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Feeding fish to sled dogs. #6490683
03/14/19 11:50 AM
03/14/19 11:50 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
G
Gary Benson Offline OP
trapper
Gary Benson  Offline OP
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,539
Sandhills Nebraska
On all the TV shows, the Alaskan guys catch salmon, dry them, and feed it to their dogs. It appears to be cooked, but what about the bones?


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6490713
03/14/19 12:13 PM
03/14/19 12:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,747
S.W.Oregon
newhouse114 Offline
trapper
newhouse114  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,747
S.W.Oregon
Doesn't bother them. I usually fed salmon just raw and frozen.


Life Member NTA & FTA
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain

http://alaskastoneanivory.com/index
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6490788
03/14/19 01:34 PM
03/14/19 01:34 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline
trapper
bfisch  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
When cooking fresh fish the only fish bones to be worried about are the teeth from salmon and pike and such. Most people I know take the head off. When drying the fish before cooking the backbone is removed as well.

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6490829
03/14/19 02:34 PM
03/14/19 02:34 PM
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 16
AK
2
2dogs Offline
trapper
2dogs  Offline
trapper
2

Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 16
AK
I like to freeze it first to kill parasites. Otherwise I will boil it. Everything except jaw, gills, and tail. Usually he gets the parts people throw out. I freeze my salmon whole without any cuts. Gives a great product, better than any other way I have tried. That is for my bird dog. He is healthy as can be and no messy piles of dog crap all over the yard like with commercial food.

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6490941
03/14/19 05:36 PM
03/14/19 05:36 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
Y
yukon254 Offline
trapper
yukon254  Offline
trapper
Y

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
I fed salmon to my team for years, both raw and cooked with rice. They did really well on it and like others have said bones are not a problem. Something I never could understand though is that sled dogs loved the fish but the dogs we have now ( KBDs) wont touch them.


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

www.grizzlycreeklodge.com
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: yukon254] #6491211
03/14/19 09:54 PM
03/14/19 09:54 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 138
Lake Iliamna Ak
watarrat Offline
trapper
watarrat  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 138
Lake Iliamna Ak
Originally Posted by yukon254
I fed salmon to my team for years, both raw and cooked with rice. They did really well on it and like others have said bones are not a problem. Something I never could understand though is that sled dogs loved the fish but the dogs we have now ( KBDs) wont touch them.

Our pure KBD is not a fan of fish but his son 1/8 Makenzie River Husky weighs 1/2 again as much and will eat most anything. When my wife had a big team we had a sheep cancellation and I asked her if she needed me to do anything,,,, next thing you know I was putting up 1000 fish for the dogs, Whew,,,,,,

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6491246
03/14/19 10:33 PM
03/14/19 10:33 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline
trapper
waggler  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
Just a word of warning to people living in the lower 48. Don't feed your dogs raw salmon the parasite Nanophyetus salmincola will kill your dog.
The parasite is generally found in salmon coming from rivers south of the Skagit River in Washington State. Friends of mine who have had their dogs contract "Salmon Poisoning" treat it with tetracycline and can save the dog if it's not let go too long.

I don't know if this parasite made it's way into the Great Lakes salmon or not, but it wouldn't surprise me.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: bfisch] #6491530
03/15/19 10:28 AM
03/15/19 10:28 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,330
Fairbanks, Alaska
Pete in Frbks Offline
trapper
Pete in Frbks  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,330
Fairbanks, Alaska
Originally Posted by bfisch
When cooking fresh fish the only fish bones to be worried about are the teeth from salmon and pike and such. Most people I know take the head off. When drying the fish before cooking the backbone is removed as well.


Sled dogs have iron stomachs! But who would waste a perfectly good dried salmon head on a sled dog? When you could tie it to a pole and catch 2 or 3 marten with it....?!!!!!

Pete

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Pete in Frbks] #6491593
03/15/19 12:04 PM
03/15/19 12:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
Y
yukon254 Offline
trapper
yukon254  Offline
trapper
Y

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
Originally Posted by Pete in Frbks
Originally Posted by bfisch
When cooking fresh fish the only fish bones to be worried about are the teeth from salmon and pike and such. Most people I know take the head off. When drying the fish before cooking the backbone is removed as well.


