Is there an advantage to using them? Which kinds seem to be the best for you and why? Then have you had them in a canoe and how did they do?

Locating animals on drags, poorly hit coyotes etc.. Mine will locate badgers in a den if one is around. My female will drag them out too. For me the main benefit is companionship. They’re never too busy to go. Always excited about it

Badgerman im pretty sure my jagd was bred for that kind of thing and I forgot to let him try last winter. Shame on me ! I worry about the little cuss but if the badger wins do you just put up a marker ?

I take my lab with me when I check my snares around the house. Mainly just for the companionship and the exercise. It’s about a 5 km round trip walk

I plan on taking our new mountain feist with us this year. A rescue dog but seems to have a great nose and loves to use it.
I'd like to see how he does finding coyote markings and sign, mostly. Plus if he marks a spot that should be a good set location too.
Jim

i love my Staffordshire terrier she is really little and find a ton of sign for me all I gotta do is open the truck door and shes out with her nose to the ground its crazy to me how much I have walked right past and didn't notice then took her and in one field she found 3 piles of scat. and left her own by one of them so I set a flat set and had a female yote 3 days later. cant beat them for finding sign. I now don't leave the house without her unless im just running a quick line check and not scouting but even most times shes with.

He finds animals that I probably couldn't.

I'd like to take my dog along, an English Shepard, but I'm afraid he would get the trapped animals all wound up or try to fight them. Anyone have issues with that ?

After having a dog on the line I don't believe I would go without one now! They find so many micro locations! If you allow them to they will almost point out travel ways. My dog even though its a gyp will mark scent posts! And clean out any free range grinners. My advise on fur damage is your dog needs to listen well. They need to learn drop or no! My Airedale gyp can almost run down a healthy yote! One dragging a trap wont stand a chance.Downfall she hates cats! But loves to hear them crunch! Think that's just a Airedale trait.So far on yotes shes happy baying im ok with that. Beavers are what she keeps sizing up but I keep her back!Trapline dogs are a lot of enjoyment

This sounds really good for the plan I have

If you are a dog man you will find you cannot get by without one. They will show you a lot if you are observant. A dog that will follow drags is worth its weight in gold. A dog is a great companion. A dog will never complain about how tired it is, how cold it is, how it is hungry. Pretty darn hard to beat a good dog on the trapline.
Mac

Okay, well he's pretty obedient , to me anyways. He just recently lost an eye (pure white and "dead"), has a few chipped teeth tips, and has had stitches twice. He is only 4 years old and knows no limits, can run from sun up to sun down. So where they pee is where to make a post set ?

That dogs name should be lucky the way you described it. Yes were they mark a spot is were the trap goes pay close attention to there foot placement! That gets me every time my dogs a female so naturally I catch more females at scent posts

This is my trap line dog...

Showing where the remake goes.

I have a blue healer and German shorthair cross. Do you think she would make a good trapping dog. Will she mark territory like a Male. She's got plenty of grit.

I'd sure give her a try. She might make a great dog.

Yep probably be a good one. Train her to trail, animals hide drug around the ground then hidden in a bush or up a small tree make it fun,trap her with a trap that is not anchored let her watch you make a set while telling her nooo then let her get caught in it repeat until she just sits and watches but won’t investigate use a small trap like #1ls. Hope this helps, dogs will help you get on location as in exact location and if trained to trail will save you a lot of time when using drags.

Do many of you that have trapline dogs use many body grippers on dry ground? I would think that could be disastrous! The reason I ask, I hope to have a trapline dog by next year and assumed I would need to stop using body grippers.

I've ran a couple curs with me on the trapline. Both started going down beaver bank dens when they were still little pups. The nose is phenomenal and can really wind your animals or run a cold track. They can also let you know when they smell something going down the road, so you can just let them out. Usually catch or bay whatever it is right there on the ground. I imagine a cat will usually make it up a tree, though.

The little thing I have now, actually pulled a badger out of a hole, 2 days before she turned 4 months old. Then held him there for me to knock in the head with my stake driver. The little girl I had before that, ran a track, pulled a huge boar coon out of an irrigation pipe and held him for me to knock in the head with a stake driver, aswell. Curs are great dogs.

lol but your pretty bias to blue healers both breeds of dog are pretty gritty id say it would make a trap line dog