Tracking Dog Recoveries (2016-2017)

rvick

Senior Member
Exciting day in Worth Co. Shannon Sledge's 19 point, near 200 inch, non-typical, 260 lbs., 6 1/2+ year old. Congrats, Shannon, and thanks for trusting a concerted effort by Skippy, Richard, Taylor & Aggie and Reba & me to help track him. Taylor's Drahthaar, Aggie finally found him just before dark. Hot, dry, dusty and very little blood. There was just a little whoopin' & hollerin' in them there woods.
 

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rvick

Senior Member
Wow!
 

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mattwilkes

Member
Randy- it says in the story that he shot the deer 3 times with 00 buck and he didn't run 50 yds. That's too bad he didn't mention that it had to be tracked with a dog(s). Not a peep in the article. Congrats to you and Taylor...nice work!
 

Idahomike

Senior Member
6 hour 40 minute deer
Girls first deer,small clump of white hair at hit spot,no blood,no gut matter,nothing,She said it was her first buck. Because of white hair and no blood,thete was a chance it was gut shot so we waited the required 6 hours.At 2 pm Lucy started tracking good and was soon out around 150 yards,but was heading towards a hwy,so I called her back and put the 30 foot leash on her. Tracked the buck into some crawling brush,thats the kind of brush that is so thick you have to get down on your hands and knees "no fun" all of a sudden her intensity ramped up and I figured we are getting close! Then she's tugging hard at the leash and up on her hind legs. I didn't hear the buck take off but I was pretty sure he did.lucys winning and yipping a bit. So the race is on but at a slower rate than normal cause she's on a leash and I can't go like I used to,dang age does that to a person! Finally I can stand up. We hit the open pines and nature calls and I need a breather. The girls boy friend is with me,i hand him the leash "it's your turn now",,"what should I do"" he says I said "don't let go of the leash and o as fast as you can" I answer nature's call and then check the GPS,he's 300 yards away and moving out. Then all of a sudden he stops. I figured he is a either pooped or got the deer. About that time my phone rings, out of breath he says you gotta come see this.
What he wanted me to see was acorns,corn and gut matter spilled on the ground. I said yes we will get Jessica's deer,if we are smart and patient.
I marked the spot with my gps. And we went back to the camp for home made chicken salad sandwiches and waited two hours,the buck was shot at 8am,we stared tracking at 2pm,
We went back and started tracking on leash,hoping to sneak up on him and dispatch details him in his bed,and not have Lucy jump him again.
We tracked him on leash 1.17 miles as the crow flies not sure how far actually. Then we ran into the property line,we didnt have permission to tresspass and it was getting dark so we thought we were done. How disappointing we had been after him for 5 hours at this point.
The hunter walked out to the hwy to talk to his dad and I sprawled out on the ground and fell asleep with Lucy tied to a tree next to me.
When the hunter got to his dad's truck the landowner was there,they told him that they had me tracking their deer and had stopped because we were at the property line. To their surprise the landowner knew me and I had tracked for him before! He graciously gave us permission to continue tracking,so we went back to their camp got our nite gear and another dog to help Lucy because she was getting tired,takes a lot of energy tugging at the leash and tracking through the crap,
We were a safe distance from the hwy and had permission to tresspass so we took her off leash andshe took off. In about 150 yrds she jumped the deer ran him into a area with 5 foot high grass and started baying Jake got there and was helping her.
The rest is history and the girl got her buck.
I looked at my phone it was 8:40 ,six hours and 40 minutes after we started tracking her first buck.
Making the day a happy memorable day for her instead of a sad bad experience, I was happy just to be part of it!!
Was standing in that meadow enjoying the revelry when my phone rang a Reverend only 15 minutes away had just shot a huge buck and couldn't find it,so we loaded up and went over there and put his buck on the tail gate also!
Wow what a day!!!
Girls buck
 

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rvick

Senior Member
Randy- it says in the story that he shot the deer 3 times with 00 buck and he didn't run 50 yds. That's too bad he didn't mention that it had to be tracked with a dog(s). Not a peep in the article. Congrats to you and Taylor...nice work!
Matt, before we got there the hunters buddy went up the creek about 300 yards to shoot the buck if the hunter jumped it. Sure enough he had a quick shot at it's rear end as it came by. We started tracking there and found a tiny piece of skin and 3_4 drops of blood along the trail. Further along things weren't adding up and Taylor went back to the original hit site while I kept tracking. Sure enough he found the deer right there and I was still after what turned out to be a different buck. I think he was just grazed.
 

rvick

Senior Member
Yeah, should have remembered, always start at the hit site.
 

rvick

Senior Member
You got the old part right. Critter's Oak got gored in the abdomen but is going to be O.K.. but out of action for a while.
 

wildlands

Senior Member
Hate to hear about his dog, glad he will be OK.

