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I have recently purchased some grawes lion scent. I was hoping someone could tell me the proper way to mix and apply it to a drag. I have done 2 drags now with different dogs and none of them seem to really trail it or open up on it. They know it's there but they just walk the trail.

The best way to mix that stuff is to dump the entire jar in a trash bag on trash day. Let the garbage man make one last drag to the dump where that stuff belongs. Train your dogs on real game.

CRA wrote:The best way to mix that stuff is to dump the entire jar in a trash bag on trash day. Let the garbage man make one last drag to the dump where that stuff belongs. Train your dogs on real game.

Wow how insightful and helpful CRA. Maybe he's trying to train with scent because it not lion season yet? I don't know. CRA is right, real game is the best trainer, but...

There may be lots of reasons your dogs didn't take to the drag. Are they to young and would rather screw around? Have you taken a look at Mike Leonard's training method that lots of people have used? I believe it is posted at the top of the training tips sub forum. In the past I've just taken a heaping tablespoonful and added about the same amount of water to a gallon zip lock bag that you can dip or smear onto you drag. Just remember to start your dogs at the end of the drag as the scent gets weaker as you go. Where you start your drag will have the most scent and that is where you want the dogs to trail to. Good luck.

No they are not to young. They currently hunt racoon and hunt them well. They have hit on deer tracks to while doing it. They just won't liven up on it . Obviously the way I'm doing it is wrong. Or the scent is garbage. A dog should get excited over any fresh hot track .

Maybe if you step back and put some thought into what is going on with the drag setup scenario, maybe just maybe the dogs are telling you something???????

I'm not sure what that means? They will run any hot track I put them on. Even my trash broke dog will get excited on a junk trail but won't run it. They just have no interest in the lion scent. I put an old cat dog on it and he didn't care for it either.

Theyre telling you they dont want to play games with a glob of stink on a rag.

So chuck it In the garbage then hahaha

I here this a lot. I never used the stuff. I don't think I ever will with all I have read. find someone who already running dogs on them and ask to join. most guys will not turn you down. good luck.

Yes I have someone I can run with. I just wante to get the dogs familiar with the scent so they don't look lost.

I would just keep them running coon tell cat season. sorry if not a lot of help.

Dogs know the difference between scent on a drag and the real deal. Lots of dogs don't care to run drags at all unless they were trained to do it as puppies.

I have had good success with grawes training scents, before you throw it away, read Mike Leonards article recommended above, and give me a call. I don't like typing well enough to be willing to type it all out, but talking is easier so I would be willing to tell you on the phone. 575-374-8773

Bill

Rustler37 wrote:No they are not to young. They currently hunt racoon and hunt them well. They have hit on deer tracks to while doing it. They just won't liven up on it . Obviously the way I'm doing it is wrong. Or the scent is garbage. A dog should get excited over any fresh hot track .

Your hounds currently hunt raccoons and hunt them well...That said, trash the scent, you live in Saskatchewan Canada, chances are you are hunting on snow making Lion catching easy compared to the S.W. style hunting the dry arid desert and rock piles. If your hounds do as hounds do, like you also stated, "should get excited by any fresh hot scent they are introduced too", and they should....Walk the lion track until they can move it on their own and turn them loose, if you don't end up at a lion tree (providing your hounds are deer broke) they should catch lions from the get go and continue to get better as you run more lions.

Snow hunting has it's quirks...Sometimes the track looks better than it is or liquid content sometimes dissipates the scent quicker than drier snow...I found if you need to walk a lion track very far, you are better off to cut the track off if possible to the point the hounds can take the lion and get it jumped...Obe Cory was right in his book, you can catch lions with a trained coon hound....

Good Luck!

I think scent training is more about interaction, teaching the dog to work with you and that job is trailing then it is about what to trail.
If you teach a dog to trail something on command. You shouldn't have a problem getting the dog to trail different species.
In the context that the scent gives you something to put on a stick and make tracks I think its good. So long as the dog learns the command to take a track. If scent training is all you have I say use it. But if you have dogs already hunting you'll have to get their attention another way. Fresh hot bear or lion scent tends to get any dogs attention. Now what they do with it varies.
I think teaching dogs a few commands that we don't all teach can be helpful. I'm pretty sure for example the Lee bros understood and used these things to help their hounds.
When they went back east to catch the coyote they took dogs that would take a track on command. I think it helps starting dogs on different game in bad scenting conditions also. If the dog understand the command to trail and how to hunt it doesn't take much to get the point across you want it to hunt something else. Even if the scent is to weak to fire the dog up by itself. Its probably still enough it can be trailed if encouraged to take it.