Use of tracking dogs

[momay4000]

Hello LOU friends,

 

I'm curious if anyone has had experience using any of our local tracking dog services to track a wounded deer? A good friend of mine recently attempted to use one of them after wounding a medium sized 8-point. His arrow passed through and it was coated with tallow but copious amounts of bright red blood from tip to nock and the initial blood trail was very substantial but unfortunately stopped after about 200 yards.

 

He spoke with two of the tracking services but they both said that they didn't want to track the animal given the arrow findings and lack of blood after his attempts at finding the deer failed (the arrow findings suggested a low brisket hit). They both felt strongly that the buck would survive. That being said, a friend of his interestingly had a similar experience the day before (greasy, blood soaked arrow with lack of blood trail after 75 yards) but only found his deer after 1/2 mile track b/c he used his own dog to help in the tracking process.

 

It was interesting for me to hear that the tracking services "pre-select" their clients based on the likelihood of survival.

 

I must say, the amount of blood on the arrow and the amount of blood he showed me on his play by play tracking pictures was tremendous and it would seem to me that the animal would not survive this type of hit.

 

Does anyone else have any experience with tracking services or deer survivability for that matter?

 

Thanks so much,

 

Chris

 

 

[dvdegeorge]

I have to Agee with their assessment of the hit

[Hookedup]

I'm with the above any place in brisket or high shoulder they bleed like crazy but keep on going. The buck in the picture I tracked 5 miles after a shoulder hit. That photo was taken the next year.

[dvdegeorge]

That one will cause sleepless nights

[PeltHunter]

Yea I hit a real wide flat racked 8 last year high shoulder. I tracked him for about 100 yards then lost blood. I was doing a grid search about 3 hours later and saw him running a doe with dried blood on his sides. This was the arrow and the fletchings were bright red with blood. My dad saw the deer a month and a half later in crossbow season.

[Sea-IV]

I have used the services. Unfortunately the shot I took was a quartering shot but the deer jumped and when it spun my arrow hit back but caught the liver. I lost blood after 200 yards and didn't give up for 3 hours when my buddy suggested calling the Game Search people. Gentleman that showed was different but hey to each his own. Got his beagle out and went to initial shot sight and within 45 minutes his dog was chewing on my deers tail. Damn thing doubled back in itself and curled up in some brush. All they ask for is a donation which I was very generous because it was my biggest doe to date. He did tell me that shot placement is everything when they track so if your shot is iffy they won't waste there time.

[Nautitroller]

My dog and I are Dec licensed deer trackers. We averaged about 30 tracks per year. Couple of things, guys that bow hunt are typically very good blood trailers. They use our service only at the last means possible. Statistically we find very few dead deer, it gets very disappointing for the dog and everyone involved. Triaging the calls saves a usual four hour or more track for a deer that is most likely still alive. If a hunter thinks the deer is dead we do everything we can to prove it one way or another. The dog is a great tool to find deer, mine is now past her her ability to track ( bad hips) but it took years to learn what she was doing. She air checks and smells deer at a distance, she ground checks and follows blood well, but if a fresher deer track crosses our path it's off on that one. The only true way to trust the dog is to know how she acts and to confirm blood.

One if her best tracks ever was a 6 day old blood trail. The blood was still visable she took us through some serious multifloral rose (where most bucks die) lol, she found the buck and it jumped up a couple of feet in front of us and bounded away. I will never forget that massive 8 pt that had stickers around the coke bottle sized bases and a chocolate colored rack. Turning to the guy behind me I said looks like our job is done here, he said " that was un.......believable". That is also the reason no one carries a gun behind us, too tempting.

The reason we do it is because the dog loves it and so do I. We get to see lots of cool properties, meet nice guys and gals, great exercise, and finding those few that don't go to the coyotes is priceless.

Next year there will be a new puppy, if mama says it's ok...

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[rabhunt]

I have used the service twice and I can't say enough about the professionalism this service promotes. I too was questioned heavily about the hit, but they know what they are doing. Both tracking jobs were nothing short of phenomenal. If you get a chance look them up and read some of the recovery stories and you will understand. If you use one, make sure you pay for their time as it is all on their own expense.

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[DJ 17]

John,

Since your not doing it anymore this year do you have any suggestions on who to call in our area if necessary?

[Nautitroller]

John,

Since your not doing it anymore this year do you have any suggestions on who to call in our area if necessary?

Yes,

Ithaca area Matt Sacco 607-280-6240.

