Training continues...

Tracking training has been on hold for the past few weeks due to travel and work.  Today, however, Layla and I were back on the trail.  Today's track was 22 hours old.  It was laid in the rain yesterday, and run in the rain today.  Overall, the track had just over an inch of rain on it.  The line was 702 yards long.  All of these factors would have made for a good test of Layla's abilities.  Adding to the difficulty was the fact that I have run out of fresh deer legs with which to train.  I have been using hog feet as a substitute, but prefer deer since that is our primary tracking target.  A dog trained on one should certainly be able to transition, as Layla has demonstrated in her most recent tracks where I substituted wild boar's feet.  However, I really wanted to get a track with deer hoof scent in this time.  I have a few feet set back for imprinting my new puppy (who will arrive in about 3 weeks), but these are old and heavily used,  lacking much in the way of the interdigital scent that the dog follows.  

Stubbornly, I decided to go ahead and use one of the old legs.  I soaked it in water for a few hours in an attempt to re-hydrate the hoof, since it was dried out and inflexible.  The water did little to help the mummified hoof, but I persisted.  I also used about 1.5 oz of blood over the course of the track which was insufficient in retrospect.   I kept telling myself that sometimes it is good to see how your dog performs when things are REALLY tough, and today I got my answer.  As if all this wasn't enough, I left the house to lay the track with darkness approaching, accidentally leaving my flags at home.  The track was obviously recorded with the GPS app on my phone, but when we ran the track, the app was running much slower than normal, creating a 60-90 second delay in the GPS.  This effectively had me running the track blind.  Here is the tracking line.  The original line is in red, and the track is in yellow.

Layla got off to a great start.  The ground was very wet, with a 10 mph SW wind and 80 degree temperatures...very good tracking conditions for July.  She hit the first check flawlessly, but began working just downwind of the actual line.  The track made a small "U" shape, moving from a recently brush hogged area to an area of tall grass, then back to the mowed section.  Since she was a few yards down wind of the track, she picked it up as it rejoined the mowed lane then made a short back track down the area she had skipped over.  This can be seen in the area just below point 1.  I felt that she did quite good at figuring out her mistake, and making progress back down the trail.  By this time, the rain had really begun to pour, and she showed a little hesitancy with continuing, preferring to sit next to me.  I think that this was as much about the lack of a real scent trail as it was the rain.  After a little verbal encouragement, she picked right back up where she had left off, and advanced the trail as it moved back into the higher cover.

She managed the next turn (between points 1 and 2) extremely well given the conditions.  As we moved into some different cover, she really locked into the line, and began tracking very quickly down the trail.  The wind was hard in our face at this point, and she over shot the trail by about 30 yards before I verbally corrected her, and started her in a controlled search pattern.  This was the first time that I had needed to really correct her in the past several tracks.  The wind was coming straight out of the woods, and I suspect that she was smelling game in the woods.  She did show some uncertainty when she was off the trail, which was good to see.  It is always good when a dog has a solid "tell" when it is no longer on the correct track, and Layla was fairly clear when she was off the mark.

After putting her through a search, she was able to pick up a little bit of scent, but remained uncertain, and continued to struggle with the line.  Though I think that challenging a dog is good once it has developed a solid tracking ability, making a dog stretch too much, too soon can lead to a dog that searches more than it tracks...not something I want.  We were walking that tight rope today, so I called her back a second time at the area of point 3. This time I downed her near the trail in order to calm her down, and refocus her attention.  After a minute of sitting in the rain, we restarted the track.  The scent in this area was obviously lacking, and Layla searched hard in an effort to maintain the scent line.  This time she made the correction on her own (point 4), and advanced the line well for a distance.  One more little round about near the end of the trail (point 5) as we once again transitioned from high to low cover, and she completed the track.  

This was really a tougher track than I intended due to poor planning on my part.  Still, we were able to work through some tough areas, and maintain good tracking effort which was eventually rewarded with a completed track and a game of tug of war with the deer hide.  For her grand finale, Layla found a dead skunk on our walk back to the truck.  She didn't hesitate to take a good roll on the carcass, and cover herself in skunk essence.  I think she was trying to tell me something about my track laying efforts.

Not every great track is a "perfect" track.

Training is really ramping up in preparation for the upcoming tracking season.  Unfortunately hot conditions make it difficult, both in the laying and tracking of the line.  Hot, dry weather is a trackers nemesis.  Add to that, wind, and you have the perfect storm of imperfect tracking weather.  Still, we must train for the worst conditions.  Take a look at the track below.

The line was put down just over 12 hours prior to track.  The line was laid in 81 degrees temperature.  The entire line was in a fallow field, intersected by a wood line.  The ground was like concrete, and did not take any imprint from the hooves.  The line was made using boar hooves (3rd use, but adjusted from last track for better contact).  3/4 oz of deer blood was used in the 450 yard line.  2 deer were jumped from their beds when laying the line, and the line was purposely placed over the area where the deer were bedded and exited the field. On the morning of the track, the conditions were slightly cooler at 75 degrees.  No dew or moisture had developed on the grass overnight.  A 10 mph SE wind predominated.  Here's a look at the condition of the ground.

As you can see from the labeled track overlay (original line in red), Layla made her usual exploration of the track area before settling into the line.  She is slightly off line at point 1, but definitely found the line without assistance.

As she progresses down the line, she is tracking just downwind of the trail, but with good accuracy.  The grass and brush is so dense and high in places that she is having to jump over much of it as she moves down the line.  Point 2 is at the wood line intersecting the two fields.  This is always a challenging spot, as the wind direction shifts here to some degree and the shade and thicker cover forms a "scent pocket" where scent accumulates along the denser cover.  It is important to identify these scent pockets during real tracks in case the dog needs help working out of an area.  Layla worked the edge cover on the down wind side, as anticipated.  She showed many "negatives", letting me know that she was not on track.  Learning to read negatives in your dog is just as important as knowing where your dog is definitely on track.  Again, this can allow the handler to help a dog through the tough spots.  In this track, I was determined to let Layla sink or swim entirely on her own.  She received zero guidance from me, aside from a rare "work it out" when she was showing signs that she was clearly off track.  I was careful not to stand on the trail or even use my body language or body direction to help guide her out of this tough spot.  

As the track shows, she made a "circle" of sorts, and found her way back to the original track after a short deviation.  This probably took her about 2-3 minutes to sort through.

Between points 2 and 3 Layla continued to track on the downwind side of the line.  This was also the area where the deer had been bedded down.  She did deviate down the deer's exit trail for about 5 yards before redirecting herself to the original line.  

At point 3, Layla made a hard right turn back towards the line.  The wind virtually coming from due South at that point.  She hit the line, and showed recognition, but continue tracking straight South towards the wood line.  I was a little frustrated at first, but let her track on without a word.  As we got closer to the wood line, I could smell a dead animal, and knew what had gotten her attention.  She worked her way along the edge, and circled slightly until she brought me to the culprit, a dead possum.

