Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Heartbroken right now …

Hoping you find your dog.

My lab when he got old would just randomly head back to the truck. I’d lose him in a field and I’d find him sleeping in his kennel back at the truck.

Indeed. Mojo sent.

My first Lab took off after a cow/calf moose, despite my commands. I laid my coat down there, and we went about our business- moose hunting the bends and side sloughs along a very windy stream. Figured on returning to the coat site later in the day.

An hour later we were maybe a dozen bends and a half a mile upstream when I could hear him howling (sitting on my coat).

He was a smart dog, and never went chasing after moose again against my command.

In late September we thought we had lost Chako the Wunder Wiener,. As we were setting up the tent (outboard trouble - camp here!), he disappeared. We called and yelled for a half hour and he didn't come, with fresh wolf and bear tracks on the river bank.

We went looking for him and found him over a quarter mile away. He had a grouse trapped in a tree, but boy did he know he was in trouble - when he saw us coming, he came slinking toward us with his ears down and tail between his legs.

Damned Dachshunds!

Always springers at the farm. Can’t imagine not being around them.
Good luck

Do you know anyone who has a drone?

Maybe animal control/Sheriffs office, a guy from the local search and rescue? It could be a kid. The point is that you could possibly spot him from above flying a drone.

Your little buddy may have gotten his collar snagged on something and is stuck.

Get a drone up and fly a circle search pattern from the last known location.

Was hoping for good news this morning RIck.

Like a couple of other folks have suggested, my wife said to ask Jet to try to find her.

Ingwe mentioned training his dogs to find the others. We do it with ours as we've had the old deaf ones not come to commands and have to send the other to get them.

More Mojo coming from the Modoc this morning.

Damn… this suks. Good luck for the safe return.

So sorry to hear that Rick ! Prayers sent !

Sorry to hear this; hope it works out well.

Rick, do you know anyone with a small 2 seat helicopter?

Drone and someone who knows how to do a grid search. The thought of this this is killing me. Damn

Maybe I should not suggest this, but maybe several factors need to be considered. The dog is 15 years old, partially blind, and I think was reported to have another issue. The dog was doing what she was trained to do and apparently loved it, hunting. Dogs have a tendency, in my experience, to find a quiet and somewhat secure place when their end time comes. I have no idea what I will be doing when my end comes, but I'm thinking being out in a good hunting area enjoying something I really like, such as a hunting trip, may not be such a bad way to go. My father's favorite uncle died that way while turkey hunting. I don't know much about the life expectancy of that particular breed of dog, but for dogs in general, 15 years is a quite full lifespan. Of course you don't want the dog to suffer if she is disabled somehow and if she did expire, you want to know for sure to give you closure. However, if this is the case, you may never know for sure. That uncertainty is what is painful. After you have done all that you can to find her and not successful, try to accept that she is gone and went doing what she enjoyed most. Few of us could be so lucky to meet our end that way. It sounds like to me that she had a good life to the end and was blessed to have you. I do hope things work out for the both of you.

The best thing to do with a lost hunting dog is go back to your vehicle and wait ...... most will find their way back ..... you start chasing them down and if they come back to your last known position and you are not there they will bolt. I have sat in my vehicle up to 8 hours before my dog came back.

The age and health of your dog makes it a special case though.

Prayers sent.

No luck.

“Slept” next to the kennel for a couple hours before daybreak. She never came.

Left the kennel, sweaty t-shirt, and water and went to look for her. Glassed, honked the horn, shot the shotgun, did it all again and again.

No dice.

Left the kennel there and brought Jet home. She’s been locked up for going on 20 hours, except for pee and water breaks.

Way too windy for drones today, even though there apparently was a never-flown one available. That wasn’t going to end well.

So I’m hoping for a miracle now. A couple years back my uncle lost a puppy on the same ranch. It survived the night and turned up at a local ranch house. Named it Miracle.

That kennel and the water hole nearby will be checked regularly the next couple days, so there still is an outside chance.

Still … she was basically underfoot, and then she was gone. She may have wandered and gotten into a spot she couldn’t get out of … but I suspect a predator.

Still hopeful, but …

Bummer.....I was hoping for a better update. Hoping for the best.

Damn

thanks for the update Rick, but I was really hoping for better news. Fingers crossed...........

Keep checking this thread wanting good news. Good news is coming! Jet can probably find her.
How long was it from when you last seen her til' you noticed she was gone. I'm talking distance.
I'd try Jet on a leash at that spot and give her head.

I’m discounting a predator. If she was close to you, you would have heard something.

Keep the faith 🙏

Hate to suggest a dire possibility, but is there trapping going on in the area?

Directing positive waves your way. I hope there is a happy ending.