Tracking Deer with Dogs (PIC)

[B-man715]

The Friday before Halloween, I was home and I went out bowhunting. We've been out of town (Duluth) working, so hunting time has been limited.

I walked out under the stars to a spot I seldom hunt. It is a narrow hardwood peninsula, that protrudes about 300 yards into a black spruce swamp. I used my climber and perched over intersecting trails on the peninsula.

About 7:30 a basket eight point criss crossed the peninsula searching for a hot doe. He was grunting the whole time. He ended up directly under my tree and knew something wasn't quite right, but soon resumed his search and went off into the swamp.

About an hour and a half later I heard a buck grunting and water splashing in the swamp to the north. I stood and readied my bow, waiting for what seemed like forever! Thirty seconds passed, with the deer getting close. I finally saw a doe, followed by another doe trotting my way. I could hear the buck, but not see him.

The does passed by 20 yards away, and I caught a glimpse of the buck hot on their tail! The adrenaline started pumping as I drew my bow. I had about a 20 foot window to shoot, but with the deer moving quickly I wasn't sure if I could get him to stop in time.

As he exited the swamp and came onto high ground he finally stopped on the third loud "uurrrp!" He wasn't the biggest buck I'ver ever shot, but with work limiting hunting time he was good enough

Slightly quartering towards me, I put the pin on his shoulder and let it fly! The shot looked good, but his reaction wasn't. He bounded a few times into the swamp and just stood. He was within 30 yards, but the spruce trees wouldn't allow a second shot Five minutes passed before he slowly walked into the flooded swamp.

About twenty minutes passed and I again heard grunting coming from the north. I thought it might have been the same buck, but soon after a nice buck came by running the same trail the does had minutes earlier. He would have been a 120" eight, but his left side was just a curly fry main beam

Soon after I climbed down to look at my arrow. STOMACH! I walked into the swamp where he stood and found only a small area of blood. Five minutes of blood and I could have covered it with a pop can.

In my younger days I would have started tracking right away, jumped him once or twice and never see him again. Expericence and reading has taught me to give 6 hours minimum on a gut shot.

With my head low I left the woods. Waiting is the hardest part, but necessary if the deer is to be recovered. The forecast was to top out in the low 40's, so spoilage wasn't a concern. The swamp was also full of shade.

While at home I spent some time on the computer trying to kill time. I stumbled across an article about tracking wounded deer with dogs. It has always been a thought to me, but the article convinced me to give it a try.

While I have spent considerable time breaking and keeping my dogs off deer, I decided to try it. I took my oldest, slowest and methodical hound Gunner. He also handles extremely well and is what I consider broke.

I put on his tracking collar and e-collar and off to the woods we went. My plan was to hopefully follow a blood trail to a dead buck and only use Gunner as a last chance shot in the dark.

By the tone of my voice he knows when to stay close, or when he can hunt. He walked unleashed by my side the 1/2 mile into the woods to where I shot the deer. I tied him up and went searching first.

From the small pool of blood, I was able to track him a grand total of 20 feet in 20 minutes Not looking good. I soon lost blood, all of the deer trails were underwater; making for an almost impossible tracking job.

With dark aproaching I brought Gunner to where I shot the deer. In a relaxed voice I encouraged him to "get the deer." He seemed mildly interested in the track and followed it to the small pool of blood. Then continued on the track to where I had lost it.

He soon turned 90 degrees and nose to the ground worked his way northwest. I had thought the deer went east and shrugged it off as a loss.

Keeping distance from him I followed as he silently made his way northwest. He made it about a 100 yards from where i shot the the deer then stopped and looked up for me. I watched for a few seconds, he would put his head down, then back up looking at me??? I started his way and soon after saw antlers poking up through the moss!!!!!

He walked straight to it! I couldn't believe it. Who knows how many other deer came through that spot while I was waiting at home, but he managed to lock onto the deer I started him on.

Without Gunner, I would have said my chances of recovering the deer was 75%. He went in almost the opposite direction that I would have started a grid search. Though it died roughly 100 yards from the shot, that area would have been on the edge of my search.

As is turns out, the shot did catch a lung, went through the center of the liver, then exited through the stomach. He likely died within an hour, but you can't ever play it too safe when you are uncertain.

Here is a shot of me and Gunner with "his trophy!"

Now I hope he doesn't think he can start chasing live deer again!!!

[DHost21]

That is awesome!! I know some guys may come on here and tell you it isnt legal to track deer with dogs but you recovered a deer and thats way better to me than leaving him out there and maybe never recovering him so i think its awesome!! Hopefully if i ever need my lab has a good enough nose to do the same!! Awesome job!!

[motley man]

I know you can't hunt with dogs, but is tracking a wounded one with dogs illegal also.

[caseymcq]

That dude looks like he is sizing up that rack as an alternative to rawhide...

That was a great story and a good pic.

[psepuncher]

The Friday before Halloween, I was home and I went out bowhunting. We've been out of town (Duluth) working, so hunting time has been limited.

I walked out under the stars to a spot I seldom hunt. It is a narrow hardwood peninsula, that protrudes about 300 yards into a black spruce swamp. I used my climber and perched over intersecting trails on the peninsula.

About 7:30 a basket eight point criss crossed the peninsula searching for a hot doe. He was grunting the whole time. He ended up directly under my tree and knew something wasn't quite right, but soon resumed his search and went off into the swamp.