My frustration quickly dissipated when I gave Layla the "Leave it" command, followed by the "Find it" command.  She immediately ignored the stinky carnage, and ran right back to the original line.  She made quick and easy work of the remainder of the line, getting of only briefly where a path was mowed through the tall grass.  Again, these transitions in cover often allow scent to drift downwind.  She trailed briefly down the trail prior to correcting herself, and completing the trail where the boar's foot was located.  Here she is at the finish line.

Though this track overlay doesn't look quite as pretty as the last track I posted, I am equally pleased by Layla's work.  She is learning valuable independence on track, and is able to work her way through difficult spots with little or no assistance from me.  Her drive remained strong throughout the track, and she was determined to complete the task at hand.  I couldn't ask for much more than that from any of my tracking dogs. These characteristics will pay dividends during the tracking season.

I will finish with a brief video I took at the completion of the track.  Finding out what motivates your dog is important to all levels of training.  I am fortunate that Layla is driven by a variety of things, all of which I use to my advantage.  She is a glutton for praise and affection, so she gets plenty at the successful completion of each track.  She is a hound, and as such, is a food eating machine.  She always gets raw deer meat at the end of each track.  She also is developing an increasing prey and tug drive as she ages.  I try to encourage this with a game of chase or tug of war at the end of the track.  Everything that a handler can do to increase their dog's desire to track is a plus in my opinion, and developing a strong prey drive is at the top of my list of motivations.  Here's a tiny look at one of many techniques that I use.

The new addition...

My new Hanoverian pup is here.  Well, not here with me, but born.  I just wanted to post a picture of the 5 day old fella.  I am not sure which of these 3 handsome boys will be mine.  I will make a decision based upon early scent and temperament testing at about 8 weeks.  The other pups in the litter are destined for law enforcement roles throughout the country.

#happytrackingdad

Today was a good training day.  I have really been working on giving Layla more independence on track.  I spend much less time directing her or encouraging her during the track, as I want her to learn to work through difficult tracking situations by using her nose and her brain, rather than her handler.  The past few tracks have been tough, due both to tracking conditions and difficult lines. We ran a 25 hour old track late last week in 80 plus degree temperatures.  She was not terribly focused in her search, and it cost her in terms of energy.  She had to stop and rest 3/4 of the way through the track due to heat and fatigue.  I was hoping that it would teach her a valuable lesson though, namely that lackadaisical tracking is harder than focused searching.  Today the lesson seemed to pay off.

This morning's track was put down 14 hours before the search.  It was made using wild boar hooves.  This was only the second time that Layla has run a track made with anything other than deer hooves.  The change didn't seem to affect her much.  The track was made more difficult in that I did a poor job of attaching the feet to my tracking shoes, and they made only light contact with the ground with each foot fall.  I also used a small amount of blood.  I felt like I was being relatively liberal with the blood, but at the end of the track, I had only used 1/4 oz, or just over a teaspoon of blood for the entire line.  Most of that was at the beginning and completion of the track.  The track was 692 yards, confirmed by GPS.   It was laid in  a field in the center of town, and distractions included live deer, a local group of stray cats that are fed here daily, and the usual passing of cars.  There was actually a deer in the field when I laid the track, and I made it a point to cross the exact spot where it was standing when putting down the line.  1/2" of rain fell overnight on the track, and it began raining fairly hard shortly after we started on the line.  Otherwise conditions were excellent with a 5-10 mph wind from the West and 68 degree temperatures.

The track began in a freshly mowed section of grass that ran for about 75 yards before the line entered a fallow field with 3' tall growth.  Layla had a little trouble getting started, but after the first 30 yards she was dead on.  When we came to the main deer trails entering the fields, she got off track just a bit as she checked each of the trails.  This allowed me to see her give some good "negatives" as she quickly determined that our trail did not follow all the other deer scent.  I did have to call her back a single time to put her back on the correct trail at her point of loss, but aside from that she managed to make all other corrections on her own.  

With most of my training I like to mark the trail sparsely with flags, so that I can observe the dog work, and make corrections if necessary.  At the end of each trail, I take some time to determine whether or not we would likely have been able to complete the trail if it were totally blind or unknown to us.  With this track, I am certain that we could have completed the task.  

Here you can see the line I laid with Layla's track overlaid.   Unfortunately, both are in red, but the accuracy of Layla's tracking is evident.  Close inspection shows that she had a bit of movement around the track at the beginning, and ran a small circle in an area where she had lost the trail momentarily as it moved though a woodline between two fields.  She made the necessary correction there without requiring my help.  At the end of the track it was evident that she smelled the hide, and tracked just down wind of the actual line.  All in all a pretty nice line.

Here is a photo of Layla making her way down the line in the rain.

In this photo you can see that she is nailing the line, moving quickly to one of the 8 flags on this nearly 700 yard track.

I didn't have a boar hide, so we finished the track with our usual, raw deer meat and a deer hide.  Layla loves to play tug with the hide at the end of the track.  In all, I was very satisfied with her improvement on this track, and am looking forward to seeing how she continues to develop into this tracking season.  For now, I am a happy tracking dad!

It's Spring, and excitement is in the air.

Spring is well underway, and it has been packed with all sorts of activity.  Habitat work is in full swing on my hunting property.  The yard is filled with "honey do" projects.  Tracking training is at full steam ahead.  Echo has been in his new home now for a couple of months, and is doing awesome with his new owner/handler.  That places Layla in the top spot for this season.  She has really made a lot of progress in her training, and should be ready for some tough recoveries come season.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Boulder Creek Performance K9 in Southeastern MO.  BCK9 is owned and operated by Mark Wynn, a remarkable dog trainer who learned his trade while in the military.  He specializes in military and law enforcement dogs, but is also doing some blood tracking work for those interested. I was privileged to get to spend the day training with the Illinois State Police dog handlers who were there training at Boulder Creek.  My main reason for making the trip; however, was to get a look at the two new Hanoverian pups that Mark just imported from Germany.  These pups are now 4 months old, and will be trained in man tracking and drug detection before being sold to a law enforcement department.  The pups were beautiful, and full of drive.  It was a blast to watch them work the short "man hunting" trails that they are currently performing.  

Speaking of Hanoverians, I should have a pup on the ground any day now.  The dam, Nya, is big and round, and due to drop pups any day now. I will have the male pick of the litter to choose from, and couldn't be more excited!  He should be ready for pick up by the end of July, and the training will begin immediately.  I hope that the new rascal is ready to do some easier recoveries this fall.  Here is a photo of poor, pregnant Nya.

I will do my best to document the new pups progress from start to finish, and hopefully have some useful videos to watch as time goes on.

I will try to get some new photos and videos of Layla's progress as well.  She is turning into a solid tracker, and is usually a joy to work on track.  Stay tuned for more updates as the season draws near.

Good hunting, Brady

The enemy of good is perfect. The bittersweet search for the perfect tracking dog.

