Pro Talks: with Elite Field Master, Lauren Harvey
Sportsman’s Pride Field Master, Lauren Harvey, is making a name for herself in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by hunting big game. We sat down with Lauren to talk to her about her experience in the hunting world.
When you tell people what you do for a living, what do you tell them?
For my day-to-day job, I manage a boarding and grooming kennel right off of Lake Superior. On my off days I spend time training bear dogs and hunting.
What other dog/animal related work have you done leading up to what you do now?
For the last few years, I have worked in grooming, boarding and pet food retail. I’ve also trained multiple dogs for obedience as well as service dogs. Outside of dogs, I have also trained multiple horses for Mounted Shooting and Barrel Racing.
What was your goal for this past year with your dogs?
I really wanted to get my younger dogs running bears. I’ve got two young dogs, Sully and Sky, that I have been working on this year. Sully started some tracks and Sky had one in the tree at only 8 months old! For my older dogs, I want them to try and focus on them taking older scents.
What would you consider to be your greatest achievement in your field?
I think a lot of people dream of their dogs becoming knows across the states and that is true for me too. I have had a few inquiries about breeding both of my females to other bear dogs across the country which means their names are getting known!
Why do you trust/feed Sportsman’s Pride?
Seeing the difference in my dogs recovery after a long run. They can run anywhere from five to fifteen miles a day and they are ready to go again day after day. They have great muscle definition, and their coats are wonderful!
What does being a Field Master mean to you?
You need to be at the top of your game to ensure your dogs are at the top of theirs. Making sure they are up-to-date on their vet visits and vaccinations and getting the love and attention they need. You’ve got to practice in the off season. Feeding a quality food, like Sportsman's Pride, ensures your active, working dogs get the nutrition required for the stamina and endurance needed for a successful hunt.
What do you or your dogs do that set you apart from the rest?
I have a pretty young pack (6 months to 3yrs old) so being able to take a cold trail out from the bait at that age is awesome. My dogs also have a lot of speed.
Tell me about the best dog(s) you’ve ever worked with.
Dilly is my number one dog. She’s got the right nose and has a lot of speed. Rumor is quickly becoming one of my best dogs. At a year old she was on all our kill season bears and took one across the road by herself and we ended up packing dogs behind her and treeing and harvesting that bear. She has the nose but lacks the speed Dilly has.
If we spent a couple of days with you during season, what would we see during that time? Morning/Afternoon/Evening
Mornings consist of collaring dogs and loading them into the dog box to go hunt. We start by checking trail cameras to see what time they came into the bait. If there is nothing on the camera we will drive around in hopes to find a rig (dogs are put on a rig rack and smell them where they crossed the road). Sometimes that lasts all day but after we are done running the dogs, we get cooled down and feed them and make sure they have plenty of water. Evenings consist of resetting baits and talking about the days events.
How do you like to spend your days off?
It is difficult to truly have an off day when you have working dogs. When I get them, I like to spend my days walking the woods with the dogs or riding my horse.
