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Tracking Dogs

With as many requests for tracking dogs as I am seeing...I think I found a great way to supplement my income next year.

Only problem with getting into that on a profit basis is you will probably have less time to hunt.

I was only kidding Jeff; my dog is a s lazy as they come! It's surprising how many posts I am seeing saying "need a tracking dog ASAP in such and such a county..."

If any of you follow the "Wisconsin Rut Report" on FB, you'll know exactly what OP is talking about. "Shot a doe tonight, quartering to, little far back. Any tracking dogs in Jefferson County?" That page is something else...there are some real dandy folks on there that feel the need to passive aggressively belittle some folks trophies. "Wow great 2.5 year old buck, just imagine what it would have been in a couple years."

You read my mind Dylan, I had to stop following the site.

What's the percentage of requests from xbow hunters to vertical bow hunters by chance? I would assume it would be 2/3 rds xbow hunters thinking they take far longer shots.

Happy, you assume wrong. The crossbow is a superior weapon so the wounding rate should be much lower.

I think it just speaks to hunters taking questionable shots more frequently because they assume they can just rely on getting assistance from someone with a tracking dog.

longspeak74, what do the numbers by weapon type look like? Just curious.

I am referring to all the posts I am seeing on another site...typically, the posters don't list what weapon was used (whether xbow or compound/trad)

I think deer tracking dogs are simply becoming more popular and being more hunters realize they are available that is why you see more requests for them. Also the guys I know that provide this service often times do it at night to lessen the impact on their own deer hunting time. I also think it's a stretch blaming any increase in tracking dog requests on the full inclusion of crossbows during archery season, but then again, I do know how some of you would prefer to blame every problem in the world on crossbows so....lol!

Well, when Mission crossbow's (Mathews) says their new xbow (SUB-1) shoots 1" groups at 100 yards it is no wonder that people think they can do it too. Hell, I can't do that with my 30-06 with the gun resting on a sand bag.

Full inclusion? LOL! Glad that ignorance is a trait suffered by the minority of people here.

I see it as a win win. People love training their dogs and hunters who's shots aren't 100% can provide free, authentic training.

"Full inclusion? LOL! Glad that ignorance is a trait suffered by the minority of people here."

I assumed inclusion meant being included and full meant either full like a glass could be full or full as in complete. Since crossbows can be used for deer during the same dates, the same hours, and their use completely follows all the same rules and regulations as archery season does, describing it as full inclusion didn't seem too far off to me. No reason to get excited and take it personally.

It is a fairly easy Bill to read. No complicated language...

I guess because you can hunt squirrels during the same time you would say they share full inclusion also??

Back on topic.

If there are more deer being recovered I'm all for it and see no need to chit on someone for using a recovery dog.

I agree, HunterR and Happy took it down a different road but any and every effort to recover a wounded animal is admirable.

If you have a dog such as a Terrier....they will without training find your deer. A Daschaund or a Jack Russell will find your deer. My Bernese Mountain Dog found 2 deer...and the only thing he could find is a cookie LOL. I have a "Feist" which is a cross bred dog from the Tennessee area....it is a mix of Fox Terrier....Jack Russell and American Bulldog. This bitch is the absolute bravest....baddest....most intense outdoors dog I have ever owned.....she fought Shepards....Pit Bulls...Rotweillers you name it....she has killed Squirrels...Coons....Chipmunks. I was in the woods with her and she climbed a split trunked Oak 8` in the air.....this IS the dog you want. .

I think it's great idea with aid of dogs. Nice to have that option if needed. In my career that would have saved me a few deer. Bad shots happen, everyone does it. Xbow, compound, recurve even rifle. It does happen. Honestly, I called one yesturday on a buck I shot, just to see if they were available. Didn't need one though found it with in 100 yrds.

The only tracking dogs I have personally watched were Jack Russell's that most African hunting outfitters seem to favor. Amazing, tenacious little dogs! If I didn't like springer spaniels so much, I think I'd have a JR.

Good friend who has been guiding for years has Bavarian hounds - great dogs and tenacious trackers - in his business he sees it all from clients and has recovered animals that have had horrible shots taken on them and never could have been found by a human - witnessed a track last year that left me speechless - Dogs can and do serve a purose

The Bavarian Mountain Hounds are the best I've seen for tracking wounded deer.

A guy stopped by to buy a bow from me today,,,,, he is a good predator hunter, who I know from the north,,,, he has a coon hound, trained for tracking deer,,,, He said he charges 75.00 the first hour and 25.00 an hour after that..... He use to do it for free, till he got so busy....

He has been on 30 deer calls, 28 recovered..... He said "you should see these shots", no pass thrus, junk heads, too light of arrows, and they just can not plain shoot..... at one time, a tracking job, was rare, lots of fun, and it was unusual..... Now, these guys can not shoot, talk about, they need better bows etc......

he said if truth be known, these type of bow hunters, must have lost a ton of deer in the past....... One guy has tracked 3 deer for,,,,,, also long shots with the wrong equipment, but mostly crap broadheads,,,,,

I thought that was interesting..............................

Sad but not surprised ground hunter. Just this year I have talked to a couple guys who told me about taking shots through brush at a deer. I was telling a guy at work I saw a nice buck he asked why I didn't shoot it. I told him it was 48yds away and walking at an angle away from me. His reaction was you can't kill a deer if you don't let an arrow fly. I have passed up multiple deer and two of the biggest bucks I have encountered because the shot just wasn't right. I will never forget rifle hunting a few years back, the biggest buck I have ever seen was walking through the swamp in front of me, couldn't see his body due to thick swamp grass and brush so I waited. The buck spooked and ran. Told my hunting party about it that night and caught all kinds of hell for not taking a shot. I guess some of us just have a greater respect for the animals we hunt.

Ground hunter I have to call B S on this guy getting 30 calls and finding 28 I feel I'm doing well if I find 1 in 4 .I've been tracking for 7 yrs.When I get a call its not a double lung or heart shot its some where in the body. a lot of these show up on cameras in a day or 2. Some ar'nt even hit.

I belong to a page on FB and half the posts are guys looking for tracking dogs. Most of which can be avoided by passing on poor shots and letting the deer bed. I have been guilty of getting on a blood trail too soon. Never again.

I don't know qdm, I have seen his yote dogs, and know what this guy has done,,,, I do not think he was lying, but I can only report what he says,,,, in the last 2 weeks I have had, 2 guys, while I am recovering, come to the house,,,,, reason, park in the driveway, looking for wounded deer,,,,,,,

I have never been on FB, but it seems more than I use to hear about in my area,,,,,

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