I am a bit of a perfectionist.  There, I said it.  Most of the time the over achiever in me has helped me to meet the goals which I have set for myself.  Other times the same trait has been burdensome, as "good enough" is rarely satisfactory for me.  This is especially true when it comes to my tracking dogs.

I have owned some pretty darn good dogs, and trained several others.  I have also observed some of the most talented dogs in the country work.  Since I first started tracking 7 years ago, my goal was to develop a world class blood tracking dog.  That search has led me to sell a couple of dogs that most trackers would be proud to own.  Chloe, my purebred Bavarian mountain hound, was the first of these heartaches.  I spent 3 years trying to develop Chloe into an outstanding tracking dog, but she never became as reliable as I wanted her to be on difficult tracks.  Not only did we track together for 3 seasons, but we bonded for 3 years as well.  She was the greatest frisbee dog that I have ever owned, and was a sweet clown of a dog. Still, I knew that she was not likely to become the tracker that I required.  Consequently, I needed to find her an appropriate home in order to make room to continue my search.  Thankfully I found a wonderful home for Chloe with an owner who truly loves that dog.  She is no longer tracking, but produced a litter of excellent trackers, and spends time working as a therapy dog in a nursing home.  I still get regular photos of her from her proud owner, which warms my heart.  She is exactly where she belongs.

That brings me to my latest tough decision, Echo.  Echo is a beagle/healer mix that one of my kids brought home 2 years ago this month, asking if we could keep him.  I said that he could stay if I could get him interested in following a track.  He was a natural right out of the gate.  At 6 months of age, Echo recovered 4 deer in a single weekend, totally about 600 inches of antler.  All of those tracks were well over 24 hours old when we arrived.  Echo's second season was somewhat less eventful because of time constraints I had, which limited our overall tracks.  Still he still continued to amaze me with his tracking ability.  His tracking style was very effortless.  In fact, many times I almost convinced myself that he wasn't even following the track, until he would drop his nose down and point out a speck of blood.  Echo is also a thinker.  He is one of those dogs where you can almost see the wheels turning as he works through a difficult trail.  Even more, you can see his growth from one tough track to the next.  Echo is also has one of the best dispositions of any dog that I have ever owned.  He has been calm and affectionate since he was a puppy.  He is rambunctious with other dogs, but EXTREMELY mellow with every person he has ever met.  He is the perfect companion dog.  The only thing that Echo lacks is prey drive on the track.  I have said many times that Echo only tracks because he knows that it pleases me, and I believe that is absolutely true.  Echo couldn't care less about finding a dead deer.  He has no interest in the dead animal.  He just loves the praise that he gets at the trail's end.  

While the desire to please is a fantastic trait in any dog, the lack of prey drive can occasionally lead to less than perfect results.  Twice last season, Echo ran really tough tracks only to walk past the downed deer without any indication that it was laying within yards of him.  On the first occasion I saw the deer, and we completed the recovery.  On the second, Echo tracked within a few yards and then meandered off in another direction.  Normally I would have seen the deer, but this area was extremely thick.  Also, this had been a long, tough track with very little detectable blood.  I was not convinced that the deer was dead, and had other calls to get to.  I ended up pulling Echo off the track, and calling it quits.  The following day the hunter discovered the deer within a few yards of where we ended the track.  A dog with a strong prey drive would have worked the deer over until I pulled him off of it.  On several occasions, I have witnessed Echo looking back at me for "permission" to continue across an obstruction like a fence or creek.  He moved right down the track when I gave him the OK, but he could have just as easily been called off the track that he was working.  Though these examples seem trivial, they can make or break a track that we have traveled hundreds of miles to complete.

Making the decision to find another tracking home for Echo was not a decision that I could make lightly.  He was the best dog that I had in my kennel, and probably the best dog that I had trained up to this point...darn that stinking perfection!  Still, I had to continue my quest for that perfect tracking dog, and my sweet wife said that 3 dogs was my limit.  The reason that I decided to re-home Echo rather than Layla had more to do with personalities and potential than current ability.  Echo's experience and calm nature make him a better tracker than Layla is at present, but Layla has all of the qualities that I look for in a great tracking dog...fantastic nose, plenty of smarts, trainability, stubborn persistence, and PREY DRIVE.  While she did not have a great freshman year, she has shown great promise for the future.  Also, Layla is very attached to me while Echo's affability allows him to be content around pretty much anybody.  

Finding a home for Echo was an easy task.  Who doesn't want a trained tracking dog?  They are worth their weight in gold, and are as rare as hen's teeth.  Finding the right home was the most important thing, and I was blessed to find the perfect new owner, friend, and handler for my little pal.  Andrew, the new handler, drove several hours with his wife to meet Echo and have a training weekend.  I wanted to get both he and Echo on the same page, so that they could reach their potential together.   Andrew also spent an additional day working Echo on tracks under my tutelage on the day that he took him home.  He did extremely well, and I could see that this was a perfect match.  Andrew is already planning some additional training days after he has had a chance to work with Echo on his own for a bit. They already have a late spring hog hunt lined up, and plan to get their first real track together on that trip.  Also, Andrew has been gracious enough to keep me updated on their progress together, as well as sending me photos of Echo enjoying time with his new family.  At this time, Andrew anticipates only using Echo to recover game for himself and his friends, but as trackers, we have all said that.  Tracking with dogs is addictive, and soon you want to find every wounded or lost animal that you can!  I have no doubt that they will find truck loads of game together.

So what happens now in my quest?  I spent months researching dogs all over the US and Europe, and contacted many breed clubs trying to make the right decision on which direction to move.  I even joined a German hunting forum to aid in my effort.  Towards the end, I thought that I had narrowed my search to one of two rare European breeds, the Styrian Coarse Haired Hound and the Alpine Dachsbracke. However, with every inquiry I was questioned about why I wasn't looking for a Hannoverian hound.  

I had basically written off the Hannoverian hound based on some of my difficulty with my Bavarian mountain hound, as the two are closely related.  Chloe was an excellent dog, but a bit too soft for my training preference.  I felt like the Hannoverian would pose many of the same problems.  However, I made some inquiries stateside about the imports being used for man trailing and drug detection, and was pleased to find out that many of the imported dogs are extremely gritty and mentally solid.  This is not to say that Bavarians are not extremely capable dogs.  I have seen some wonderful Bavarians, but for my personality I need a strong, confident dog that has a mind of its own, but is still able to handle correction.  I am hopeful that I have found that dog.  

The dam of my new pup, Ny, is a man trailing dog.  Her littermate, Ruin, is also a man trailer who I am told is gritty enough to be used as an apprehension dog.  The sire of the litter, Bear, is a deer tracking dog with high prey drive.  After months of anticipation and waiting, I received a notice that Ny has come into heat.  The news came the day after Echo left, which helped my mood.  Currently, she is in Texas for breeding.  If all goes as planned, I should be training my next dog in my quest by Summer.  I doubt that he will be ready to run many tracks for clients this fall, but we won't miss any opportunities to get him on appropriate tracks either!  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, Layla continues to make advancements, and should be up to the task come September.

