outdoorstom

October 15, 2015 (track #2) When I got home from the track earlier today, my wife told me somebody had knocked on the door looking for Luna and I. He shot a doe last night on the public land across the road from our house. He said it looked like a high, one lung hit to him. He had to work last night so he climbed down and looked for the deer after only a few minutes. Inevitably, he jumped it and pushed it. He continued on the track for a short while, then backed out. He went in again about noon today with two more people to search some more. He was able to advance the track only a short distance, then they began a grid search. I had him take us to the hit site, but he wasn't exactly sure where it was. There had been 3 other deer with the one he shot, and I believe Luna began tracking one of the others because she went in the opposite direction the shot doe had. The hunter had seen exactly where she exited the field, so we went there. Luna immediately got on the track, which had sparse bubbly blood. She went exactly the same way the hunter had tracked blood earlier, then went beyond where he had last seen blood. A couple hundred yards later we found a drop in a couple places. Luna continued on, pulling hard. We went through an open field and she appeared to lose the track several times, but worked and found it again. Right before entering a wood lot, we found another drop of blood. After about 400 yards in the woods, Luna appeared to lose the track so we went back to last blood and restarted. She took a different trail that time but again she seemed to lose the track. We had gone close to a mile, with no blood for a long distance. It appeared to me the hunter was probably right about a high one lung hit, and the deer very well may survive. I called off the search.

October 15, 2015 I went on a local call this morning for a doe that was shot yesterday afternoon. The hunter reported seeing the arrow sticking out of the does head as it ran off. His wife had shot it, but the husband did the tracking. They found a small amount of blood, then did a grid search when the blood ran out. He and his father went back in this morning and searched more. Luna followed the blood down the trail, when the blood ended she acted like she was still on it and we walked numerous trails. The trails wound through a marshy area, cedars and hardwoods. We never found any more blood or a bed. On two occasions we jumped lone deer, but could not get a good look at them in the thick brush. We never did find it. I've learned that the most frustrating part of tracking is not knowing if the deer survived or its dead and I didn't find it.

October 14, 2015 I received a call at 6:00 tonight from a hunter only 10 miles away. He made what he thought was a high shoulder hit on a deer at 5:00 and watched it run into a tall goldenrod field. He made three passes through the field but couldn't find any blood. I got there at 6:30 and he told me as he was walking back to his truck to wait for me, he had seen fresh tracks made by a running deer in a sandy area. He followed them, saw some blood and backed out. We went to the hit site and Luna took us to the sandy area but didn't locate the blood, which the hunter had marked with blue tape. I took Luna over there and she got back on the track. I believe it was muscle blood as it was bright red, with no bubbles. There was no heavy blood and no bed was found during the track. Luna took us about 200 yards with blood, then we never saw any more. She was pulling very hard and acting completely confident for at least an hour as we followed many different trails. At one point, coyotes were howling not more than 50 or 60 yards from us. Understandably, Luna got very nervous and quit tracking until they left. I believe there's a chance they were on the deer we were tracking. 2.5 hours after starting the track, and based on the details above, I called off the search. I believe this was a non lethal hit made with a Rage broad head. I'm happy with how Luna performed on our first night track.

Great buck....nicely done!

A hunter called at 10:00 this morning asking for help locating a mature buck he gutshot last night. He reported he and his buddies went to look for it an hour and a half after the shot, and they jumped it. I don't know why, but they didn't back out when that happened and continued looking for blood. At first light they commenced a grid search due to a steady rainfall and no chance of finding blood. Despite the 100 mile drive, I decided Luna and I would give it a shot. We went to the hit site, but Luna didn't appear to pick up on anything. I asked the hunter to take us to the first blood found, and Luna got on the trail at that point. She stayed on it for about a 100 yards, then appeared to lose the track. As we've done before, we went back to last blood and restarted. She followed the same trail and again lost the track at the same spot. We were in a fairly open section of woods and searched the area thoroughly. At one point, Luna started tracking again but I had no idea if it was our deer or not. We went about 300 yards and came to a property line we didn't have, nor could obtain permission to enter. We had just turned around when we heard a flock of crows nearby. We located them and searched that area, with no luck. There is a creek running through the property, so I suggested we walk it. Again, nothing. It was at this point the hunter called it off, I think because we were soaked from the two torrential downpours that had happened as we searched. Several times during this track Luna got sidetracked by chipmunks she saw. I'm taking the blame for that due to the fact I take her to our wood lot when I'm working on habitat projects, and she had been chasing them there. I hate to not take her with me, but I can't allow that to continue after seeing her distracted today.

My first thought was liver too. Where are you located? Not that it will do you any good now, but Luna and I will travel an hour and a half from Waddington.

Nice buck!!

