Luna's Tracking Journal 2017

[Dinsdale]

Best thread on here, enjoy the updates.

[outdoorstom]

My turn!

[Rebel Darling]

My turn!

Congratulations! Beauty of a harvest...


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[Poppy]

Tom,

Congratulations on a fine buck.  With all you do for other hunters, none deserves a buck like that more then you.  I hope Luna got a little nibble.

[adkhunter71]

That's awesome!  Congrats!  I agree with the others that have said that this is their favorite thread.  Thanks for all that you do for other hunters and sharing the stories.

[DanielT]

Congratulations

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[Rebel Darling]

Wait...  Did you have to get the dogs out to track it? 

[outdoorstom]

4 hours ago, Rebel Darling said:

Wait...  Did you have to get the dogs out to track it? 

Nope!

 

[outdoorstom]

11/11

 

#1

I received a text from a hunter at 7:00 last night asking if I was available for a track this morning. He was walking out to his stand at 3:45 and happened upon a 6 or 8 pointer making a scrape. He took a 75 yard offhand shot but wasn’t sure where he hit him. He and a friend followed blood and found a bloody bed, then lost the trail. They did a small grid search, then backed out.

We got on the track at 11:30 this morning, but were unable to find the hit site or any blood until the bed. Luna breathed in deeply and took off following the tracks. It wasn’t long and we were seeing frozen drops of blood as we walked. We arrived at the edge of a swamp and there the gutshot 8 pointer laid dead in the water. Unfortunately, crows and coyotes had found him first. The track was 250 yards long.

 

#2

Kunox  and I went to track a buck tonight that had been shot this morning. The hunter and his 2 sons lost the blood trail and one of his sons jumped it as it was bedded down on ice in the swamp. He actually chased it and said if he had a gun he was easily close enough to shoot it twice. They backed out and called us at that time.  Kunox followed the track a good distance, then lost it and was not able to ever get back on it. We hadn't gotten to the point where the son had jumped it, so I asked the hunter to take us there. Unfortunately, things look different in the dark and he couldn't find it. He's going back in the morning to find it and flag it. I have a track lined up for 9:00, so I'm taking Kunox on that one, and will take Luna back to this one. To be continued......

 

#3

I received a call at 8:30 this morning to track a big buck that had been leg hit, but I couldn't get there until 9:45 tonight. The hunter had taken a couple more shots but didn't know if he connected. He and his son had tracked it several hundred yards and jumped it at one point, then did a short search. Luna made short work of the marked trail, then took a couple minutes to get past where they had lost blood and searched. As we continued on another hundred yards, maybe a little more, we came to the edge of a swamp. Luna worked the whole area, then stood there looking across a short expanse of icy water. I carried her across and put her down and she checked out a couple trails, then wanted to go back where we had come from. I carried her back across and she worked the area some more, then went back down the trail we had initially come up. About 10 yards down, she took a sharp right onto another trail and I spotted some blood.  Off we went, and it wasn't too long and I saw the buck bedded down 20 yards in front of us. I called the hunters son up and had him take Luna and I went and dispatched this bruiser 8. The buck had been shot in a rear leg.....twice!

 

I had someone who is interested in tracking, join me today.  He's on vacation next week and will be tagging along to learn the trade. Phil is a true outdoorsman and I can see he's going to do great when he gets his dog next season.  

 

[outdoorstom]

I

11/12

 

#1

Kunox and I took a track this morning for a buck that was shot yesterday afternoon, and the hunter and his friend could not find any blood. He said the deer had hunched and tucked it's tail when it ran away after the shot. We spent time trying to locate any hair or blood at the hit site, but were unable to find any. We started checking trails leading away from the area, and on the third one we located two drops of blood within a 50 yard area. This was the last blood we saw on this unsuccessful track.  We followed every trail in the area for hundreds of yards, checked two ravines that had water, and walked a river bank.  After two hours and nothing else to go on, we pulled the plug.

 

#2

Luna and I took the next track. The hunter reported shooting a big buck as he walked out from afternoon watch yesterday. We got there at 11:30 this morning and followed decent blood for 100 yards. The hunter and his friend had done a nice job marking the blood trail and not grid searching when they lost the trail. We advanced the track about 400 yards with an occasional drop here and there. Luna led me to a large deep swamp and there was no way to follow the track from this point. We walked around the deepest part, but it was way too thick for Luna to walk, and as I carried her, we hit more deep water. Unfortunately that was the end of the track.

[doebuck1234]

Very nice buck!!!!

[outdoorstom]

11/13

 

I was called last night by a hunter that had shot a buck yesterday afternoon and believed he hit it in the chest. He and his neighbor tracked a couple hundred yards and jumped it twice before losing blood, backing out, and calling me.  Luna and I arrived at 8:00 this morning and started at the hit site, where we found a steady, fairly heavy bloodtrail to follow. We found more blood a short distance from the hunters point of loss, and then Luna led us on what turned out to be a 3/4 of a mile track. A little over 1/2 a mile in, I spotted the buck on the opposite side of a creek and saw him run off with no use of his left rear leg. The hunter tried to get into position for a shot but the buck was gone before that could happen. We crossed the creek at a trot, with Luna pulling hard and barking. It’s times like this that I’m grateful I don’t have a big dog. We left the woods and went down a power line right of way a couple hundred yards, then cut back into the woods. After a short distance Luna took us back out to the power lines for 50 yards or so, then cut back into the woods. I have a 30’ leash, but was keeping Luna close to me and I’m glad I was. As we started to cut back into woods we found the weakened 4 pointer bedded down 5 feet into a thicket and we ended his suffering there. 

