced to America. 
  
  
  
  During World War II, it became difficult for German breeders to keep their dogs, so many outstanding Weimaraners were sent to the U.S. At the end of World War II, many American soldiers brought Weimaraners home with them, and they quickly grew in popularity. By the mid to late 1950s, Weimaraners were the 12th most popular breed. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of irresponsible breeding. As the quality of the breed dropped and temperament problems became common, the Weimaraner’s popularity fell. By the late 1960s, the number of registrations fell to nearly half of what they had been in 1957. Registrations kept decreasing throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Allowing breeders who had dedicated to the breed an opportunity to improve the health, temperament, and conformation of the Weimaraner breed. Registrations began to climb again in the 1990s, and today the Weimaraner is once again one of the most popular breeds in America and growing popularity in Australia.
  
  SPECIALIST BREEDS
  
  ENGLISH POINTER (POINTER) 
  The English Pointer is one of the oldest breeds in England, dating back over 3 Centuries, originating in England in 1650 as a pointing dog which was used to locate Hares. The early Pointers appear to have been much heavier dogs, selected for their strong tendency to “point,” the breed required further refinement to produce the athletic, lean build seen in the modern breed. The exact details of the history of the breed is slightly unclear, but it is suggested that the continental Pointers were crossed with Bloodhounds, Foxhounds, Greyhounds, Bull Terrier and Setters which made the English Pointer of today have qualities of stamina and sensory awareness. 
  
  
  
  From the early 20th century, the English Pointers began to be exported in considerable numbers, and largely replacing the less-developed bloodlines still found throughout Europe at the time. Renowned within the hunting community for their ability to tirelessly work all day in the field. The Pointer breed was first brought to the United States in the late 1800s. At this time, the English Setter was the bird-hunting dog of choice, and pointing breeds were not allowed to compete in field trials alongside Setters. 
  
  ENGLISH SETTER (SETTER) 
  There are a few different types of Setters such as the Gordan Setter, Irish Setter, English Setter & Irish Red & White Setter. Today we will focus on the English Setter. The breed originated in England and was commonly used by the royal family for hunting and flushing out Ducks and other birds. The English Setter’s history goes back some 400-500 years, making it one of the oldest gun dog breeds.  It is believed that originally the breed was produced from crosses of the Spanish Pointer, the large Water Spaniel & the Springer Spaniel. 
  
  
  
  The Setter was developed to lay down quietly, or “set,” when they located game birds. This style of hunting at the time would then require the hunter to cast a net in the area, sometimes covering the dog as well, and harvest the birds caught in the net. The low-lying method used was ideal for net hunting as a standing dog on point would get tangled in the net much easier. In the 18th century, firearms replaced the net and selective breeding and training to develop an upright point in Setter was needed. For the development of the modern Setter considerable credit goes to Edward Laverack of England, who, in 1825, obtained “Ponto” and “Old Moll,” products of a 35-year-old English Setter line.
  
   Another prominent figure in this breed’s development was R. LL. Purcell Llewellyn of Wales. Though he had bought his dogs from Laverack, Llewellyn’s focus was on the field performance, unlike Laverack, who is mostly associated with the show Setter. Bred for a mix of endurance and athleticism and used to hunt for game the English Setter is still popular all over the world.