Go Luna go!

[outdoorstom]

Good job! How bad the yotes get it? Doesn't look bad in the pic. I have had them clean one down to hide and bones overnight!

They of course chewed it's ass, then field dressed it for him. Could have been a lot worse!

[Paula]

they were lucky that is all that happened to it

[fasteddie]

Nice work Outdoorstom !

[Marion]

They of course chewed it's ass, then field dressed it for him. Could have been a lot worse!

Salad tossers!

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[Fletch]

They got one my brother shot last year we left overnight 40 yards from where we lost blood. Knew I would find it the next day but they did first. They got the ass I got the backstraps/ shoulders.

A few years back I lost the trail on an 8 point I was not familiar with the prop yet. Next morn 8 hours later it was just lower legs, hide, head and bones. It was probably a 160 pound deer live. Amazing! They even had the ribs semi cleaned

[outdoorstom]

October 19, 2015

I had a call from a friend who had shot a spike this morning. He made a poor shot, hitting high near the spine. The deer fell over, then jumped up and ran off. He had very little blood. I told hi. This does not sound promising at all, but I'd give it a shot. The only reason I agreed to try is because he's a friend. Luna got on the track and stayed on it, going past the last marked blood. About 75 yards later, we came to an area in the pine needles where it was obvious a deer had taken off in a hurry. I suspect we jumped the buck there. We never saw it and Luna lost the track shortly thereafter. We did a couple restarts at last blood, but nothing came of them. I pulled the plug at that point.

[jjb4900]

Great job! Luna is doing awesome for her first year!

One of the reasons I got away from tracking was all th b.s. from people who I was trying to help.

yup...me too, absolutely unreal some of the crap that comes out of some people.

[outdoorstom]

October 21, 2015

I had a call from a hunter this morning that bow shot a 6 pointer at 6:00 last night. Due to buck fever, the hunter never saw where the arrow hit. He called a couple buddies and an hour later they began tracking. They were able to follow an occasional drop for 500 yards, then decided they were probably pushing him so they marked last blood and backed out. The blood was described as bright red with no bubbles. My first thought was muscle blood, and after the track I still believe that to be the case. Due to the deer crossing a river after the shot, we didn't start at the hit site. We were close to where they backed out, and Luna got on the track right away. We ended up in a large clearing under power lines and Luna struggled in that area right from the start. After 3 or 4 restarts and going in different directions every time, I took Luna to the edge of the clearing and worked the edge. Again, nothing. I suggested we don't follow Luna, and he and I look in the immediate area of last blood. We were able to find a few drops and advance the track about 40 yards. This was enough to give us a little better idea of the direction, so once more I took Luna to the edge. This time we located a drop and advanced the track a hundred yards. I have no idea where the deer went after that. We spent a total of 3 hours on this track, but never got beyond that point.

This is a call I really struggled with taking, but decided to since the hunter didn't know where he hit it. I guess maybe that should have been another reason not to take it. I'm still trying to get a handle on which calls to take and which to decline.

[biggamefish]

They are all hard. Even if you think you know where you hit them it can be in a different spot. Strange things happen in the woods. I would ask some friends even if they find the deer to call you and let Luna go on them. You at least will know where her problems might be etc.

[outdoorstom]

I received a call at 5:30 this evening from a hunter that had gutshot a deer with his bow. Without getting too graphic, he saw the exit hole and he said it was very large. I know for a gutshot deer you normally wait a minimum of 5 hours, but based on his description we went in after 4. There was an excellent blood trail starting about 30 or 40 yards from the hit site. Luna led us through the woods and to the edge of a swamp. She took a wrong turn at one point so I took her back to last blood, and a minute later she found the doe. Total track was 150-200 yards. Coyotes did a number on her in that short timeframe!

[Marion]

I take it he shot low spilling out all her guts eh?

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[outdoorstom]

I take it he shot low spilling out all her guts eh?

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v

Exactly. Couldn't believe the yokes got to it that quickly.

[outdoorstom]

I had a call from a deer hunter that was charged by a bear last evening. She managed to hit it twice with her 30.30 and it veered off and ran away. She and her two sons tracked it for about 300 yards before losing blood and backing out. She reports blood on both sides of the trail in some spots.

I met with the hunter, and her husband and son at 7:30 this morning. The hunter couldn't identify the hit site, so we went to first blood. Luna immediately picked up the track and away we went. Blood was scarce from the beginning, and only got worse as we went. We started off in an area of thick brush which lasted for a few hundred yards and we'd occasionally see some blood on on vegetation, rarely any on the ground. The track took us through two swampy areas, and one area of hardwoods. Luna worked beautifully through checks....so much fun to watch her figure things out. More than once we went hundreds of yards with no sign, then I'd find a little smear of blood on a sapling or bush. It was easy to tell when Luna was on track because she'd be pulling very hard. After one of the long gaps between blood, we found some in the swamp. The hunter couldn't get over Luna's nose. "How'd she do that? We're in water" she said. After over a mile on track, I told the hunter I believe the bear is still alive and I'm ending the track. We never found a bed or large amounts of blood, and this was after the bear being shot almost 16 hours earlier. The hunter and her husband agreed with me and we began our trek out. I consider this a very successful track. Luna performed flawlessly and continues to amaze me. A couple times in the hardwoods she got sidetracked by squirrels, and when I told her to "leave it" she did so immediately. Swamp dog definitely needed a bath when we got home!

[outdoorstom]

11/3/2015

I went on a track this afternoon for a hunter that shot a 6 pointer at 7:30 this morning. He was in brush about 100 yards away, and did a mule kick when he was hit. He went a short distance and stopped, so she shot him again. This time he went down. After climbing down and walking over there, he was gone! She searched and found some blood, marked it and backed out, then went back 3 hours later with a helper. They lost blood after about 50 yards, then started a grid search. She actually called me from the woods as they were searching. Of course I advised her to back out and wait for Luna and I.

