Any duck hunters here?

[marshman]

If you lost your lab/duck dog on a hunt, when do you give up looking for her/him?
I don’t know why in this day and age people don’t have gps tracker collars on their hunting dogs…

some mutual friends on Facebook lost theirs on a hunt couple days ago and haven’t found her yet…. I’m gearing up to go in my lil boat with my pup to go help search tomorrow…

weather here was cold and rainy, storming rain all day and night yesterday…. 30mph winds today…

I may be just wasting my time and gas but I can’t stand knowing that baby is out in that marsh all alone….

[RNKingCx19]

Thank you for helping. Yes hunt ducks and train labs. Terrible news she’s missing. If any houses or traffic close are by check there which I’m sure the owner has. He can leave his bog box or jacket and food in the area she may come back to the area. Good luck with the search. If she’s whistle trained a whistle will be your friend hollering and calling will work a whistle is much louder.

[Neverest]

If you lost your lab/duck dog on a hunt, when do you give up looking for her/him?
I don’t know why in this day and age people don’t have gps tracker collars on their hunting dogs…

some mutual friends on Facebook lost theirs on a hunt couple days ago and haven’t found her yet…. I’m gearing up to go in my lil boat with my pup to go help search tomorrow…

weather here was cold and rainy, storming rain all day and night yesterday…. 30mph winds today…

I may be just wasting my time and gas but I can’t stand knowing that baby is out in that marsh all alone….

Never; but, would like to know the details (type, age, length of ownership, familiarity with the area, etc.). Gather friends, family, and especially fellow hunters to assist...

[marshman]

There’s a row of camps 1/2-3/4 mile across the marsh from spot last seen…. They have covered the area pretty well they say…other than that, it’s remote marsh from there to the gulf.. I’ll have a whistle.. they say she doesn’t hear well so I don’t know, maybe that is complicating things… I wish they would have thought to leave a life jacket or sweatshirt or something for her to find..

i don’t know.. me and my pup are just going for a boat ride with 11 gallons of fuel.. ( my Yamaha f25 will run forever on my normal 6 gallons). Bringing extra food, treats, plenty water, blankets, towels, leash, rope…. Who knows.. I don’t know the area so maybe I’ll find somewhere they didn’t think to look..(I have good gps/satellite mapping)

[marshman]

Never; but, would like to know the details (type, age, length of ownership, familiarity with the area, etc.). Gather friends, family, and especially fellow hunters to assist...

Right.. I’d never stop looking for my GSP…. I’d camp out, never leave until he’s back with me…

[barbarian]

Just told a similar story couple of days ago. I had a great dog - yellow lab. Me and and my best friend guided together for years. 1 day I couldn’t go so I let him take my dog. They had hunted without me before. She took off chasing a winged one and never came back. He looked for 3-4 hours before he went back to boat house and called me. I took off out there. It had been at least 7 hours total by the time we made it back out there. She was waiting for us on the dock by the blind. They’ll go to people or what’s familiar.

[5-20]

Good luck. Sounds like you have a good plan in place. Always great being outside and you'll feel better at the end of the day knowing you tried to help in the best way you could.

[basscat21]

Thank you for helping. Yes hunt ducks and train labs. Terrible news she’s missing. If any houses or traffic close are by check there which I’m sure the owner has. He can leave his bog box or jacket and food in the area she may come back to the area. Good luck with the search. If she’s whistle trained a whistle will be your friend hollering and calling will work a whistle is much louder.

Leaving something at the site were you were works, they know the smell. The owners jacket, bumper etc.

[blakesfav]

Hunted many years and trained retrievers. I'm not remotely sure how this even happens. Hope they find the dog.

[weiglein4]

I too have hunted for years and often times my Lab would go wondering off on a new scent; BUT, I am always quick to call her and have her come back.. We owners need to be paying attention at all times.. Terrible story here and I certainly hope there is a happy ending

[marshman]

Another unrelated incident down in Venice which is several miles south of where I’m going tomorrow has a happy outcome…. They found their lab alive and well after a couple days missing… I’m sure hoping this other one gets found tomorrow… I just can’t understand letting a retriever go out of sight…. Shotgun range/decoy spread is fairly short.. I still say get a gps tracker collar.. the one I have for my pup is relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of my GSP….

[Treker47]

Very seldom did I let my lab get out of site because of gators in the area I hunted. One accidently got peppered and that was the last time I hunted that area.

[basscatlildave]

I hope y'all find her

[boneil]

Look up deer recovery drone service or similar. There are guys out there with drones with infrared cameras mounted on them that would give you the best chance at finding the dog.

[Neverest]

There’s a row of camps 1/2-3/4 mile across the marsh from spot last seen…. They have covered the area pretty well they say…other than that, it’s remote marsh from there to the gulf.. I’ll have a whistle.. they say she doesn’t hear well so I don’t know, maybe that is complicating things… I wish they would have thought to leave a life jacket or sweatshirt or something for her to find..

i don’t know.. me and my pup are just going for a boat ride with 11 gallons of fuel.. ( my Yamaha f25 will run forever on my normal 6 gallons). Bringing extra food, treats, plenty water, blankets, towels, leash, rope…. Who knows.. I don’t know the area so maybe I’ll find somewhere they didn’t think to look..(I have good gps/satellite mapping)

Anyone in the area have a drone with thermal imaging?

[JTN]

Hopefully it has a collar with the owners ID phone number.My son and friend were pheasant hunting this year with his young short hair and it went missing, got a call a hour later to pick up his dog two miles away.

[Bassin_7]

Go to the last place they were with the dog.

Put out food, water and several clothing items that the owner wears. Many times the dogs will return to the last place they were with the owner and having those clothes, with the owners scent, keeps the dog close by.

Prayers!

[BigFishSteve]

The dog will be fine. He will find a new home that will take him in.

[BigFishSteve]

The food and owners clothing is a very good idea. Also, a cellular trail cam is only $100 to have it watching and notify immeditately.

[BP in ME]

Hunted many years and trained retrievers. I'm not remotely sure how this even happens. Hope they find the dog.

That's my first reaction too. How? Retrievers are usually among the best trained dogs around so they don't just run off. Hounds, beagles, and bird dogs are a different story but a retriever? Maybe it was a pup