About an hour and a half later I heard a buck grunting and water splashing in the swamp to the north. I stood and readied my bow, waiting for what seemed like forever! Thirty seconds passed, with the deer getting close. I finally saw a doe, followed by another doe trotting my way. I could hear the buck, but not see him.

The does passed by 20 yards away, and I caught a glimpse of the buck hot on their tail! The adrenaline started pumping as I drew my bow. I had about a 20 foot window to shoot, but with the deer moving quickly I wasn't sure if I could get him to stop in time.

As he exited the swamp and came onto high ground he finally stopped on the third loud "uurrrp!" He wasn't the biggest buck I'ver ever shot, but with work limiting hunting time he was good enough

Slightly quartering towards me, I put the pin on his shoulder and let it fly! The shot looked good, but his reaction wasn't. He bounded a few times into the swamp and just stood. He was within 30 yards, but the spruce trees wouldn't allow a second shot Five minutes passed before he slowly walked into the flooded swamp.

About twenty minutes passed and I again heard grunting coming from the north. I thought it might have been the same buck, but soon after a nice buck came by running the same trail the does had minutes earlier. He would have been a 120" eight, but his left side was just a curly fry main beam

Soon after I climbed down to look at my arrow. STOMACH! I walked into the swamp where he stood and found only a small area of blood. Five minutes of blood and I could have covered it with a pop can.

In my younger days I would have started tracking right away, jumped him once or twice and never see him again. Expericence and reading has taught me to give 6 hours minimum on a gut shot.

With my head low I left the woods. Waiting is the hardest part, but necessary if the deer is to be recovered. The forecast was to top out in the low 40's, so spoilage wasn't a concern. The swamp was also full of shade.

While at home I spent some time on the computer trying to kill time. I stumbled across an article about tracking wounded deer with dogs. It has always been a thought to me, but the article convinced me to give it a try.

While I have spent considerable time breaking and keeping my dogs off deer, I decided to try it. I took my oldest, slowest and methodical hound Gunner. He also handles extremely well and is what I consider broke.

I put on his tracking collar and e-collar and off to the woods we went. My plan was to hopefully follow a blood trail to a dead buck and only use Gunner as a last chance shot in the dark.

By the tone of my voice he knows when to stay close, or when he can hunt. He walked unleashed by my side the 1/2 mile into the woods to where I shot the deer. I tied him up and went searching first.

From the small pool of blood, I was able to track him a grand total of 20 feet in 20 minutes Not looking good. I soon lost blood, all of the deer trails were underwater; making for an almost impossible tracking job.

With dark aproaching I brought Gunner to where I shot the deer. In a relaxed voice I encouraged him to "get the deer." He seemed mildly interested in the track and followed it to the small pool of blood. Then continued on the track to where I had lost it.

He soon turned 90 degrees and nose to the ground worked his way northwest. I had thought the deer went east and shrugged it off as a loss.

Keeping distance from him I followed as he silently made his way northwest. He made it about a 100 yards from where i shot the the deer then stopped and looked up for me. I watched for a few seconds, he would put his head down, then back up looking at me??? I started his way and soon after saw antlers poking up through the moss!!!!!

He walked straight to it! I couldn't believe it. Who knows how many other deer came through that spot while I was waiting at home, but he managed to lock onto the deer I started him on.

Without Gunner, I would have said my chances of recovering the deer was 75%. He went in almost the opposite direction that I would have started a grid search. Though it died roughly 100 yards from the shot, that area would have been on the edge of my search.

As is turns out, the shot did catch a lung, went through the center of the liver, then exited through the stomach. He likely died within an hour, but you can't ever play it too safe when you are uncertain.

Here is a shot of me and Gunner with "his trophy!"

Now I hope he doesn't think he can start chasing live deer again!!!

so you went out at night with a dog and a bow in hand?

ANyway...

If youre worried about a deer tracking dog..er {a dog tracking deer}, then you should be worried

Teach them to track blood. You get a dog trailing blood then they'll care less about anything else. If you have no blood to trail or train them on, then all you have is a deer hunter on your hands.

[B-man715]

so you went out at night with a dog and a bow in hand?

You misread my post. I went out in the afternoon, no bow, just a dog.

As for a deer chasing hound, he is not. As a young dog, I did have to break him off deer. He is very intelligent, and very mouthy. He opens on 6 hour old hare tracks, but didn't give as much as a wimper on the bucks trail I intentionally dropped him on.

He followed the track simply because I told him to. He won't take on a hot deer track, even if he sees it. I am certain other deer passed through area while I was waiting, so there would have been hotter tracks that he did not take.

[psepuncher]

Easy enough to misread your post since you said dark was approaching and then the pic is daylight with a water bottle in the pic. I know most trackers won't have a weapon and a dog together in the pic either. And then you say I hope the dog doesn't think he can chase deer again.

Get that nose on some of the blood from that deer if you saved any.

Anyway, good looking hound.

[Ralph Wiggum]

That dude looks like he is sizing up that rack as an alternative to rawhide...

LOL! They do make elk antler dog chews, so...

[spivak]

congratulations on recovering that deer. good story

[Harmonica Bear]

+1 as well

great story - Awesome picture! Frame that one.

[setterguy]

Very nice.