Sled dogs have iron stomachs! But who would waste a perfectly good dried salmon head on a sled dog? When you could tie it to a pole and catch 2 or 3 marten with it....?!!!!!

Pete


Been wanting to try that for some time Pete. When I bought my current line I found a 45 gallon drum filled with smoked pike fillets. The fellow I bought it from was obviously using it for bait, and he put up a lot of fur each year. Had a real smoky smell. Its illegal here to use edible meat or fish but a guy could use dried/ smoked fish scraps I guess.


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

www.grizzlycreeklodge.com
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6492343
03/16/19 11:35 AM
03/16/19 11:35 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,330
Fairbanks, Alaska
Pete in Frbks Offline
trapper
Pete in Frbks  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,330
Fairbanks, Alaska
Lots of trappers use fish heads successfully for lynx/wolverine bait in cubbys too.

I once saw a photograph of a shrew caught in the jaws of a #4 Victor Jump. It appeared that he had climbed the tree, gone out on the branch, shimmied down the wire and took up residence IN the fish head! When he had it all eaten up, I guess he tried to get back up the wire, slipped, and fell down, hitting exactly on the pan of the trap.

When the trap went off, it launched the shrew back up..... just as the jaws closed! Hate It when that happens!

Pete

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Pete in Frbks] #6492553
03/16/19 04:12 PM
03/16/19 04:12 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline
trapper
bfisch  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Sure fish heads are great bait for fur bearers, but there is no need for a thousand or more to be kept by mushers to use as trapping bait. Many end up back in the river and then they are bait for whitefish and pike to end up in the net or on the rod. If you want fish heads for bait, just stop by in June, July, or August. I'm sure the mushers would be happy to get rid of some of the stink so they don't have to haul it away.


Originally Posted by Pete in Frbks


Sled dogs have iron stomachs! But who would waste a perfectly good dried salmon head on a sled dog? When you could tie it to a pole and catch 2 or 3 marten with it....?!!!!!

Pete


Teeth from pike or dog salmon will tear up your dog.

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6493417
03/17/19 11:46 AM
03/17/19 11:46 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
It always amazed me how I could cook whole salmon and fill a dog's dish with the slop and they would eat every morsel and drop of juice.............except the rib bones.There would be maybe a hundred rib bones all licked clean in the bottom of the dish!


Mean As Nails
Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: white17] #6493643
03/17/19 05:05 PM
03/17/19 05:05 PM
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 16
AK
2
2dogs Offline
trapper
2dogs  Offline
trapper
2

Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 16
AK
True on the rib bones. From where I sit now I can see them perfectly clean on my porch where I feed the
dog.

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6496742
03/21/19 12:07 AM
03/21/19 12:07 AM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 113
Tanana, Alaska
S
Stan Z Offline
trapper
Stan Z  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 113
Tanana, Alaska
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Average was 1000 dried fish with heads on and 1000 whole soured (rotten) fish a year for 45 years now and never a bone problem ever that I know of. Sure the dogs got a jab once in a while just like people do but no dog ever got hurt from it. None of it was cooked except for about 3 months of the summer when it was cooked heads, backbones and all. The whole fish is for in town and the dry stuff for traveling/trapline where sled weight is a factor. Don't need to cook any of it as it's all broken down from the drying process or souring and easy to digest. The sprint racers that do feed alot of fish (not many do these days as it not a high energy enough food) like to catch their fish later in fall just before freeze up and not sour it and cook it with added meats and supplements. Trappers don't have time to cook in the day so like the really soured stuff that is essentially "cooked" already.

Re: Feeding fish to sled dogs. [Re: Gary Benson] #6497468
03/21/19 10:18 PM
03/21/19 10:18 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,262
Mt.
g smith Offline
trapper
g smith  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,262
Mt.
Interesting thread ,thank you .amazing what gasoline has changed !


You can ride a fast horse slow but you can't ride a slow horse fast .
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