Luna's Tracking Journal 2017

[Poppy]

Tom,

Exactly what breed is Luna?  I showed her picture to my granddaughter and she asked.

Thank you.

[outdoorstom]

10 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

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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Buckmaster - that was a first for me too. He was shooting a 7mm-08

[outdoorstom]

4 hours ago, Poppy said:

Tom,

Exactly what breed is Luna?  I showed her picture to my granddaughter and she asked.

Thank you.

Hey Poppy - Luna is a wirehaired dachshund. GREAT personality....loves everyone and other dogs.

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Buckmaster - that was a first for me too. He was shooting a 7mm-08

Wow, interesting for sure. Wonder what bullets he was shooting.


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[chas0218]

13 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

Wow, interesting for sure. Wonder what bullets he was shooting.


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I was thinking the same, definitely what you wouldn't expect from that cartridge.

[stubborn1VT]

I have seen it before.  3 or 4 years ago I shot a 5 pointer in the snow.  Only half an inch of snow, but the ground was totally covered.  Broadside shot.  Blew out both lungs with a 150 grain softpoint out of a 7mm Rem Mag.  The buck went about 100 yards and never left a drop of blood before piling up.  I didn't find blood or hair at point of impact either.  Crazy.  The holes were halfway up the ribcage, and the lungs were liqueified.

[outdoorstom]

11/21

 

#1

Luna and I were called this afternoon to track a buck that was leg shot yesterday afternoon. The buck had been pushed last night, then tracked again today where 2 beds a few yards apart were found.  There was a doe bedded down in the field when we arrived and she ran right down the same trail our injured buck had used. It took a few minutes for Luna to forget about the doe and lock onto the buck, but she did and took us the couple hundred yards to last blood. We struggled from this point. We walked all the trails in the area, then made sweeps beyond the grid searched area. Twice Luna started pursuing live deer. One had small tracks so I immediately pulled her off and restarted at last blood. The next live deer had large tracks, but was running on all four legs and there was no blood to be seen. As I was checking out the second one, the hunter said he had seen a buck and doe about 85 yards from where he was. We went to that area and found fresh tracks, but no blood. We called off the track after 2.5 hours. I believe we were looking for a live deer.

 

#2

I received a message when I got back in the truck that there was another track to go on. This was a strange one in that the person requesting our help wasn't the hunter that had shot this buck. The hunter and a helper had tracked the buck for a mile before giving up and told the guy who called me that he could have the buck if he found it. He was familiar with the buck and said it was a large mature deer.  Luna and I were met at the designated location and were walked down some railroad tracks and eventually into the woods to meet the new "hunter".  He had no information on where the deer had been hit. There was a little snow on the ground in some places which was helpful. The area had been heavily grid searched for hours today, but Luna was able to advance the track, showing us occasional drops of blood as we went along. 3/4 of a mile in, she showed us a cold bed with a little blood in it. Based on the location of the blood in the bed, it appeared this may be a brisket shot. There's a good chance we were chasing another live one, and pulled the plug at this point.

[outdoorstom]

11/23

 

I received a call last night from a hunter that lives 4 miles away.  He shot a buck with his .270 at 150 yards, and watched it walk into the woods.  He tracked it for a couple hundred yards and saw that it crossed a wide brook twice. He lost the track shortly after it crossed the brook the second time. We discussed the shot and and he said there was a chance it was gutshot, so I decided to wait until morning for fear of pushing him.  Kunox and I arrived at 7:30 this morning and started where the deer had left the cut corn field. He tracked it to the brook and we turned around at that point due to the water depth. I had the hunter take us to the point where the buck had crossed back over the brook and we picked it up again there.  Kunox took off down a trail, but turned around after 20 or 30 yards and chose another one. This time I saw a few drops of blood and we were off. Kunox never waivered, and 150 yards away we found a 7 pointer.  It turns out we made the correct call by waiting, as the deer was gutshot. We found him in his first bed and the coyotes hadn't found him first.

[outdoorstom]

11/24

#1

I was called by a hunter last night that was still in the woods tracking a buck he shot. He called as the track was getting harder to follow and said he thought he had hit him too far back. I advised him to mark last blood and back out, which thankfully he did. Luna and I arrived at 7:30 this morning and we quickly got to last blood. Luna advanced the track, and 75 yards later we found this beautiful 10 pointer. I waited while he was field dressed and observed he had been hit in one lung, liver, and guts. He was still warm so it’s a really good thing we didn’t go after him last night and push him into the swamp that was 50 yards away. 

