I know Heidi has done an overnight track before, but that was open ground. This time it was to be as real as possible. The track was laid around 8.00pm, using the same wood as our previous track, but I must point out that over one week has since passed, and the route taken this time was completely different.
The start point was on a fairly open path, but not long after we came up against thick undergrowth, nettles and dense vegetation, so on this occasion distance was not to be a challenge, but everything else was. To compound the track for Heidi, about one hour after I got back from laying the trail, it rained for a couple of hours. This was not forecast!
About 13 hours after laying the line, at 9.00am, I took Heidi to the wood, where I was definitely not optimistic on her chances of success. Against her were the previous nights rain, age of track, thick vegetation, fallen trees and branches, with worst of all nettles. Anyway again within 15m of the 'impact area', fitted her tracking collar and leash. As usual now, she picked up the starting point, and was off before 'track on'.
She went off at a good pace, using her nose a lot more now than when on her earlier tracks. We reached the first left turn, which was on an clear path in the wood, with spare ground cover that had been open to the rain from the previous night. The turn was dealt with very well, with no overrun as in her earlier months.
We then headed on, with Heidi using her nose very well and pulling at a good pace. We eventually got to the next turn which was a right hander, going off through fallen branches and undergrowth. This sort of cover was new to Heidi, and she dealt with it pretty well. I could see she knew the line but tried going around the branches rather than through them, which she did for a distance of a couple of meters, but then locked back on to the line when through the obstacle.
Next up was tall vegetation, leading through to a short open section which was to be crossed on a diagonal path. Heidi however decided to investigate to the right, for the distance of the leash. Now at this point I should have let her go with it, to discover for her self that it was a dead lead, however I was carrying an overloaded kit bag, with a spare piece of skin wrapped up in a bag because I thought there may have been a possibly of her find have disappeared to foxes/badgers overnight, and did not want her to bee disappointed at the end, plus it was now getting hot. So I let her get to the end of the leash, and then held her from going any further, and gave one gentle tug. With this she happily came back, picked up the line quickly, as though she knew it was there all the time and off we went again.
The next section took us through a really thick section of nettles, which she took very cautiously, but never the less, stuck to the line, and once through it was just a few meters to her find. Success!
Age of track: 13hrs
Length of Track: Approx 250m.
Type of track: Shoe and diluted blood.
Amount of blood: 200ml (1/2 diluted with cleave juice).
Wind direction: From ahead initially.
Wind strength: 8-12 mph
Temp: 22ºC
Weather: Bright and sunny, damp ground after a couple of hours rain the night before
Time: 09.00pm
Age of Dog: 5 3/4 months
Conclusion:At the point where Heidi went to investigate an area where I held her back on the leash, I realise now as I write that at this point I took the track there myself, but decided it was to thick for me to get through, so back tracked the short distance, back the the original line, D'oh! Just shows the dog knows more than me!
It has now become apparent that Heidi is not too interested at the find. I guess it's just her nature, as I have in my opinion not overworked her, now laying a track only once every week/week and half, and always trying to make the find interesting. She does however 'love to track', and that is obvious, from the moment I grab my kit bag, even to when we get back home. She just loves to do the job. Maybe when we get on to live work things will change.
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