Here are photos of Ny, Ruin, and Bear (in order).

Good hunting, Brady

Tracking update. Another recovery for Layla.

Opening day of the regular gun season brought us our first rifle track.  Since the track was fairly fresh, and the deer had been shot with a rifle, I felt like this would be a good track for Layla.  The young hunter felt confident that he had hit the deer well, but there was an absence of blood at the hit site, and an initial search did not lead to the discovery of any sign.

 The real key to the issue came during my interview with the hunter.  He said that the deer had run about 100 yards, and then let out a bawl.  In my experience, wounded deer only bawl when a large bone has been hit.  This usually means a leg shot, though I have tracked a bow shot deer that bawled after a sternum hit.  When a deer is struck in the leg, getting on the track early is usually the best tactic.  These deer want to lay down, and they can often be overtaken on the track.  Most have also sustained some injury in addition to the bone hit.

Layla was started where the deer was thought to be standing at the time of the shot.  She quickly progressed along a deer trail, but the hunter thought that the deer he had shot took a slightly different route.  There had been several other deer in the area on that morning, so getting started right was very important.

A restart got us moving along the path that the hunter felt the deer had used to exit the area.  After 50 yards, my suspicion about shot placement was confirmed when a large shard of leg bone was encountered.  There was still no blood to be seen.  The dog continued down the track along a drainage area.  The next sign we encountered was 100 yards into the track, and was another small piece of bone along with a small piece of fat.  I suspect that the deer had spent some time in this area, as Layla began tracking "hot".  Unfortunately, all of the scent was overwhelming to a dog that usually follows 24 hour old hoof tracks.  Her great excitement  had her running in circles along the ditch rather than tracking methodically.  

A short time out was required to get Layla to calm down, and restart the track.  Getting back on the trail was also a challenge due to the fact that we had still not found any blood.  I was beginning to think that the shot was a low front leg hit, which may or may not be recoverable.  Still we persisted on the track, and progressed into an area of tall native grass.  This was promising since leg hit deer often bed in this kind of cover.   We had only progressed a little way into the tall grass when I heard the crashing of the deer, and saw the animal get up just 5 yards in front of me.  Due to the cover, I could not see the wound, but knew that it was severe as the animal would not run out of the tall grass.  Layla and I backed out, and informed the hunter of the situation.  Fortunately, in this case, the deer was wounded to a degree that it was likely to stay put.  This allowed us to take the dog back to the truck, and return to dispatch the deer.  

After the deer was put down, the severity of the wound was clear.  This deer was not shot in the front leg as I had suspected, but rather in lower section of the back leg.  The leg was completely severed from the ham, and the abdominal cavity was also penetrated.  This deer would have been destined to a painful, lingering death had it not been for our recovery effort.  The hunter was quite upset with his shot placement, and seemed to appreciate the importance of good shot placement for an ethical and humane kill.  We were all glad that we ended the deer's suffering.  As a whole, hunters take game much more humanely that Mother Nature tends to, but it is still important to minimize suffering.

No pictures were taken of this recovery due to the devastation of the injury.  In the end, I was relatively happy with Layla's performance.  The track also gave me a bit more insight into what I needed to work on in Layla's training.  

Tracking update. A "simple" track ends with a twist.

Balancing my own bowhunting with blood tracking is not always an easy task.  I love spending my days in a treestand with my trusting recurve hanging by my side.  This is especially true during the rut when deer movement is at its peak on my farm.  During the first couple of weeks of November, most of my time is spent at my farm, and at least one dog is usually sharing camp with me.  

On this particular morning, I was hunting with a friend.  My morning hunt was spoiled by a local pack of hounds that are allowed to run free by their owner.  As a dog guy, this frustrates me beyond all measure.  As I climbed down out of my stand to run off the large pack of hounds, I received a text from my friend, "I just smoked a stud buck!"  

Unfortunately, 5 minutes after sending the text, the hounds had made their way across my farm and were running deer past his stand.  I was hoping that his shot was on the money and that the deer was already expired, so as not to be pushed off the property by the pack of reckless hounds.  

I met my friend at his stand not long after the text, and worked with him to push the hounds off my place while deer scattered and ran for cover in all directions.  Many opponents to blood tracking are concerned that tracking will be used as an excuse to drive deer with dogs.  As this particular story demonstrates, unscrupulous dog owners don't need an excuse to run deer with their dogs.  Adding a long tracking lead to the running dogs would just hinder that process.  Leashed blood tracking has nothing to do with chasing deer, but rather recovering game that is already mortally or seriously wounded.  

Back to the story...

After getting the dogs pushed off my property, and recovering my composure, it was time to get a leashed dog on the track.  Normally I would have waited considerably longer to embark on a recovery, but in this case the hunter was fairly certain that he had made a perfect double lung hit.  More importantly was the fact that a pack of several hounds had just pushed the entire area, so if the deer wasn't dead it was likely to be covering some serious ground.  Better to get on the track sooner than later in this case.  

Blood was fairly good for the first 100 yards, making for easy tracking for the dog.  After another 100 yards, less blood was apparent, and we were having some second thoughts about how good the hit was.  There was definitely evidence of lung blood, but this deer should have been dead if both lungs were penetrated.  

After progressing 300 and then 400 yards I became worried.  We were nearing my property line, and I was concerned the dogs had created a serious problem.  

The track went up a steep hill and then down a trail that parallels a cliff before dropping down to a large creek.  The dog didn't have any trouble progressing the fresh track across the creek and up the steep game trail further down the creek.  Once we crawled up the embankment I was even more concerned about the health of the deer we were chasing.  

After progressing another 50 yards the trail went cold.  The dog searched up and down the bank without progressing any further.  Several times we looked down into the creek and along the steep bank that lined the creek.  I began personally searching for blood, but couldn't come up with anything.  Finally a yell from my buddy got my attention, and I proceeding to the edge of the creek.  It took me several seconds to see what he was so excited about.

The deer's hind end floating up in the creek was the only thing that helped us identify the buck.  

An autopsy showed that the shot was just a bit further back than the hunter had initially thought, piercing the back lobe of one lung, and exiting though the liver.  This deer would have died several hundred yards closer to the hunter had it not been for the hounds which undoubtedly pushed it.  Jumping off the bluff into the creek was probably this deer's attempt at escaping the pack of loose hounds. It did provide some entertainment for me, since my friend had to swim out to get the deer, and get it back to shore.

Good hunting! Brady

Tracking update. Success is not always how we plan it.

The other major issue we faced this season was the number of very old tracks that we undertook.  The vast majority of our tracks were over 24 hours old when we arrived at the scene.  Certainly, all of my dogs are capable of such recoveries, and rarely do we run practice tracks that are less than 18-24 hours old.  