 

 

[land 1]

great track.....sounds like that deer would have died a slow death with out luna

[Poppy]

Great job.  Luna for President.

[Taylormike]

Great stories as usual.  

[Fletch]

Congrats on the nice buck and to you and the dogs on the tracking!!

[outdoorstom]

11/15

#1

Luna and I went on a track early this afternoon looking for a buck that was shot yesterday afternoon. I met with the hunters boyfriend due to her not being available. After the shot they waited a little while, then started tracking. They went only a short distance before watching the deer take off running through the woods, so they backed out for the night. This morning the boyfriend and a friend of his got back on the track. They followed blood for around 400 yards, found a bed then lost the trail after the deer crossed a creek.  They had done a nice job marking the trail as they went. Luna followed the trail to their point of loss, then had a bit of a struggle. Eventually she took us back across the creek and 50 yards down a different trail where we found a little blood. That was the furthest we got. Luna never seemed sure past that point. We walked all the trails in the area, went back across the creek and worked that side, and walked the edge of a field, all with no results.

 

#2

I was called by a neighbor on the bordering road tonight. He shot a buck late this afternoon and lost the bloodtrail on the edge of a swamp. Luna got right on it and quickly took us to the swamp, then things slowed to a crawl. The swamp was too deep in a lot of places for her to walk, so I carried her along until I could put her on a trail she could work. She'd walk a short distance up, then turn around and come back to me so I'd go to the next trail. At one point she backtracked right past our ribbons for 75 yards, then decided the buck hadn't backtracked and turned around and went back where we had just come from. We ended following a trail that led us out of the swamp and lo and behold....blood! We started seeing blood fairly regularly and it was very fresh. Luna started pulling hard and I believe she was getting ready to tell me the deer was still alive by barking. I pulled the plug here and we're going back in at first light.

 

[outdoorstom]

11/16

 

Continuation of #2 track from yesterday.  

We got back on the track at 7:30 this morning and it took Luna a couple minutes to get locked back on, but she did. We advanced the track, finding a drop of blood to confirm she was on it, then she started her high pitched bark. She took us a couple hundred yards, then out of the woods to the road. I hadn't seen any blood in that distance, so I decided to do a restart at last blood.  Sure enough, Luna again took us to the road. This time we called and got permission to enter the property. We followed the tracks in there but could see the deer was running strong after being shot last night, so we called it at that point.

 

As we were on the track this morning, another call came in.  An 8 pointer had been shot in the leg last night. The hunter and his friend went into the woods to look for it and heard it run off.  They did exactly what they should have done....they quietly backed out. I had an apprentice (Phil) with me who will be tracking next year. I told Phil to get ready, this could be one long track. The hunter had to work today so his friend took us in.  We saw a small area of blood as we entered the woods, and Luna took right off. We went by two very fresh scrapes and Luna started her high pitched bark and really started pulling.  We followed long enough to see the tracks showed a deer running strong on 4 legs, so I picked Luna up and went back for a restart. This time she took a different trail and a short way down it, I found 1 drop of blood. We continued on and all of a sudden, there he was!  He had bedded down next to a log and was quite dead. I wasn't there for the field dressing, but it appeared the deer had been angled toward the hunter and the bullet had hit the leg, then entered the chest.  The track was only 150 yards long. Just goes to show you never know what you're getting into. I expected to find the deer on the first track this morning and didn't, then I expected a long chase on a leg hit deer and it was a short easy track.

[grampy]

Great work Tom! 

[land 1]

nice job, i had a deer swim/walk a creek for over a mile once before r it came out.

[doebuck1234]

Great work as always.love the read!

[outdoorstom]

 

11/16

#2

Luna and I went on a track tonight for a buck shot this evening. The hunter reported the deer mule kicked when shot. They found blood at the treeline, then followed it a couple hundred yards to the edge of a marshy area. Luna showed us sporadic light blood for another 50 yards or so beyond that point, then it dried up. She  led us out of the swampy area into mature pines and seemed to be on it, so I let her go 400 yards with no sign before deciding to do a restart. We went back to last blood and again she took us on the same trail. We ended up going a mile this time before pulling the plug.

 

 

 

[outdoorstom]

11/17

 

Luna and I went on a track tonight for a buck that was shot this afternoon. It had been shot on a 19,000 + acre chunk of State land. The hunter and his friend had tracked him a short distance, jumped him, and backed out immediately. He actually told me he knew that was the right thing to do from reading my FB tracking stories. It was nice to hear that people are actually listening. Luna locked on and we were off. We followed fairly steady blood through this mature forest for a distance of 500 yards, then Luna showed us the buck bedded down. I finished him there.

