Tracking in the Snow

Today was the first time tracking this winter in snow with the Springers – Magnum and Shadow.  I won’t be tracking again until February due to travel plans.  We tracked with our friend M and her beagle – Ernie.  I’m going to start calling Ernie, Ernie the Extraordinary!  It was Ernie’s first time on snow and he was great.  Ernie is like Shadow in that you can’t praise him much or he will stop tracking and just wait for a reward.  With Shadow, when she finds an obstacle, I just say a soft, “Good girl.”  Ernie had a starter track and then a track with a left turn and then a right turn. 

Shadow had a track with three turns.  She did fairly well with her struggling a little with the wind.

Magnum had a starter track with two cross tracks and a 600 yard or so track with two cross tracks.  M laid the tracks and I did the cross tracks.  I experimented with something I had read in Glen Johnson’s tracking book.  He comments that when laying a cross track, if you step over the track, the dog will hardly notice the cross track.  But, if you step on the track when laying the cross track, it is more compelling to the dog and he will notice it.  So I stepped over the track for the first cross track and stepped right on the track for the second cross track. 

Magnum ran the starter track without his handler and did great.  I had on bulky gloves and took one glove off after putting him in a down at the start article.  I put the glove on and picked up the article and told Magnum to track.  In the process, I dropped the lead and tried several times to grab it, but couldn’t.  Magnum took off delighted that I was not impeding him.  Since it was a straight track, I figured I catch up at the last article.  I yelled down and he waited until I got there. I assume M had a good laugh.  

Magnum also did great on the regular track and did have his handler (me) with him the whole track.  Just as Glen Johnson said, Magnum ignored the first cross track and wanted to follow the second cross track (the cross track I had stepped on the track).  He tried to follow it in both directions.  I called him back to the track and he took off on the track, but he would have followed the cross track without my intervention.  While tracking, he had several places that he check out what must have been animal tracks, but got right back on the track without my intervention other than me standing still and waiting.  His cornering was superb.  Maybe it was due to the snow, but he would really smell the area at the corner, and then take off in the correct direction.

So it was a great tracking morning for all of us.  My grandson Ajax (14 months) stayed with us for the weekend.  It was the first time with him visiting that Alan hadn’t brought him along for tracking.  Alan hasn’t been comfortable staying by himself with Ajax.  Ajax was under the weather and had a hard time sleeping last night.  Alan ended up from 1:00 AM on holding Ajax and keeping him entertained between Ajax sleeping.  This is Alan’s first experience with a baby, so I think he is due kudos for grand parenting. 

Cross Country Skiing, Snow Shoeing and Tracking

Northern Michigan had about 20 inches of snow that they gotten before Christmas.  It tends to snow a little most days there, so even though there is evaporation the amount of snow stays the same or is increased slightly.  I cross-country skied at Aspen City Park in Gaylord three days in a row.  Aspen Park is a lovely treasure with plantations of pine and areas of deciduous trees.  The park includes an area enclosed by high fencing with a small elk herd.  The city grooms the ski trails for Nordic skiing and they stay in fairly good condition.  This is probably in part because the younger folks tend to skate ski, which requires a groomed trail, but a differently groomed trail.  Most of the other skiers I saw were mature adults.  Snowmobiles aren’t permitted in the park, so it is quietly peaceful.  I love skiing there!

Skiing through the pines got me to thinking about problems with pine plantations.  Last summer we were in the Scottish Highlands where there are a number of pine plantations.  I learned that pines planted too closely so that other species don’t grow would eventually die.  They become susceptible to insects, disease, and forest fire.  The dying out of a forest is happening at the pine forest in Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs.  So, I wondered if this might eventually be a problem for Aspen Park. Northern Michigan has a number of pine plantations where trees are harvested thus thinning the forest, which makes it healthier. 

I also snow shoed from our house in Michaywe to a trail that runs behind it.  When there is so much snow, the only way to take a walk in it is to snow shoe.  After going over the same path several times, the snow gets packed down so that animals and humans can walk without too much difficulty.  I do love the snow and winter activities.

I’m finished with the intensive training with Magnum to recognize and ignore cross tracks.  Now when I track with him, I first lay a starter track of about 100 yards with 3 cross tracks on it.  Then a regular Tracking Dog Excellent track is laid (850- 1500 yards) with 2 sets of cross tracks on it.  Last time we tracked, Magnum wanted to follow a cross track on the starter track.  I excitedly called him back to the track and he continued on.  We then did the regulation track and he completely ignored the cross tracks.  It was almost like he was communicating, “Okay, you fooled me once, but not again.”