The difficulty is not simply in the age of the tracking line, but rather in what has happened to the scent trail during that period of time.  Getting on a track so late in the process is usually a result of the hunter having searched diligently for many hours, recruiting all friends and other available resources prior to calling us to the scene.  Additionally, in the game rich areas where we track,  dozens of deer may have passed through an area and clouded the track even further.

Despite difficult conditions, I got to see good tracking performances in each of my tracking partners, even when they didn't end in recovery.  We advanced many trails a great distance, and were able to give reasonable confirmation that many of the deer we tracked were alive.  Like most years, several of our unrecovered deer were confirmed alive on camera or by personal sightings later in the season.  One hunter even managed to kill the same buck a week after our track turned up empty.  Unfortunately, this was the first season since I started tracking that my old veteran tracker, Caliber, did not score a recovery.  This was not due in any way to his ability, but rather the fact that his tracks were limited as I concentrated most of my efforts on my younger dogs.

One morning, while hunting my own farm, I received a number of tracking calls.  The rut was on, and calls had been coming in waves each day.  On this particular day, I decided to hang up my bow and get some tracks under my belt.  I prioritized the tracks based on likelihood of recovery and distance.  I decided to take the best three, and knew that this would have me tracking late into the evening and covering roughly 300 miles by the time I was finished.  

The closest track sounded fairly promising, and was a hunter that I was acquainted with.  He had shot the deer the day prior.  The hit was a bit high, but he felt that he got a lung.  He had searched the area thoroughly the day before, and even more on the morning that he called me.  When I arrived, the track was just under 24 hours old.  Because he had already tracked this deer a few hundred yards, and we were pressed for time, we decided to start the track about 100 yards from his point of loss.  Echo quickly progressed the track  beyond the point of loss, but there was no blood to confirm our progress.  After a couple of restarts, our progress was confirmed by some new blood.  The deer had obviously done some circling in this area, and finding the way out of the maze proved difficulty.  After several attempts, we began working some circles as time was running short.  While we searched an ATV trail, Echo began showing interest in an area adjacent to the trail.  I let him go a short distance before I noticed a few specks of blood.  Nowhere during the track had we found any sign that the deer had been hit in the lungs, but the blood was quite old and dry by this time.  Echo made his way up a steep hill before working down a cedar choked.  He began working hot, and I was convinced that he was on a fresh deer trail.  After working through the area a few times, I had to call off the track due to time constraints.  I always hate to call a track when the dog still seems to be working, but after progressing over 500 yards with very little blood, I was fairly certain that we were not going to recover this deer.  

The hunter thanked us for our efforts, and promised to keep looking in the direction where we had progressed the track.  Much to my surprise, I received a text the following day with this picture, and the following caption..."I found him 30 yards past the last speck of blood we found."  I can't explain how we managed to track this deer this far, and then passed within 30 yards of him without picking him up.  

In Echo's defense, he was probably smelling the deer when he suddenly went "hot".  He is definitely not my best wind scenting dog, preferring to work ground scent almost exclusively.  If I had to pick one or the other, I would choose a ground scenter every time.

Though we didn't actually complete this track, I am sure that the hunter would have never found this deer without us having significantly progressing the track right up to the deer's final resting place.  Sadly, the meat was lost, but in our area it is likely that the coyotes had already had their way with this deer by the time we had arrived.  At the end of the day, the hunter recovered his "trophy," and punched his buck tag.

As for the other two tracks, one hunter found a closer tracker before I arrived, and called to cancel.  The other track was confirmed to be a muscle hit.  We followed the sparse blood trail for a reasonable distance, but all sign pointed towards a non-fatal hit. 

Good hunting!  Brady

Tracking update. Fits and starts. Layla's first recovery.

Keeping up with the blog, and managing everyday life is certainly a challenge!  This tracking season has been no different.  This year was filled with work and family obligations as well as bad timing on tracking calls.  It seems that every time I would start back to a long work week, the calls would rush in, while my weeks off were often quite.  While I received a record number of calls this season, I took less this year than any of my previous tracking seasons.  All calls that I could not take were referred out to other competent trackers, and a fair number of those led to successful recoveries I am happy to say.  

My over zealousness to get the dogs on tracks led to less scrutiny on which calls I responded to.  This always results in taking more "low probability" calls than I normally would, and a higher than average number of tracks that don't end up in a recovery.  This was especially difficult this season as I was working hard to get my new dog, Layla, on some good developmental tracks.

All was not in vain, however.  We did have a few nice successes, and Layla was able to recover her first real deer.  I was the hunter, and though the deer was hit reasonably well, only one lung was penetrated, and the blood trail was minimal.  I gave the deer a few hours before retrieving Layla, and taking up the track.

This doe had been one of 6 deer to pass by the stand on the morning of the hunt.  In fact, 3 deer passed by the stand after I had arrowed the doe.  I was interested to see how Layla would work through all the fresh deer scent.  

She was started at the hit sight, where no discernible blood or sign was present aside from my bloody arrow.  She progressed the track the first 30 yards before the first blood was apparent on the trail.  After 50 yards, the blood had disappeared again, so I blindly followed her in the direction that she wished to travel.  I knew that we were moving in the general direction that the deer had fled through the woods, but after 100 yards and no deer I became concerned that we were not on the right track.  As it turns out, she had followed a fresher deer trail up to a couple of does that were making their way through the thick cover.

 It took a couple of restarts before I was able to get her back on line.  The difficulty was that I wasn't sure where the line was myself.   When she made a hard right turn in a different direction than she had previously tracked, I felt like we might be on the right path.  Sure enough, after traveling 150 yards from the hit site we came upon the doe.  There was very little blood during the entire track, so I was pleased overall with my young dog's performance.  Like every young dog I have worked, teaching them to overlook distractions and stay on the right line is both the most important part and the hardest part of developing an excellent tracking dog.  This seasons successes and failures taught me what I need to work on during the off season this year.

Here is my little gal with her first recovery.  I likely would have found this deer on my own, but not without some diligent searching.

I will add some more of this year's adventures in "soon to come" upcoming blogs.

Good hunting! Brady

Our good friends Brad and Elkie have a great start to their season.

If you've followed the blog from the beginning or read through the early posts, you will have read about our good friends Brad and Elkie.  Brad decided to get into tracking after watching some of my dogs work a couple of deer tracks for him.  We both share a love of deer hunting and habitat work, and were close friends long before he dived headlong into blood tracking.  Brad is a determined, retired marine, and I knew that when he decided to get a tracking dog that he needed an equally determined breed.  His preference was for a smaller dog, and a dachshund was an easy sell to his wife who grew up with the Americanized versions of the breed.  No couch potato was going to be sufficient for him, though, so I set about looking for a European lineage standard dachshund from working parents.  

I have many tracking friendships around the country, including some of the best dachshund breeders.  However, my initial inquiries came up empty on available pups.  After some additional searches I stumbled upon some German working dogs in Wisconsin being breed by honest to goodness German immigrants.  That looked promising!  After a few phone and email conversations, I was satisfied with what I was hearing, and I put Brad into contact with the breeders.  A few weeks later he was travelling north to pick up his pup, Elkie.  

