Luna & Kunox’s 2021 Tracking Journal

[outdoorstom]

 

11/1

 

After 3 weeks off, Luna finally got to go to work tonight! It turned out to be an easy one, but she wasn’t complaining and had laser beam focus. 

The hunter shot twice at this 8 point at 200 yards, and knew he hit it at least once. He had found blood where it exited the field, and only went in about 10 yards before backing out and calling me.  We ended up going 520 yards and finding the buck still alive, so I dispatched him. He had been hit in a rear leg and low in the stomach. The hunter had some history with the buck. He had shot it during bow season, but unfortunately the shot had been high and forward, hitting the shoulder.  

[suburbanfarmer]

Very nice. That is a big body deer

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

4 minutes ago, outdoorstom said:

 

11/1

 

After 3 weeks off, Luna finally got to go to work tonight! It turned out to be an easy one, but she wasn’t complaining and had laser beam focus. 

The hunter shot twice at this 8 point at 200 yards, and knew he hit it at least once. He had found blood where it exited the field, and only went in about 10 yards before backing out and calling me.  We ended up going 520 yards and finding the buck still alive, so I dispatched him. He had been hit in a rear leg and low in the stomach. The hunter had some history with the buck. He had shot it during bow season, but unfortunately the shot had been high and forward, hitting the shoulder.  

That hunter really wanted that buck! Great track.

[UpStateRedNeck]

Love these stories, great job team!

[outdoorstom]

11/3

I woke up to a text this morning that I had received at 11:00 pm last night, asking if I was the guy with the tracking dog.  Usually if I hear from a hunter that late it means he and his buddies have been out grid searching and I’m the last resort. That wasn’t the case here.  The hunter had his 8 year old son with him when he shot this buck, and they watched it go across the railroad tracks and bed down.  He thought it was dead, so they went back to get the side by side.  When they returned, the buck was gone.  He found a couple drops of blood, but was unable to follow the track and wisely backed right out. I had an appointment this morning, so we didn’t arrive until 1:00, about 20 hours after the shot. This track was 650 yards long, with no blood after the first 100 yards.  Luna took me up and down a couple small hills, through some fight your way through thick stuff, and to the edge of a swamp, where she turned around and headed back towards the direction we came from.  She was acting confident so I let her continue.    Shortly after, she led me right to the gut shot buck and commenced with her usual leg chew. The hunter and his wife had fallen behind as we tracked, and we’re not within hollering distance. When we connected on the phone, I told him I had found a couple drops of blood and to come on over.  It makes my day to watch someone’s emotions change so quickly when they realize they have their deer. 

 

 

[dbHunterNY]

Another job well done.

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[Culvercreek hunt club]

Great work. This remains my favorite thread on the entire site. 

[Moho81]

Ha! love the little white lie of "I found some blood come on over" 

Great job! 

[outdoorstom]

11/5

Kunox and I tracked a buck this morning that was shoulder shot with a 6.5 creedmore at 200 yards yesterday evening. The hunter tracked a couple hundred yards last night before losing blood and backing out. We arrived at 7:30 this morning and quickly covered the 200 yards, then began advancing the track with Kunox showing us a little blood here and there.  About halfway through this 1.6 mile track, we started seeing fresh blood and knew he was still on his feet. We never found a bed or large amounts of blood and it became obvious we were not going to catch up to him.

[outdoorstom]

11/6

I was called by the father of a 12 year old hunter last night asking me to come track a buck his son shot at 250 yards. He said he suspected a gutshot because the buck hunched up at the shot and then walked away.  They walked into the woods and jumped him from a bed 20 yards in.  There was concern about coyotes and they wanted me to come out right away.  I told them I’d be happy to come out, but not until tomorrow morning or we run the risk of really pushing him a long way. We met at 7:30 this morning and started in the field, but couldn’t find the hit site. We started checking trails and a few minutes later Luna showed me a few drops of blood and away we went.  The nice 6 pointer was found only 170 yards away. The coyotes had eaten a small area of his rear end. I discussed the lack of ethics of such a long shot but it fell on deaf ears.

[crappyice]

11/6

I was called by the father of a 12 year old hunter last night asking me to come track a buck his son shot at 250 yards. He said he suspected a gutshot because the buck hunched up at the shot and then walked away.  They walked into the woods and jumped him from a bed 20 yards in.  There was concern about coyotes and they wanted me to come out right away.  I told them I’d be happy to come out, but not until tomorrow morning or we run the risk of really pushing him a long way. We met at 7:30 this morning and started in the field, but couldn’t find the hit site. We started checking trails and a few minutes later Luna showed me a few drops of blood and away we went.  The nice 6 pointer was found only 170 yards away. The coyotes had eaten a small area of his rear end. I discussed the lack of ethics of such a long shot but it fell on deaf ears.

Sexy six!!!!! Great retrieve!!!


