king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Best of 2007 Feb-March 2008 - Index

By Roger & Sharon Sigler
T here
Shed Hunting Using An Antler Dog
is a new twist to the sport of shed hunting, it is
the use of a highly trained dog that can actually scent
the antlers and retrieve them for you. A little over two
years ago, I decided that if a dog could be used to locate
drugs in the gasoline tank of a car, I should be able to train
a dog to fi nd antler sheds. The answer is history, as I have
done just that.
With my background of training bird dogs and
having worked with some of the leading drug detection
dog trainers, it was just a question of which dog would
work best for the job and putting my scent training
methods to work.
Since there wasn’t any reference material for me
to use, I went to work on my own technique. I call my
training method, “The science of participative training.” I
chose Labrador retrievers, after working with a number of
other breeds. I have found that a puppy, even as young as
ten weeks, can be trained using my method. Dogs started
at this age are ready for the fi eld at ten to twelve months.
You can train an adult dog for this job as long as he has not
been used to hunt live game and has the required attitude
for hunting sheds.
Last fall I was asked to hunt on a 750-acre area,
high fence operation in northeast Missouri. I used four
of my young dogs. These dogs had not really been used
yet to hunt sheds in a natural setting. We found 21 sheds
in a short three-hour hunt. It was so exciting to watch
the young dogs go right to work, just as if they had been
in the fi eld for years. Just as exciting were the faces of
the fellows that owned the operation - they were amazed.
This spring I took twelve dogs to Canada and found 210
sheds in fi ve days.
Can dogs fi nd sheds? Without a doubt. Most of
the sheds found by the dogs were in areas that a human
could never have found them. They were in draws, deep
10 HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com 5FRESH SIGN5
brush, corn stubble, etc. Many outfi tters are fi nding that
the use of one of these dogs can truly expand their hunting
season. Guided hunts are becoming popular.
Antler shed hunting can be enjoyed by young and
old. It is truly a family sport and you don’t need a gun or a
license. With the use of a trained Antler Dog, all you need
to do is look for a fi eld or wooded area that has a potential
deer population and go hunting. Remember my motto, “If
you’re shed hunting without a dog, you’re just going for a
walk in the woods.”
I am always happy to talk with anyone interested
in purchasing a dog or anyone that has questions about
training their own dog. For more information visit www.
antlerdogs.com.