It was a couple of weeks before I got a chance to see Elkie, but I had already coached Brad into laying some liver drags.  By the time I saw the young pup, she was showing great promise on liver tracks.  We talked and met regularly, and I was very impressed at how Elkie continued to progress.  She was one of the most naturally talented dogs that I had seen work.  

After months of training, she began her first tracking season and had a decent rookie year with several recoveries to her credit, including some very tough tracks.  The winter layoff led to some behavioral and tracking issues that we addressed this past Spring and Summer, some of which I blogged about in earlier posts.

Our calls starting coming in nearly as soon as season had begun this year, and all those tracks I was unable to take, I referred to Brad and Elkie.  Their first track was a difficult one, and did not end in success.  Still, I was more confident in my friend's tracking team than he was.  I knew it was just a matter of getting a decent track with a recoverable deer.  The next 3 tracks proved my confidence to be well founded.  Elkie turned 3 difficult tracks into meat in the freezer!  That is an outstanding start to any season. 

Here is the story from one of the tracks in Brad's own words (Elkie can't type yet)...

Elkie recovered her first deer of the season. A hunter called saying that he shot a crippled doe to end it's suffering, but his arrow deflected on a twig, resulting in a gut shot. The hunter stopped at last blood and called me. When I arrived the hunter showed me his arrow, which was covered in gut content, had only penetrated about 10 inches, and the point had snapped off.

The track was only 4 hours old and had good blood the first 100 yards, and then the blood ended. Elkie tracked another 200 yards with no blood so I restarted her, and she followed the same track, and then began casting about, searching. Thinking that Elkie might be tracking a healthy deer I restarted her a third time, and let her keep going. Elkie tracked down the line a 3rd time, covering 300 yards with no visible blood.... when she found the deer.

 

A few days later, I received another call from some hunters I had tracked for in the past.  This time I was on vacation with my wife, and directed the hunters to Brad and Elkie, and they did not disappoint!   Here's the story...

Elkie's track was so tough that many trackers wouldn't take it because it'd been grid searched! When a track is grid searched, scent is spread from the original track.... throughout the area, creating a maze of footprints for the dog to figure out. 4-5 people crawled through the woods on their hands and knees and couldn't find this buck.

The hunter is 6'5" and had a long draw length, so he drove a Thwacker mechanical point through the shoulder blade and heavily muscled chest area, opening a 2-3 inch hole through the deer, possibly hitting one lung, and doing massive damage to heavy muscle. Muscle blood starts out looking good and then stops bleeding, so there was no blood trail over most of the track.

When the buck was hit, he bedded in the open within 40 yards of being hit. The hunter watched as 2-3 other bucks began goring it, until it got up, moved 40 yards and bedded again. The hunter waited two hours and found what he thought was a dead buck, but the buck bolted and was gone. Elkie and I arrived about 36-40 hours after the buck was shot, and Elkie recovered the buck in about 15-20 minutes in cover so thick that there was no way the hunter would have found the buck without a tracking dog. Losing several deer in cover like that is why I bought Elkie!

 

Several days later, Elkie would also recover one of Brad's own deer 12 hours after the shot.  Elkie is proving that a good dog, and consistent thoughtful training can produce awesome results.  We are very proud of all that they are accomplishing, and are happy to have played a role.  If I am unable to take your track, rest assured, that I will do my best to put you into capable hands.  

Good hunting!  Brady

The sometimes not so sweet smell of success.

Our first call of the season was a long haul out to south-central Kansas.  That track was spoiled by over anxious hunters who pushed a mortally wounded paunch shot deer a very long distance.  Thankfully, the outiftter was able to recover what was left of the deer several days later when the wind blew the scent of the carcass to one of his guides roaming the area.  This was only the third deer in our 7 seasons of tracking that was recovered after we terminated the track.  Difficult tracking conditions combined with a deer that was pushed repeatedly by hunters resulted in a disappointing first track of the season.  It did give me an opportunity to watch my new dog work a difficult trail, though, which usually yields some useful knowledge.

I was excited to get a promising call from a local hunter a few days later.  Calls are typically sparse early in the season, and local calls are a rarity.  Few mega-bucks lurk in my area, and hunters are reluctant to call on anything less than a big buck, even when local fees are low.  Even more rare, is to get a call to track a doe.  In this case, a hunter who I had tracked for in the past had made a paunch shot on a doe.  He had tracked her for about 70 yards before losing all blood and sign.  He was later joined by another hunter, and spent an additional 45 minutes searching for the deer without success.  

I arrived with Layla and Echo about 10 hours after the shot.  The conditions were warm and dry which is never good, but the short time frame was in our favor.  Additionally, I felt confident that the deer was dead based on the hunter's report of the shot.  No wound beds had been found, but deer shot in the paunch with large expandable broadheads rarely survive.  They also don't tend to cover a lot of ground if left alone.  This one was pursued about an hour after the shot, but I was still hopeful that the track would yield a recovery.  

By the time I was able to arrive at the shot shot, the hunter had gone off to work.  He had arranged for his hunting partner to meet me, and escort me to the hit site.  Unfortunately, the young man who met me was unsure as to where exactly the hit site was or where the deer had already been tracked.  He knew the general area of the hit, but not much else about the shot.  Worse yet, he was color blind, and unable to see blood as a result.  

After a bit of blind searching, Layla picked up the track, and showed me a small pile of blood on some leaves.  She took to the trail without hesitation, and covered the previously tracked 70 yards without any issues.  The visible blood ended at a small waterhole within the forest.   Layla used the opportunity to take a drink and a quick cool down.  Her youth and lack of experience made successfully restarting her difficult.  It was difficult to tell if the deer had also crossed the waterhole or continued along the same path we had been travelling along.  

Layla finally started making some headway, but that is when things fell apart.  The track took us right into the middle of a half an acre area of fresh turkey scratching.  The turkeys had literally disturbed the entire forest floor in this area, and it was clear that it had happened between the time the deer was shot and the time that we arrived.  She started trailing very "hot,' and I was sure that it was the turkeys she was trailing.  After following her for about 50 yards, I saw the culprits, a flock of about 25-30 birds.  Worse yet, I couldn't get them to leave.  I repeatedly pushed the turkeys, only to have them regroup around us.  At times, they were within 5-10 yards of us.  Getting Layla successfully restarted on the right track was a hopeless endeavor.  This was just too much distraction on a young dog.  