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[mlammerhirt]

11/6

I was called by the father of a 12 year old hunter last night asking me to come track a buck his son shot at 250 yards. He said he suspected a gutshot because the buck hunched up at the shot and then walked away.  They walked into the woods and jumped him from a bed 20 yards in.  There was concern about coyotes and they wanted me to come out right away.  I told them I’d be happy to come out, but not until tomorrow morning or we run the risk of really pushing him a long way. We met at 7:30 this morning and started in the field, but couldn’t find the hit site. We started checking trails and a few minutes later Luna showed me a few drops of blood and away we went.  The nice 6 pointer was found only 170 yards away. The coyotes had eaten a small area of his rear end. I discussed the lack of ethics of such a long shot but it fell on deaf ears.

Not to clog things up on this awesome thread...but what lead you to questioning the young hunters ethics? Just curious if it was something else beside the 250 yard shot?

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[outdoorstom]

On 11/6/2021 at 2:15 PM, mlammerhirt said:

Not to clog things up on this awesome thread...but what lead you to questioning the young hunters ethics? Just curious if it was something else beside the 250 yard shot?

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A couple things….he doesn’t practice at that distance, and his dad told me he shot a running doe earlier this year, despite his dad saying don’t shoot.

 

[outdoorstom]

11/6

 

Kunox and I were called to track a big buck this afternoon that had been shot a couple hours earlier.  The buck had been tracked a short distance before losing blood.  Kunox advanced the track and took us to the edge of a deep swamp and dove in and started swimming. He took us there three times. In the past when he’s dove in and started swimming, that’s where the deer was. The hunter and his son are going in deep tomorrow. 

[outdoorstom]

It was my turn yesterday. Nothing like hearing splashing coming towards you as they come out of the swamp :-)

[Fletch]

Nice buck! Congratz!


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[mlammerhirt]

A couple things….he doesn’t practice at that distance, and his dad told me he shot a running doe earlier this year, despite his dad saying don’t shoot.
 

Ouch....Dad needs to drop the hammer on him. Once is a mistake and everyone can learn from those....2nd time he definitely needed you giving him the business!

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[outdoorstom]

19 hours ago, mlammerhirt said:

Ouch....Dad needs to drop the hammer on him. Once is a mistake and everyone can learn from those....2nd time he definitely needed you giving him the business!

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If he was my son, he would have at a minimum lost a week of his season.

 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

21 minutes ago, outdoorstom said:

If he was my son, he would have at a minimum lost a week of his season.

 

Love the adventures of the tracking. That kid needs some discipline installed in him. Hopefully the dad puts him in check.

[outdoorstom]

11/9/21

Luna and I arrived at 10:30 this morning to track a buck that had been shot at 7:30.  There was a little bright red blood at the hit site, then only a drop or two every several hundred yards along the rest of the track.  At 9/10 of a mile we had a property line issue. The buck had never bedded down in that distance, so I felt comfortable calling the track there. I think they’ll see him again.

[UpStateRedNeck]

On 11/5/2021 at 1:15 PM, outdoorstom said:

11/5

Kunox and I tracked a buck this morning that was shoulder shot with a 6.5 creedmore at 200 yards yesterday evening. The hunter tracked a couple hundred yards last night before losing blood and backing out. We arrived at 7:30 this morning and quickly covered the 200 yards, then began advancing the track with Kunox showing us a little blood here and there.  About halfway through this 1.6 mile track, we started seeing fresh blood and knew he was still on his feet. We never found a bed or large amounts of blood and it became obvious we were not going to catch up to him.

What kind of shoulder hit, do you know?  Broadside?

[outdoorstom]

5 hours ago, UpStateRedNeck said:

What kind of shoulder hit, do you know?  Broadside?

He was quartering away

[outdoorstom]

11/10/21

This morning Kunox and I tracked a buck that was shot last evening. The hunter and a friend had followed blood a short distance before losing it, then continued for about 50 yards before calling me.  Kunox made short work of this 370 yard track. The buck had turned and gone in a different direction than they were looking last night. He was very happy to get a morning leg chew.  The hunter said he would have never found it without Kunox….something trackers like to hear.

[suburbanfarmer]

1 hour ago, outdoorstom said:

11/10/21

This morning Kunox and I tracked a buck that was shot last evening. The hunter and a friend had followed blood a short distance before losing it, then continued for about 50 yards before calling me.  Kunox made short work of this 370 yard track. The buck had turned and gone in a different direction than they were looking last night. He was very happy to get a morning leg chew.  The hunter said he would have never found it without Kunox….something trackers like to hear.

 

Nice job.

Curious to know what happens if tracking is requested after a heavy down pour?

[outdoorstom]

10 hours ago, suburbanfarmer said:

Nice job.

Curious to know what happens if tracking is requested after a heavy down pour?

The rain actually helps enhance the scent. That’s when you have to trust your dog because there’s nothing to see.