 

#2

While on the first track, I was called by a gentleman who told me his wife had shot a buck last night, and thought it may be gut shot. They had tracked a couple hundred yards or so, then backed out when the blood trail dried up. Luna and I headed over at 9:30, 18 hours after the shot. Luna took us through the woods, down along the bank of the river, then back into the woods to the point of loss. We continued on, made a turn, and headed back down to the river in a big loop.  She took up back to last blood, then took a different trail this time. Luna was all over the woods on this one. At times she was showing me she was sure, other times she was in search mode. Some of the time we were in the thickest brush imaginable and I had to have the hunter hold the leash while I made my way around it, then catch the leash as Luna came by on the way out. After an hour of walking trails, Luna showed us some blood, fresh blood! We were in hot pursuit and a few minutes later Luna started her high pitched bark, telling me we were very close. Several times we could actually smell him.  Unfortunately after a long pursuit we never got close enough to see him and get a shot off, and I called the track.  We never found 1 bed with all the time on this track, which makes it hard for me to believe this deer was gutshot. I told the hunter to pull the memory card from his camera to see if the deer walked by it and if he could see where it was hit. I have family visiting from out of state so I wont be going back on this one.

 

[outdoorstom]

11/25

 

I was called yesterday afternoon to track a buck, but due to family commitments I couldnt track until this morning. The buck had been facing head on when the shot was taken, and the hunter said the deer didn't have the use of his right front leg when he ran off.  He had been tracked about 150 yards until the blood trail disappeared, and the hunter had only looked 40 yards beyond the point of loss. Kunox, Phil (my apprentice), and I arrived and Kunox took us to last blood. Very little blood was seen along the way, and no beds were ever found on this track. Kunox took us past last blood but couldnt advance the track any further. After over an hour of going up every trail, circling the area hoping to pick up any sign, and many restarts, I asked Phil to drive back to my house and get Luna. Kunox and I continued to search until Luna arrived about 40 minutes later. Luna quickly took us to last blood, then was stumped just like Kunox had been. We ended up working a thicker area of the woodlot and bumped a deer near the swamp,  but the tracks were too small to be the buck we were after. We called the track after a few restarts and working the thick area.

[outdoorstom]

11/25

#2

Luna and I went on a track late this afternoon looking for a buck that had been shot about an hour before we arrived. The hunter had tracked about a hundred yards before losing blood. His son called and told me he would meet me there and we arrived at about the same time.  Luna took me to last blood, then after several false starts advanced the track a short distance by showing us a couple drops of blood.  She was acting sure on one trail and took us hundreds of yards down it. At one point, the hunters son saw a deer take off to the left of us.  We went over and tracked it, but didn't see any blood or a beddecided to do a restart at last blood. Luna again took us down that trail and this time we went further and Luna took a left and took us to where the deer had taken off. We followed further and Luna began her high pitched bark. We were on the track of a live deer, but still didn't see any blood. We continued checking other trails but never saw any more sign. I believe the deer was still alive but of course I may be wrong.

 

#3

I had two calls as I was on track #2 and I listened to the voicemails after we got back to the truck. I called the first one and didn't get an answer, so I left a voicemail telling him if I didn't hear back in 10 minutes I was going to go to another call.  I didn't hear from him, so I called and got details and directions from the second caller and drove over. 

Luna and I were called to track a 7 pointer that had been shot with a bow from the ground at 40 yards. The arrow had passed through, there was white hair on the ground, and the arrow did not smell like gut. The hunter said they had tracked about 60 yards and had seen bubbles in some of the blood. We started at the hit site and Luna showed us light blood on the way to the hunters point of loss. After a few minutes, she showed us the line and we were off. We were seeing a tiny drop of blood here and there as we followed the trail, and soon we were in very thick brush. About 400 yards later, Luna started barking and pulling hard. Shortly after, we began seeing more blood on the trail and picked up the pace when the brush allowed. I was hoping to get close enough for a shot, but nearly 2 miles later called it quits.

 

[Moho81]

I must say you work your tail off to help other people. Hats off to you man.


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[outdoorstom]

Luna now has a brother! Kunox has been on loan this season from the breeder, but we just purchased him!

[stubborn1VT]

I guess you enjoyed the "test drive".  Congrats!

