What can I expect from a tracking dog?
Well, training time is over, and hunting season is in full swing. I have several great tracks to report already this season, both for myself and my close tracking buddy, Brad, whose tracking dachshund, Elkie, I have written about in my early training blogs. Boy did the little tweaks in her training pay off!
I will write about some of the tracks over the next several days, but first let me talk about realistic expectations of a tracking dog, both for trackers and hunter/clients.
On average, a leashed tracking dog will increase hunter recovery odds by about 30%. For those who track in states where unleashed dogs can be used, those numbers climb by about 10-15%, as the dogs can cover much more ground unencumbered by the tracker and tracking line. In at least one big study done in Texas, where unleashed dogs are typically used, approximately 30% of unrecovered deer were seen alive at a later date, in person or on game camera. That leaves about 20% of deer that were not able to be recovered by visual tracking by the hunter or hunting party unrecovered or unaccounted for. Of those, I would guess that half or better were not mortally wounded, but moved out of the immediate area. That leaves a total of about 10% of mortally wounded deer not able to be recovered by the hunter unaccounted for after the use of a trained tracking dog.
The flip side of those numbers are also relevant. That is, around 10% of mortally wounded deer that aren't recovered by the hunter or hunting party will also not be recovered by even experienced tracking dogs.
My own experience has been similar to those noted above. Over the past 7 years of tracking, which has included hundreds of tracks, we have consistently recovered between 28-33% of the deer that we have tracked. Roughly half of those not recovered have shown clear evidence that the deer was not mortally wounded, and many have been documented as being alive at a later date. In nearly every case, the hunter was certain that the deer had to be dead at the time they made the call to me. In all of those tracks, we have only had 3 occasions in which a deer that we were unable to locate was later discovered by the hunter or others who reported the find to the hunter. Those are awfully good numbers I think!
One of those cases occurred this season with a paunch shot buck that was pushed several times the day before we arrived. We were able to advance the track a reasonable distance and confirm with scant blood. We also found at least 4 spots where the buck had bedded down, but had then been pushed. We eventually abandoned the track when no visible sign could be found over the course of a few hundred yards. That deer was discovered by the outifitter a couple of days later, a few hundred yards beyond where we called it quits.
Another of those tracks involved a doe which was single lung shot last season. She was pushed early as well. On that track, Echo had worked through a very difficult series of beds and backtracks, and advanced the track past an old barn which had barn cats running interference all around him. On three different occasions he tried to track across a large residential yard, but I called him back. We ended by searching a huge thicket where I felt that the deer had surely gone in search of cover. The deer was discovered the following day just on the other side of the residential yard.
Our first post-track recovery was actually a victory of sorts, as Caliber had recovered 2 of 3 deer shot in a 50 yard radius, all over the course of a few hours. The third deer shot, and the last we set off to track, was a nice 10 pointer shot with a 45-70 rifle. There was no visible blood outside of the two tracks that we had already run and recovered, and I thought that the last of the tracks was a wild goose chase from the beginning. Who shoots a deer with a buffalo gun, and doesn't cause some visible blood or other sign? Also, in all the excitement, the hunter was totally unaware as to the direction that the deer had taken when it left the area. We blindly tracked for about 400 yards without any sign of a hit. I called the track off at a pond which sat at the mouth of a small ravine. I told the hunter to check the ravine the following day, and watch for crows or buzzards in the area on the off chance that the deer was mortally hit. Early the following morning, the hunter was sitting in the same stand and noticed crows gathering in the ravine. A brief search led him to the gorgeous buck.
Every time we are unable to recover a deer, I am disappointed, often times more so than the hunter. We typically only take tracks that have a reasonable chance of leading to a recovery, so as not to waste our time or the hunter's money. It is counter-productive to have the dogs run numerous tracks without a deer at the end to reward their efforts. However, every track is a learning experience with pearls of wisdom gained along the way. I know where things broke down on every deer that was later recovered by the hunter. Even on successful tracks we learn where we can improve.
When travelling longer distances to track, I usually take two dogs along. Long, tough tracks can be a real challenge on a dog, especially in hot, dry conditions. Dogs get fatigued, just like we do. Also, sometimes dogs have "off days" just like we do. The very best tracking dogs can look like porch pooches when they are having an off day, and on those days there may be nothing that you can do to fix the problem. Despite all the training, they are not robots, they are just as flawed as the tracker holding the line, and the hunter that made the marginal hit. It is hard to expect perfection from a hound when we ourselves were imperfect in our efforts.
Other issues also come into play as to whether or not a track is successful. Some of those things are within the hunter's control. Others are not. Hot, dry, and windy weather all play havoc with scenting conditions. I have attempted tracks in these conditions with miserable results, only to rerun the track the following morning when conditions were improved with a better outcome. Despite the fact that the track is 12 hours older, the proper conditions make a world of difference in what the dog is able to detect. Other things outside our control are the numbers of deer or other critters that may have passed over the track since the deer was shot. Having a flock of turkeys work through an area after the shot can be extremely distracting for a dog, and can cause major disruption to the scent line as you will read in a future "success story" post.
Things that are within the hunter's control include how much disturbance he or others in his party create in their effort to recover the deer on their own. Reasonable effort should be given prior to calling in a dog, but if the track is very difficult, making repeated passes through an area only serves to disrupt the scent line. This can ruin the best dog's attempt at recovery. Grid searching an area with a group will make the recovery by a dog nearly impossible as so much scent is scattered about. Conversely, following along, off the trail, and clearly marking visible sign with marking tape makes getting a tracking dog off to a good start much easier. It will pay big dividends should you need to call a dog in. Also, time is always a factor. Waiting too long to call can also hinder the odds of success. a 12 hour old track will provide much more scent than a 24, 36, or 48 hour old trail. Any of these trails are doable under good conditions, but scent disperses and breaks down over time, and recovery success rates fall.
So that brings me back to the original question. What can I, or better yet, what should I expect from a tracking dog? I can expect a tracking dog to increase my odds of recovering a deer that I was unable to recover with modest effort by about 30%. If the deer is dead, and has not been pushed hard, studies and personal experience show that the odds are at least twice that. On the best days we won't find them all, but we do improve the odds relatively significantly.
Next, we will take a look at some of our recent tracks that resulted in recoveries!
Good hunting! Brady