[outdoorstom]

11/18

 

A little back story is in order before the report on tonight's track.  Kunox has been on the injured reserve list after hurting a rear leg about a week ago. At 2:30 in the morning he started barking like crazy, jumped off the bed and ran downstairs. He had me believing somebody was in the house so I grabbed my bedside pistol and checked the house.  The house was secure and while downstairs I noticed the Border Patrol were parked across the road. Apparently Kunox heard them pull in and didn't like it. Back to bed we went....I laid there for a good hour unable to get back to sleep as he snored loudly next to me. The next morning I noticed he was limping.  Poor guy now has to sleep in his crate so we don't have a repeat. 

 

I was called tonight to track a buck that was shot a little after 3:00 this afternoon.  The hunter and his neighbor followed blood for about 75 yards before it dried up. They then grid searched for about 50 yards beyond the point of loss, then called me. He wasn't sure where he had hit the deer, but reported good blood.  I asked him if we were going to have property line issues and was told that was a possibility as we were only 100 yards or less from the neighbors line. I told him to talk to the neighbor and call me back. He spoke with the owner who told him he allows somebody to hunt on there and it would be best if we did it tomorrow morning. When this was reported to me I decided we should at least get out there and see if it did indeed go on the neighbors, then plan a course of action.  Kunox and I met the hunter and his helper in the village, then I followed them out to his grandfather's property. The hunter could not pinpoint the hit site in this large area of swamp grass, but was able to take me to first blood. I was immediately concerned when I saw how high the blood was on the grass...looked like a high back hit. Kunox easily followed the bloodtrail to the point of loss, then we had a little difficulty getting through the grid search area. After about 10 minutes, he decided on a trail and took us to the property line.  I wanted to make sure he was sure ( I know, I know, trust your dog) so I took him back to the point of loss and he again took me on the same trail, pulling hard.  The hunter told me before I got there they had gone to the neighbors house where there were two cars in the driveway, lights were on, but nobody answered the door.  I told him I wanted to go back there and try again, so we marked where we were, backed out, and headed to the neighbor's house. I went to the door with him and the neighbor came out this time. We explained what was going and he graciously allowed us to enter the property. He stated he didn't want to see a deer go to waste....good for him! Back we went, to Kunox's amazement and joy. Once again he picked the same trail and this time we entered the property. 75 yards in, there lay a nice big mature 8 pointer. There was no blood at all from the point of loss.  The deer had been shot twice, once through the lungs, and another through the high back area. The lung shot wound had plugged and the blood was all internal.

 

. 

[Buckmaster7600]

11/18

 

A little back story is in order before the report on tonight's track.  Kunox has been on the injured reserve list after hurting a rear leg about a week ago. At 2:30 in the morning he started barking like crazy, jumped off the bed and ran downstairs. He had me believing somebody was in the house so I grabbed my bedside pistol and checked the house.  The house was secure and while downstairs I noticed the Border Patrol were parked across the road. Apparently Kunox heard them pull in and didn't like it. Back to bed we went....I laid there for a good hour unable to get back to sleep as he snored loudly next to me. The next morning I noticed he was limping.  Poor guy now has to sleep in his crate so we don't have a repeat. 

 

I was called tonight to track a buck that was shot a little after 3:00 this afternoon.  The hunter and his neighbor followed blood for about 75 yards before it dried up. They then grid searched for about 50 yards beyond the point of loss, then called me. He wasn't sure where he had hit the deer, but reported good blood.  I asked him if we were going to have property line issues and was told that was a possibility as we were only 100 yards or less from the neighbors line. I told him to talk to the neighbor and call me back. He spoke with the owner who told him he allows somebody to hunt on there and it would be best if we did it tomorrow morning. When this was reported to me I decided we should at least get out there and see if it did indeed go on the neighbors, then plan a course of action.  Kunox and I met the hunter and his helper in the village, then I followed them out to his grandfather's property. The hunter could not pinpoint the hit site in this large area of swamp grass, but was able to take me to first blood. I was immediately concerned when I saw how high the blood was on the grass...looked like a high back hit. Kunox easily followed the bloodtrail to the point of loss, then we had a little difficulty getting through the grid search area. After about 10 minutes, he decided on a trail and took us to the property line.  I wanted to make sure he was sure ( I know, I know, trust your dog) so I took him back to the point of loss and he again took me on the same trail, pulling hard.  The hunter told me before I got there they had gone to the neighbors house where there were two cars in the driveway, lights were on, but nobody answered the door.  I told him I wanted to go back there and try again, so we marked where we were, backed out, and headed to the neighbor's house. I went to the door with him and the neighbor came out this time. We explained what was going and he graciously allowed us to enter the property. He stated he didn't want to see a deer go to waste....good for him! Back we went, to Kunox's amazement and joy. Once again he picked the same trail and this time we entered the property. 75 yards in, there lay a nice big mature 8 pointer. There was no blood at all from the point of loss.  The deer had been shot twice, once through the lungs, and another through the high back area. The lung shot wound had plugged and the blood was all internal.

 

. 

Do you know what cartridge the hunter was shooting? I have never heard of a lung shot deer holes plugging? Was there an exit?



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