Upon arriving we were unable to find the hit site, but Luna quickly found blood and we we were off. We tracked to their point of loss, then found blood about 40 or 50 yards beyond there. Our struggles began at that point. Luna took us off in 3 or 4 different directions but we never found any blood. I'd restart her at last blood and we went a few hundred yards each time, but nothing. The hunter had mentioned earlier that she thought it might have been heading to a thick bedding area, so I decided we'd see if we could pick anything up over there. Sure enough, Luna once again found a drop of dried blood. After continuing on for 50 yards or so, the buck jumped up about 5 feet in front of us. I called to the hunter to move up to get a shot, but the buck took off and was quickly out of sight. I showed her the line he took and told her to work in that direction and see if she could spot him. A minute later she raised her rifle and took a shot, missed, one more shot and he dropped. Luna was going crazy the whole time, barking and desperately wanting to go after him. When the hunter got over there, she saw he was still alive and asked if we should wait for him to expire. I told her no and to finish him off, so she did.

Of course Luna was lavished with praise and chewed on a leg ????

[Poppy]

What great stories and pictures.  Can't help but wish a dog of that character was mine.  Keep the stories coming.  Go Luna, go.

[grampy]

What an awesome season you two are having! Great job!

[monkeyman2269]

We're did she hit originally

[outdoorstom]

Hard to say since it ended up with so many holes in it, but I believe the first one was high, maybe clipping the top of a lung, and the second one in no mans land. I didn't stay for the field dressing so I didn't see inside.

[bubba]

Nice job Tom

[Cabin Fever]

You're doing a great service! I hope the hunters appreciate what you're doing and compensate you well!

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[outdoorstom]

You're doing a great service! I hope the hunters appreciate what you're doing and compensate you well!

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They definitely appreciate it. I love seeing their faces when Luna finds one! I just take enough for gas money.

[outdoorstom]

I went on a track this evening that I knew from the interview we had very little chance of recovering the deer. I took it for two reasons. 1. It was only 6 miles away. 2. We haven't been on a track in 3 days and Luna insisted we go.

The hunter told me the deer didn't seem to react to the shot and he thought he missed. When he got to the hit site he found a lot of white hair, and a short distance away a little blood. He followed the blood into the cedars and found two good size pieces of fat, then lost the trail and called me. We were able to find one more drop of blood about 75 yards or so beyond the hunters point of loss. Luna acted like she was on the track for a while, then started wandering. I took her back to the pieces of fat and restarted her, but the same deal. We were only out there an hour or so. If nothing else, I met some nice guys.

[outdoorstom]

11/8/2015

I got called out on a track that the hunter could not find the hit site, but located blood in the woods and immediately backed out and called me. The blood was a shade or two darker than bright red, and also a piece of fat was found. Further down the trail I found one white hair in some blood. The blood trail started fairly strong, then slowed down. After being on the track for awhile, it suddenly got stronger again. I believe this is where we jumped the deer the first time, although no bed was found, and we. Either saw it or heard it. The blood slowed down again, but of course was very fresh when we'd see some. The mile and a half track took us through cedars, boggy areas, clear cuts, and eventually a large swamp.

Luna pulled hard throughout the track, barking when I believe we were close to the deer. The hunter was ready to call it quits at one point, but I insisted we continue, if for no other reason than to hopefully reward Luna for all her hard work.

As we approached the swamp, the hunter stayed back in case we kicked the buck out. Luna and I were barely in when I saw the buck standing about 100 yards out. I called the hunter up to make the killing shot, which he successfully did.

Luna and I stayed put to keep our bearing on where the buck had dropped while the hunter went home for his waders and canoe. His son came out with him and together they retrieved the 4 point buck. The whole time he was gone, Luna whined and trembled in anticipation of sinking her little teeth into that tasty deer.

Afterwards, the hunter half jokingly told me he probably wouldn't call me again because he's never had to work this hard for a deer.

We discovered the first shot was a gut shot, not brisket.

Edited November 9, 2015 by outdoorstom

[outdoorstom]

11/8/2015. Track 2

A hunter reported shooting a deer in the shoulder and having it drop right there. He climbed down from his stand 10 minutes later and was reaching over to poke it with his rifle when it jumped up and ran away. Bright red blood was reported - no bubbles. He and three buddies did a grid search and lost blood after about 40 yards.

Luna quickly got on the track and stayed on it for 3/4 of a mile with spotty blood.She lost it right at a point where I had just said I could smell it....very obvious during the rut. She started circling the area and we caught a glimpse of it walking away. This 4 pointer was quickly dispatched and the long drag out began. During the drag we were talking about the branches of service we had been in. One of the guys dragging is a former Marine, the other guy was in the Army. I informed them the Coast Guard was watching them drag.

[outdoorstom]

11/9/2015

Unfortunately, we had an unsuccessful 3.5 hour track this morning. A young hunter's Dad reported his son shot at nice 8 pointer last night. He said it hunched up when hit, then jumped some brush and was gone. They found a very small area of blood, lost it, then searched the immediate area with no luck. We were unable to identify the exact hit site, so couldn't find any clues as to where he was hit. We suspect a gut shot due to the hunching. The area of blood in the woods only lasted a few yards, although the Dad did advance the track about 50 more by finding two tiny drops. Luna never really locked in on this deer. I believe she didn't have enough to go on to learn the scent of that particular deer. The area has major runways crisscrossing through it, and many hot trails with us actually jumping a few does. We checked known water holes/swamps with no luck. I'm hoping they either see it again or get pictures, but to be honest I have no clue.