After a trip back to the truck, I exchanged one dog for another.  Act two would involve Echo.  At 18 months old, he was already showing marked improvements in his tracking abilities.  Last year he had a good rookie season, but this year he had been showing some real talent.   I had to walk him right back through the turkeys to get to the start of the track.  He too was very distracted by the birds and all the scent that they were smothering the ground with.  It took several attempts to get him to start the track, as he was intent on going after the birds.  Once I got him focused, however, he was off to the races.  He kept his nose down and tracked in his lackadaisical style, looking almost bored with the task.  He covered the first section of track without any difficulty at all.  When he arrived at the water hole, he resisted going down to take a drink, and continued along the same path that Layla had eventually taken shortly before.  When he came to all the turkey scratching, he made his way through it without any hesitation.  However, without any confirmatory sign, I was not convinced that he was on the right track any more than Layla was.  To complicate matters, the young hunter along with me, was fairly certain that his friend had tracked the deer off in another direction before losing the blood trail.  

I had nothing else to go on, but the dog, so I followed along.  After another 150 yards we came to a fence that ran along a deep ditch with a stream flowing down the center.  Echo crossed under the fence, but stopped at the ditch and looked back at me.  When I didn't cross after him, he came back to my side and tracked down the fence in both directions looking for the deer's scent.  Just as Echo made his way back towards the initial fence crossing did the young man with us as "What is that?"  He pointed across the ditch to a brown lump in the tall grass.  It was definitely a deer!  I wanted Echo to finish the track on his own.  He went under the fence a second time, and this time I followed.  A few short minutes later we were standing over the expired doe.  As we approached, the smell became evident even to my human nose.  The smell of success is not always sweet!

Here is Echo with his first recovery of the season...

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

Putting together a tracking vest or pack

Hunting season is quickly approaching in our region.  Once hunting season begins, the first tracking calls are not far behind.  After spending the off season training new dogs or firming up foundations with established dogs, every tracker is excited to get in the first track of the season.  Being prepared when the call comes is important.  Knowing what items to bring along with you on a track is just as important as any other aspect of off season preparation.

Over the years I have used several methods of hauling around all the stuff that could be required on a track.  In the end, I have found that the most important aspect is simply having a dedicated method of hauling and storing your items, so that they are there every time that you need them.  For me, the two most practical means of organizing my items are by using a tracking vest or a small day pack designated for that purpose, with my preference slightly favoring the vest.  The advantage of a vest over a pack, in my opinion, is that a vest allows my GPS, phone, and compass to be immediately available to me without having to stop, and dig through pockets.  A day pack offers the advantage of increased storage space which could be important for trackers who track in more remote areas or in more severe environments where extra clothing or emergency equipment may come in handy.

The key to a good tracking pack or vest is having the equipment that you may need without carry so much equipment that it is burdensome while maneuvering through the terrain you will be tracking in.  Here's a list of my essential items...

1. Flashlights...yep, pleural.  Even tracks which start with good daylight can end up continuing on into darkness.  A good flashlight is imperative to help you identify sign, and navigate your way back home.  I prefer a headlamp because it leaves my hands free.  New Cree LED bulbs have revolutionized headlamps and flashlights.  Lights with over 1000 lumens are now available for under $100.  I prefer a "neutral light" over "bright white" version if it's an option.  Also, having variable intensities is important for varying situations and battery life. There are a lot of good brands out there. I use a wide angle beam version put out by Armytech.  Extra batteries should always be carried along as well.  Not much worse than running out of light in the middle of unfamiliar woods!

An additional light or two can also come in handy.  Expect that your hunter will not have a light of their own, as they often do not.  Small quality handhelds should be sufficient for most tasks.

2. Flagging tape.  I always carry at least two rolls with one attached to the outside of my vest for easy access.  A flagging tape dispenser is also a good idea, and can be ordered from many forestry catalogs.  Despite advising all my hunters to flag visible sign while they are advancing a trail, it rarely happens.  Either you or the hunter should be responsible for flagging sign during the track.  It makes returning to last blood much easier, especially in the dark or rainy conditions.  A lot of time can be wasted retracing steps you've already covered.  

3. Water.  Tracks can be tiresome on both you and the dog.  Dogs exert an enormous amount of energy when tracking a difficult scent.  Keep plenty of water on hand for both you and your tracking partner.  Having a small cup or dish for you dog to drink from is also a good idea.  

4. GPS.  Few tools are as handy during a track than a GPS.  A good tracking app on your phone will suffice, as well, though I have never used one that compares to a stand alone GPS unit.  Mark blood, map progress, and find your way back to the truck with one of these devices.  As always, carry spare batteries.

5. Compass.  Sometimes electronics fail.  Keep a compass handy, and mark your general direction as you leave your vehicle.  It could come in handy.  

6. Knife.  Expect that when you find your hunter's deer that he will have forgotten his knife back at the truck.  You don't have to gut it, but you will probably have to help drag it...easier with the guts out.

7. Rope.  See number 6.

8. Dog food or treat.  I like to treat my dog at the end of a tough track.  When we find a deer, the dog gets some belly meat after the animal is gutted.  If nothing is found, a small snack of jerky or the like will suffice for a job well done.

9. Plastic bags.  Remember that you will need deer blood and parts for off season training.  These are best taken at the time of recovery, and good zip tight bags are the easiest way to accomplish this without making a mesh and weighing down your vest.

10.  Hunting license.  Some states require that the hunter have a valid hunting license.  Since my vest goes with me on each hunt, so does my license.  This is about the only thing in my pack that does have to come out from time to time.

11. Extra lead.  This is not a necessity, but I do often carry an extra lead in case of failure of the primary lead.  Your rope can also be used in this capacity in a pinch.

12. Clear or wire lens glasses.  Tracking at night can be tricky business, and it's only a matter of time before you catch a branch in the eye.  Safety glasses can save the day on night tracks.  Some companies make glasses with wire lens covers that work well, but I still prefer simple clear safety glasses kept in a protective case.

13. Cell phone.  Most of us carry a cell phone just about all the time.  Don't forget it on your tracks.  Being able to communicate with your hunter if you get separated is important as is being able to make calls in the event of an emergency.

14. Bug spray.  All of my clothes get sprayed with permethrin at the start of the season, but having some sort of weapon against creepy crawlies is nice in weather where it is warranted.

15. Personal protection.  States vary regarding what types of weapons a hunter or tracker can legally use to dispatch deer or even possess on a track.  You must consult your own state's rules in this regard.  That said, if you track long enough, both you and your dog will eventually be put in harm's way.  I have been cornered by free ranging pit bulls and nearly knocked off my feet by wounded deer.  You need to decide how you will protect your dog, your hunter, and yourself if one of these types of situations arises.  

At any given time, I probably have a half dozen other items in my tracking vest.  However, the items listed above are a good starting point for any tracker.  Organize your pack or vest well ahead of season, and keep it together throughout the season, so that you can simply grab it and go when a call arises.  Try not to remove items except when using them on track, and always return them as soon as you are done.  You don't want to be missing an item that you need and thought that you had in your vest when the time of need arises.  

Good hunting!  Brady

Off season tracking training Part 2. Helpful tracking patterns.

I want to close this series with some tracking plans that I find useful to teach specific skills to my dogs.  Most of these are used to encourage effective patterns for moving past difficult spots in a live track.  

