Another characteristic trait is associated with the style used by a dog working singly or in a well-adjusted pair of dogs. The hustle of several dogs can result in trampling of sable tracks and, because old tracks have no scent, it would be difficult to unravel it. When a pair of Laikas, well adjusted to each other, work together, they watch each other, check every “lunduk” on the path of the hunter and, if one of the dogs finds one, the other joins the pursuit. One dog or several dogs can track the sable to its den, where it is resting (sometimes for several days in the row), or which he recently left, leaving fresh tracks. In the latter, case, dogs chase it further.
With a “crawler” sable are killed in their dens. Therefore, a hunter must have right equipment, such as a trap, a smoking materials, a good hook for pulling the sable out of the tree hole, etc.
Knowledge of the working style of Laikas on sable is very important for actual hunting and for pedigree work. The style of work of Laika is an inherited trait. Knowledge of this allows matching right mating pairs for obtaining offspring with a certain hunting style with high level of probability.
During hunting, knowledge of these peculiarities of hunting is important. The problem is when hunters, especially the beginners, often attempt to mate “flyer” with a “crawler.” This does not produce a good result.
Many times I saw how a “flyer” found old sable tracks and starts to use his tactics, resulting in trampling the sable’s tracks and, because they have no scent, he cannot find the sable. At the same time another dog, the “crawler,” follows the “flyer” with a hope that he does mean business, because he tries so hard. As a result of such teamwork, the hunter can give his dog a taiga style lesson with a stick. After that, he should take the “flyer” on the leash and send the “crawler” to the fresh, not trampled yet, sable tracks. He can go to drink some tea taking his time until his dog, without any interference, will sort out where the sable has gone.
In habitats with a high sable population and its concentrations in certain regions, hunting with “flyers” is more productive, because fresh tracks are frequent and the slow work of the “crawler” is less efficient. When sable population is sparse and fresh tracks are rare, a “crawler” is necessary.
Actually a “crawler” can work on any tracks. When the hunter finds tracks, he encourages his dog and under favorable conditions can guarantee a success. Besides, using “crawler” is quite efficient when weather is very frosty. At -25 to -30 degrees C, sable tracks are losing scent in 30-40 minutes. The sable may not be not very far, but “flyers” would be not able to detect it. A “crawler” would be exactly the right choice here. “Flyers” are easier to hunt with, especially for young hunters, who have little experience, because such a dog is heard often and the hunter can walk towards the barking. Often it takes a few hours to find “crawler.” This is particularly bad, if the dog does not bark at the den on the ground in a log and tries to extract the animal on his own. On this occasion there is only one choice: follow the dog’s tracks.
Therefore, I always have dogs with different styles of hunting and use them depending on actual conditions of hunting season.
When choosing a puppy , I also consider it important keep the hunting style in mind. A hunter, having Laikas with a certain hunting style, may pick a puppy with a different hunting style. As a result, the new puppy does not work in harmony with his older dogs. A “crawler” would get lost and not come to the barking of “flyers” because he is busy with unraveling old tracks. A “flyer” would trample old tracks, which the “crawler” would use. Some hunters, who are unaware about different hunting styles of Laikas, shoot the “unfit” dog. This is why in industrial hunting regions many very good promising dogs are killed.
Unfortunately, peculiarities of work of Laikas on sable are insufficiently described in our literature. During 18 years of work in Zhigalovsky District of Irkutsk Province, where 85% of sables is obtained with Laikas, I found that even some experienced hunters could not explain the hunting methods of their Laikas in detail. Therefore, I hope that my conclusions will help hunters correctly evaluate the sable hunting ability of their dogs.