I agree....she's a good one. Get a couple seasons under her belt and watch out!

Definitely a lot of truth to this.....should be great hunting.

How about Gary Bulriss at Three Rivers Taxidermy in Morley?

How about Gary Bulriss at Three Rivers Taxidermy in Morley?

I'm not going to be able to help you with the price, but I love the look of the cabin!

I received a call from a hunter's wife this morning, telling me her husband had shot a big buck last night and couldn't find it. She said he and some friends were looking for it now. I told her to call her husband and tell him to back out and call me. The hunter reported a high shot, with a drop of blood here and there for 100 yards. They had not proceeded past the last blood marked. He suspected a one lung hit. I was encouraged by the fact they hadn't pushed the buck, and jumped in the truck to drive the 70 miles to their location. We left the hunter's buddies at the truck and went to the hit site. Luna immediately got on the correct trail and we passed his markers as we worked the trail. When we got to last blood I left the hunter there and we continued. After about a hundred yards it was clear Luna wasn't sure, so we went back to last blood to try again. This time she stayed on it, and we found the buck about 200 yards away. Luna was very pleased with herself and commenced her chewing and licking routine. To say the hunter was happy with his 11 pointer would be an understatement! Investigation revealed the hit was only about 2 inches high. The fixed blade Muzzy had hit the top of one lung and had done a good job on the other, but was still in the deer.

I have found 2 scrapes so far.....

Thanks for the heads up, never thought about that!

I designed and ordered this sign for my truck doors. We really want to get out on more tracks.....please let people know! Thanks, Tom

Congratulations to both of you!

I love it. NY's poaching fines are a joke and do nothing to deter poachers.

Lots of acorns and apples here too. Waiting for the corn to come out.

I got lucky and was offered 1/8 ownership of this camp which is located in North August, Ontario, 40 minutes from my house. We've got 225 acres, which border 1000 acres of Crown land. I spent yesterday scouting, going back today to hang a stand. I'm pumped!

Congratulations Grandpa! I'm sure you'll be spoiling her too.

I got a call last night asking us to track a bear in the Adirondack foothills. I met the hunters at 5:30 am and we got to the cabin at 6:00, started the search at 6:30. Luna immediately got on the track and away we went. We eventually ran out of blood, and after about a quarter mile of not seeing any, I decided to go back to last blood to see if she if she took the same trail. Embarrassing as it is, I'm going to admit we got turned around and ended up walking miles until we found our way out. I carried Luna on my shoulder for a some of those miles to give her little legs a break. With no exaggeration, we easily walked 10 miles. I learned a valuable lesson and will NEVER enter the woods again without turning the gps on. After a 30 minute lunch break at the cabin, we went back to a known blood spot and started over. Luna once again went to work and we were off. After a mile on the trail with Luna still pulling hard, the hunters called it off, saying there was no way they could get it out of there if we found it. It was disappointing, but I take solace I. The fact Luna was still on it when we quit, I feel bad she didn't get to see it (and have a little chew on it) This was an 8 hour track due to our failure to turn the gps on. I had a call this morning from a guy a few miles from my home wanting me to track a buck he gut shot last night. I told him I'd have to decline since I have an appointment this afternoon. After getting lost on the bear track, I saw I wouldn't make my appointment so I rescheduled it. I called him back and told him I would be willing to go out and try after going home to get something to eat. He shot the deer and watched it bed down, then get up and walk into a swamp. He waited until dark and snuck out. He and his Dad were there at 8:00 this morning and followed blood for a while, then spent the next 4 hours walking through the whole area. Luna got on the trail and followed past the hunters point of loss, then started circling around all through the whole area. I'm sure the scent was everywhere as the hunter and his Dad had clearly walked all through the blood. We ended up not finding it, but again Luna worked her little butt off. What a trooper....we're both going to sleep good tonight.

This should help us get some calls....... http://www.ogd.com/adv/waddington-resident-to-help-track-wounded-deer-bear-20151003

Looking at the regs online, I don't see where it says 6a is antlerless only during early bow. It says there are too few does....... n WMU 6A, harvest of antlerless deer must be further curtailed to achieve desired deer populations. In this unit, DEC has not issued Deer Management Permits for antlerless deer since 2011 and antlerless harvest has only occurred during the early and late bow and muzzleloader seasons. Under the new rule, until deer populations grow, hunters in WMU 6A will not be allowed to take antlerless deer during the early muzzleloader season, which in recent years has accounted for about half of the antlerless harvest. With appropriate tags and privileges, bowhunters may continue to take antlerless deer during the early and late bowhunting seasons, and muzzleloader hunters may take antlerless deer during the late muzzleloading season. See Deer Hunting Seasons for a map of season date

Definitely sad, but you have a great attitude.