Owego area Neil Lewis 607-343-6479

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[outback kennels]

Hay there guys that have the tracking dogs how did or do you train your dog i ask cus i have a some dash hounds and have here they do a good job with tracking any info wld be greatly appreciated thanks

[Nautitroller]

Hay there guys that have the tracking dogs how did or do you train your dog i ask cus i have a some dash hounds and have here they do a good job with tracking any info wld be greatly appreciated thanks

The only truly good way to train a tracking dog is to work the dog on an easy blood trail to a dead deer. Watch the dog carefully seeing what it does. The dog may stay down wind of the blood trail and may even cut corners. If it lifts its head it is checking air currents and potentially a deer, dead or alive. Go slow, confirm blood, and praise the dog for sticking to and following the blood. You can save blood from a road kill or your own and use a spray bottle but I truly think that is only about a third of what a dog smells during a real track. (tracks, disturbed dirt, deer brushing against stuff, ect.

Reward the dog however it makes the dog happy. My dog always gets a cut of the heart. The problem arises for the dog when the deer is still alive and they have to stop tracking. You pull them off a hot track and they look at you like you are an idiot, my girl pouts all the way home. NY is a leashed tracking state so train with a certain collar or harness. There are different opinions on how to teach your dog. Research how dogs are trained to track people, talk to other trackers and most importantly have fun with your dog and make it exciting for both of you.

As I look back in what I wrote this is just touching the tip of an iceberg. This subject can have volumes written about it and the next debate is what breed dog is best suited for tracking. Good luck and pm me with any questions, always willing to talk tracking.

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[outback kennels]

Thank you

[DJ 17]

John,

Its funny you mention that name.  A buddy called me last night to help track a doe he hit yesterday morning.  He is friends with Matt Sacco, talked to him, but for some reason he couldn't come up.  We followed it for quite awhile 1/4-1/2 mile before we ran out of blood, but putting all the pieces together I truly believe he just grazed her low in the front and the deer will survive.  It looked to be "muscular" blood and we found white hair at the impact site.  The deer also never bedded once.  But it did manage to take us through the thickest nastiest crap in the woods.  We both had so many stickers on our clothes that it looked like we were wearing ghilly suits!

[Nautitroller]

John,

Its funny you mention that name. A buddy called me last night to help track a doe he hit yesterday morning. He is friends with Matt Sacco, talked to him, but for some reason he couldn't come up. We followed it for quite awhile 1/4-1/2 mile before we ran out of blood, but putting all the pieces together I truly believe he just grazed her low in the front and the deer will survive. It looked to be "muscular" blood and we found white hair at the impact site. The deer also never bedded once. But it did manage to take us through the thickest nastiest crap in the woods. We both had so many stickers on our clothes that it looked like we were wearing ghilly suits!

Welcome to our world, I wear brush pants and heavy gloves. Lots of times I was crawling to get thru the thick stuff... lol

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[whaler1]

What are the differences on the arrow other than white hair or green stuff? How does a boiler room arrow look different than a muscular one? I tried to track a gut shot buck my son shot some years back in red brush. At one point I found a six inch piece of bowel on the branch of a tree. After about a mile lost the blood. Looked for that deer for days and never found it.

[Nautitroller]

Lighter color blood with bubbles, lung, dark red can be tough maybe liver or muscle, smell it, it will truly smell a little like liver. Fatty, blood covered arrow can be deceiving your exit hole is what leaves the evidence on your arrow. Smelling your arrow gives up a lot of info.

If you shoot a deer and you get a green arrow wait 12 hours minimum! You will track that deer for about 200-300 yards if you don't spook it on your way out. When in doubt back out! If the deer beds carefully examine the bed and it should tell you location if the hit. Note the height of blood on brush and if a pool of blood is formed carefully pull leaves back and find front and back foot prints and the center of the pool will also tell hit location( front to back). Pay really close attention to the little details, go slow and mark your trail, if is its a great blood trail and it suddenly stops look for a double backed deer. As I posted earlier most guys are really good at tracking but even the best can go slower and get better at it. Good luck

Shoot em up guys n gals!

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[whaler1]

Great stuff. Thank you.

[DJ 17]

The deer we were on the other night did exactly that.  Burrowed into the depths of hell only to turn around and backtrack, twice!

 

What really sucks about where we are is if someone hits it bad and you should wait, It is a double edge sword because of the damn coyotes.  They are on EVERYTHING almost immediately.

 

At times, you can also tell quite a bit of info from how the deer reacts on impact.  If it hunches up and sticks its back in the air and kind of shuffles off it is more than likely a hit that was back towards the guts.

[BSmaster]

Somebody posted a pic of year or so ago on the buck that they didn't find until after a large pack of yotes stripped it to the bone.  I believe it was in Broome county.  I work with a guy from Owego and I wanted to show him the pic.  Does anybody remember that thread?

 

Thanks

[Nautitroller]

May have been this one we found.

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