BRIAN JOHNSON ON OUTDOORS: Different types of hunting dogs

Published 5:19 pm Monday, May 6, 2019

When I meet someone who tells me that they are a hunter, my next question is usually “what do you like to hunt for?”  The answer varies as some like to hunt whitetail, others squirrels, some ducks and dove, and some prefer western big game.

Some hunt with a gun and others hunt with a bow.  Just as there are different types of hunters, there are also various types of hunting dogs.  Below is a list of some of the more common types of hunting dogs and the functions that they typically perform:

The first type of hunting dog that I will mention are the tracking and trailing dogs.  These dogs are used to track and trail either live or wounded game.  They have excellent noses and can follow animal scent for incredible distances. Typically these dogs are some type of hound but many breeds can be used for this task.  One of the common uses for trailing dogs is hog hunting where the dogs are put on a scent then chase the hogs and bay them.  They hold the hog or hogs by continually barking at them until the hunter shows up to close the deal. Another use for tracking dogs is for trailing wounded game.  These dogs are used both on and off leash.  They are started at the last spot of blood from the wounded animal and then they follow the blood trail until they find what is hopefully a dead animal.  Some breeds hunt with their noses to the ground scenting even the tiniest drop of blood while others seem to hold their heads high to scent the air.

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A second type of hunting dog is the bird dog.  As expected, these dogs are used for hunting birds.  They include pointers, spaniels, and setters.  These dogs can perform various tasks such as locating and pointing the covey of birds when they find them.  A good bird dog will hold the covey on point until the hunter arrives.  Once at the covey, the hunter may choose to flush the birds to flight or he may send the dog to do this.  Once the birds flush the dog should remain in position until the hunter sends the dog for the retrieve.  Bird hunting with a good bird dog can be extremely exciting.

Another type of dog that is very similar to the bird dog is the retriever.  While these two types can often perform either role, most are better at one or the other.  These include Labrador retrievers, golden retriever, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, flat coat retrievers, and Nova Scotia tolling retrievers.  These dogs are typically used for hunting ducks, dove, and geese.  While the bird dog is used to search the field to find birds, the retriever is typically positioned near the hunter and retrieves the birds that the hunter shoots.  These dogs are very proficient at marking and remembering multiple downed birds and can often take hand signals for direction.  Most of the retrieves that a retriever make are in or near water which can really save a hunter lots of effort as opposed to retrieving the birds without a dog.

The final type of dog I would like to discuss are what I call the treeing dogs.  These are dogs that trail squirrels and raccoons until they run up a tree.  Once the animal is in a tree, the dog barks and holds them there until the hunter arrives.  If the animal jumps to another tree, then the dog will watch them and follow to the next tree as well.  As a child, I grew up hunting with a squirrel dog and it was a whole lot of fun.  I also hear that coon hunting at night can be a total blast.

The bottom line is this: regardless of the type of hunting that you are doing, there is probably a dog that can help you do it.  These hunting dogs are not only good for hunting, but they can be great pets as well.  If you are a hunter without a dog, you might consider getting one soon.  The opportunities are countless!

Brian Johnson, originally of Port Neches, is pastor of First Baptist Church of Winnie, owner of DuckDogTrainer.com and outdoors writer for The News.