Who goes hunting with their basenji?

[dcmclcm4]

I have always wondered if Basenjis would be good at squirrel hunting! My dogs will tree the squirrels to the point where some of them want to climb the tree.

Jennifer

[krunzer]

I know he goes absolutely nuts when he sees the squirrels. It was way too funny when he rolled it. I don't think that squirrel has been back to our bird feeder.

[eeeefarm]

My guy loves to chase squirrels. So far has had no luck catching one, however, and I am just as glad. It can get messy if they only injure the animal, plus squirrels can bite! As can groundhogs and various other small game. Perry's favourite quarry is crows. He does love to chase them, and sometimes they cooperate by flying low enough to keep him interested…..

[nobarkus]

I have a bird feeder on one side of the house and the squirrels eat what ever black sunflower seeds that drop from the Finch. Buddy does the stealth walk and peaks around the corner then bolts out and chases them. He gets like 1/2" from the catch. They barely make it up the fence.

[Shaye's Mom]

@eeeefarm:

My guy loves to chase squirrels. So far has had no luck catching one, however, and I am just as glad. It can get messy if they only injure the animal, plus squirrels can bite! As can groundhogs and various other small game.

Not to be a buzzkill, but It could get quite scary letting the basenjis actually catch wild game - sometimes they carry diseases, including rabies in the case of squirrels and other small animals.

[eeeefarm]

@Shaye's:

@eeeefarm:

My guy loves to chase squirrels. So far has had no luck catching one, however, and I am just as glad. It can get messy if they only injure the animal, plus squirrels can bite! As can groundhogs and various other small game.

Not to be a buzzkill, but It could get quite scary letting the basenjis actually catch wild game - sometimes they carry diseases, including rabies in the case of squirrels and other small animals.

In Ontario the only rabies we have had to deal with lately is Bat rabies…..that said, one of my girls got into it with a groundhog many years ago. I actually killed the groundhog myself, with a shovel.......so I could send it off to be tested for rabies. My girl got a nip on the head, and although she was current on her rabies shots I needed to know if I should quarantine her.....didn't want to take a chance if the groundhog was rabid.

[krunzer]

I looked online and the same thing as eeeeefarm. We have cases of Bat's with rabies looks to be approximately 1-2 a year on the government site. There haven't been any confirmed cases in larger animals since 1957 I think I saw. Now if I could only get them to case the blue jays away….

[dcmclcm4]

If you lived closer I could bring mine over. They love to chase birds and I have one girl who has caught them but that was a few years ago. I think the birds have learned their lesson as I hardly see any now!

Jennifer

[krunzer]

LOL!! I just want him to chase away the blue jays. They come and eat all the food out of my bird feeder so the little birds (chickadees and nuthatches) dont have anything to eat. The squirrel also feeds at the bird feeder and he is quite enthralled with that.

[BigV]

Having had a few basenjis and only used them for hunting one thing I never let them do is chase as once you allow this it is hard to stop. Mine are used when whistling foxes or howling for wild dogs as they always see hear or smell the fox before me . I also use him for finding sambar deer and blood tracking the same way I use my gun dogs .