[grampy]

34 minutes ago, outdoorstom said:

Luna now has a brother! Kunox has been on loan this season from the breeder, but we just purchased him!

Perfect fit! Way to go Tom! I'm certain John and Jolanta are thrilled he will be with you and Luna, doing what you all love to do. Happy ending!

Edited November 28, 2017 by grampy

[outdoorstom]

9 hours ago, grampy said:

Perfect fit! Way to go Tom! I'm certain John and Jolanta are thrilled he will be with you and Luna, doing what you all love to do. Happy ending!

We're very excited!  Thanks Grampy.

[Padre86]

Where do you track?

This was my first season trying to help recover deer for hunters (I'm signed up with UBT), but so far my dog has had zero finds.  Arguably, some of the calls I went out on were no good to begin with (deer were likely still up and moving based on the blood sign, or lack thereof).  

I've been laying increasingly difficult artificial tracks for my dog (4 year old German Shepherd) and he has been getting better with those.  I still can't break this no-find streak for real world tracks...it's a bit frustrating.

[BowmanMike]

2 hours ago, Padre86 said:

Where do you track?

This was my first season trying to help recover deer for hunters (I'm signed up with UBT), but so far my dog has had zero finds.  Arguably, some of the calls I went out on were no good to begin with (deer were likely still up and moving based on the blood sign, or lack thereof).  

I've been laying increasingly difficult artificial tracks for my dog (4 year old German Shepherd) and he has been getting better with those.  I still can't break this no-find streak for real world tracks...it's a bit frustrating.

Padre,where are you? I am hoping to get some deer during muzzleloader season,I could wait on recovery if you want to practice with your dog. I am in the Cooperstown area.

[New York Hillbilly]

Congrats on the new addition to the family. I owned 2 dachshunds over the years and loved them. Babies to be sure, but pound for pound the toughest dogs I've ever owned. Especially my mini dachshund, "Squeaker", who went missing the first week of deer season one year, only to find he was caught in a neighbors trap that was not being checked regularly. We thought he was stolen, but laid there in the trap across the road from our house, in the hedgerow.  In the cold, wind, and snow we could not hear him barking. When he was finally released from the trap and let come home on his own, his foot was about ripped off, and had to be removed by the vet in the middle of the night. Yup...tough little boy! I would like another someday. Happy for you!

[outdoorstom]

17 hours ago, Padre86 said:

Where do you track?

This was my first season trying to help recover deer for hunters (I'm signed up with UBT), but so far my dog has had zero finds.  Arguably, some of the calls I went out on were no good to begin with (deer were likely still up and moving based on the blood sign, or lack thereof).  

I've been laying increasingly difficult artificial tracks for my dog (4 year old German Shepherd) and he has been getting better with those.  I still can't break this no-find streak for real world tracks...it's a bit frustrating.

I live in 6A - 5 miles outside of Waddington. How about you?  Definitely have friends call you when they shoot a deer, even if only goes a short distance.  Are you on the UBT forum? Lots of great trackers on there I learn from all the time.

[Padre86]

4 hours ago, outdoorstom said:

I live in 6A - 5 miles outside of Waddington. How about you?  Definitely have friends call you when they shoot a deer, even if only goes a short distance.  Are you on the UBT forum? Lots of great trackers on there I learn from all the time.

I'm in the Rochester area, though I spend a good bit of time in the central ADK's during summer and fall seasons.

I haven't looked much at the UBT forum; I suppose I should do that.

I'm really the only one that hunts in my circle of friends and family.  I've heard that tip before about responding to a call where the deer only goes a short distance.  I suppose I need to start networking and meet some people so I can get my dog into those type of scenarios.  

Thanks for the advice.  I love training and working with my dog; I just would like to have a find under my belt, for his sake and mine.  

[Padre86]

19 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

Padre,where are you? I am hoping to get some deer during muzzleloader season,I could wait on recovery if you want to practice with your dog. I am in the Cooperstown area.

Rochester area.  I appreciate the offer, though Cooperstown is a bit out of my normal hunting areas.  

[bartman9]

I'm in Rochester too.  PM me your contact details... hopefully be giving you a call this weekend. 

Dave

[Padre86]

35 minutes ago, bartman9 said:

I'm in Rochester too.  PM me your contact details... hopefully be giving you a call this weekend. 

Dave

Will do.

[Poppy]

Tom,

What a beautiful pair.  I can't think of a more powerful "Dynamic Dual".  Good luck with the pair.