Only 3 track so far this year. No recoveries but I can not fault Mirko or complain about his work. He has been nailing the tracks even though conditions have been less than desirable. All 3 have been over 700 yards with one right in the middle of the day and only 2 pin drops of blood and 1 drop found the entire way. The other was in pine straw with little to no blood till the wound bed. All three ended at property lines where we could not continue. I hate tracking in urban areas. Spoke with several of the other local trackers and they are not doing much either. Hopefully it will pick up with the rut and cooler weather.
 

rvick

Senior Member
. Both Lowndes Co., Reba on lead jumped the 10 point 4 times. The last time at 3/4 mile as the crow flies, we got a shot. don't know why he bedded so often. He only had a 5 inch graze on his side that cut the skin open.
The 4 point was a bowkill, gut shot, we gave it 6 hours and went in 1/4 mile to find it still alive in the super thick stuff. Reba was daring him to run. Don't know how this dog can track in all the dust.
 

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molly

Senior Member
Worth Cty big Buck

Taylor Farrow`s young tracking dog found that deer...post the picture Taylor I want to see your dog.
 

Bearakota

Member
Blue and Kota

Well had some fun last two days. 4 for 4 and all the bucks were still alive when we got to them. Two were the kids first deer.
 

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rvick

Senior Member
Reba jumped him on lead at 3 hours. We realized he was gut shot and backed out for a couple of hours. (Thanks for the nice home cooked breakfast.) Went back and shortly found him still warm in the bottom of a deep, dried up creek bed. Congrats to the hunter.
 

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wildlands

Senior Member
First picture is of a deer recovered this evening. Originally shot yesterday last shooting light. We tracked about a mile and lost track. Decided to make some circles around a cut over to see if the deer came out or was still in there. Mirko was walking along the edge when he through his head up and started winding something. He took us up in the pines about 100 yards. Here he started looking at a thicket. We should have known and be ready but we were not and here comes the buck barreling out of there. We went after him still on lead and jumped him one more time but no clean shot. Another 200 yards and this time the buck makes the mistake of coming back at us and the hunter got lucky with the shot and tapped him in the back of the noggin. I will take it anyway we can. Original shot was in the leg.

Second one was shot around 8 yesterday and we finally got there around 830 last night. Quick little recovery with little blood. Sorry for the funny highlights on the picture. For some reason that is what my phone decided to take.

Had 3 more that we did not recover but not for a lack of trying. As I said in an earlier post I hate urban tracking. First we went on a 3/4 mile track and Mirko was dead on. But we came to the end of were we had permission and that was were we had to stop. Second was archery not as good a track as there was little sign after the original hit and again property lines. 3rd track was a dozy shot at 7:30 and tracked at 3. We covered 4 miles with little to no blood last mile then a 3 miles hike back along the road. Finally called because none of the blood we were finding was fresh all had dried and been there since they bumped it at 1:30.
 

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rvick

Senior Member
Congrats, Ken. I got in on a little urban tracking last year. I know it is frustrating. Good job on bringing down the leg shot on lead.
 

rvick

Senior Member
Reba started this track 3 hours after the shot. We could find no blood at the hit site and weren't sure if the deer was even hit. Working thru other deer and hogs, she took us 100 yards to a 4 1/2 foot fence that she couldn't get across. Still no blood but she said he had crossed so we helped her over and after about 50 yards found our first drop of blood. After a winding trail in and out of thick stuff we began to find more blood and soon had the 221# 8 point piled up in the gallberries and briars. Congrats to the hunter on a very nice buck!
 

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Flaustin1

Senior Member
Me and Stella Mae got to get after one this morning. Broken leg, with the chest cavity opened up. Bullet never actually penetrated any vitals. The deer was alive when we found it. I'm still tracking in lead due to this being my pups first year. We jumped the buck the first time and I wanted to unclip her and let her bay it but I was just to nervous. All in all a successful morning. My girl is coming along well. I just need more opportunities. Picture quality is poor but y'all get the point.
 

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Bearakota

Member
Kota and Blue

Just when you think your dogs can not surprise you any more then they already have I go on two tracks like these last two. The first was a 1.6 mile track that ended in a huge ditch for a final kill. Then a two mile track where the dogs were able to get the deer to a pond where he expired. Oh my goodness these dogs impress me with their drive.
 

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