1.  Creating dead spaces.

Here is an example of a line where "dead spaces" are intentionally interspersed into the training line.  To create the dead space, hoof shoes (or are removed, and no blood is dripped on the ground.  Just like when placing a distraction, make sure to mark the exact beginning and end of each dead space clearly.  Wearing clean rubber boots is helpful in limiting human scent.  The goal is to leave nothing discernible for the dog to follow in the dead zone.  In the beginning, I make each space about 20 meters in length, and like to extend them out to 30-50 meters as training progresses.  As usual, you should be aging all tracks at least 8-12 hours by the time you reach this stage in training. 

The key is in how the dog works through the dead spaces.  By this point in training, the dog should be checking back to the point of loss with some degree of regularity when the trail is lost.  Within a few yards of the dead space, the dog should return to the last scent.  At that point, you can help encourage your dog to search in a widening circular pattern until the trail is intersected.  This generally requires directing  your dog with encouraging "search here" type commands and using the lead to help direct the dog's search pattern.  The more repetition your dog has in working through this same sort of pattern, the more natural it will become.  Expect to have to lead your dog to some degree for several attempts.  Here is an example of what the search pattern should look like.

2. Creating backtracks.

A backtrack is simple a trail where the deer changes directions and moves down a trail which it had already walked upon.  These trails may be directly on top of one another or more commonly, in very close proximity.  I have encountered this most commonly in deer that had been bedded for a period of time, and gotten back up.  I have also experienced this with deer that received less lethal hits, such as leg wounds and are aware that they are being pursued.  

The premise of the track is easy.  Lay the initial track (indicated in red), then walk back down a short piece of the track and then leave the trail at an angle (indicated in blue).  Some dogs will detect the detoured trail and by luck of the draw make the turn before completing the original length of trail.  This is fine, but I try to prevent this by "leading" the dog down the original trail by laying down more blood along this portion.  I then make my backtrack portion with hoof scent only for the first several meters into the turn.  I like to keep backtracks short because I am trying to train the dog to go back to the point of loss and work out the trail rather than needing to work through a "dead space" type scenario, though that would be effective as well.  Here is an example of a linear backtrack and a "narrow angle" backtrack within the same training line.

3.  Star pattern...and variations.

The most difficult tracking patterns involve many turns and crossing trails, which creates a maze that many dogs will become stuck in without being able to find the exit trail.  A dog with a good circular search pattern may be able to work its way through these patterns without even following the trail perfectly in its entirety.  However, a dog with a strong line sense, will work through the crosses in a systematic fashion.  Here is the basic star.  Crossing trails are indicated in blue.

The key to making this pattern work is the same as with other backtracks.  Use more blood on the main trail and just hoof scent on the cross trail.  Also make your angles far enough apart from one another that your dog is less likely to wind scent the alternate trail.  I find most of my stars are about 50 meters or more in size.  Some dogs will still short cut one or more of the corners, but that is not a problem.  As long as they work through it, continue on the trail.  Unlike most training lessons, I only put a single start variation in any one track.

An alternative to the star that is a bit easier to work through is the figure four.  The concept is the same, the pattern is just a bit easier to work through.  I also find it useful for dogs that consistently cut the corners of a star pattern.  Here is the pattern...pretty straight forward.

For dogs that consistently cut the corners on both the star and the figure four tracks, I find it useful to implement a zig zag pattern.  This is easier for the dog to work through, but also requires the same attention to maintain the line.  It also prevents the dog from taking a short cut as long as the zigs and zags are a sufficient distance apart.  Here is an example.  

I

Implementing these tracking patterns into your training sessions will add some variety to you lessons as well as help develop concentration and effective search techniques with your dog.  Don't expect your dog to ace all of these skills overnight.  These are skills which you will continue to develop over the course of many seasons.

Good hunting!  Brady

Off season tracking training...tracking plans

In the previous post I talked about making a plan, and having a method to your tracks.  This of course is dependent upon having a dog that is already running routine lines of various ages with some efficiency.  Each training line should have a goal in mind that will allow you to "train through" some of the problems that you may encounter during real tracks.  

I still recall the first difficult track I ever ran with my dog.  We had been training on lines aged over 24 hours without any real difficulty.  He had quickly recovered a couple of deer that I had shot, but both were deer I would have easily recovered without him.  Then a call came for a real track.  The deer had been shot very poorly in the head when the hunter accidentally hit his release as he was readying for the shot.  The deer had fallen, but quickly gotten up and run away.  We arrived several hours after the shot, in the dark, and proceeded to try to follow the faint blood trail.  Several times we lost the trail, and had no idea if we were on the track or not.  I was not confident as to whether or not we were on the trail until picking up blood 75 yards after we had lost it.  The next couple of hours were spent blindly following the dog for a period, then restarting him again.  I did this over and over until I became frustrated, and called off the track.  Restarting the dog was not something I had practiced, and it was a challenge in the logged thicket we were tracking in.  Add to this the fact that this was a night track, and it was a set up for disaster.  I felt embarrassed and frustrated that we were not able to advance the track much, or at least find much more sign.

 My frustration was misplaced, however.  Had I trained effectively and developed more confidence in my dog, I could have left that track (though today, I would almost certainly not have taken such a low success track) with a sense of confidence that the deer was almost certainly still alive and not recoverable.  In fact, that deer was shot by a rifle hunter a few weeks later with the arrow still embedded in its sinus cavity while it was in hot pursuit of a doe.  Also, by training for simple tasks such as marking last blood, and bringing the dog back to restart a trail would have made for a much less frustrating task.

Some training plans are made to work through a particular task that you may have to accomplish during a track.  Others are used to create an effective tracking pattern in your dog.  The story above is an example of the former.  Some of the tasks that I like to train for are performing "call backs," performing re-starts, sitting and restarting, and crossing obstacles.

When introducing any new task or process, I find that it is helpful to stick with a single training task on any one particular track, but to repeat it 2 or more times when possible.  

Performing a call back is easy to train for, but also easy to overlook.  Most dogs will require a call back on a difficult track without you having to create the scenario.  Whenever your dog has lost the trail, and is having difficulty picking up the line, is the perfect time to work on a call back.  

I prefer to actually pick the dog up and carry it back to the line when possible.  For bigger dogs, I recommend shortening up the leash to only a couple of feet and walking the dog directly back to where it lost the line.  It defeats the purpose of the training in my opinion, if you help the dog through the track at this point by starting it on a section of line that it did not run on its own.  In real tracking scenarios it is likely that you will not be able to help the dog in such a manner.  The goal of physically bringing the dog back to the spot is to get it to stop randomly searching once it has lost the trail, and rework the trail from the point of loss.  Often times this restart will refocus the dog's effort, and allow it to work the track out.  In a clearly marked training track, it is easy to restart the dog at the exact point of loss.  In a real track, I use flagging tape and a GPS to mark the trail and any sign as we go.  You may find yourself returning to the same point more than once or performing call backs at various points of a difficult line.

A restart is basically a call back where you go back to the beginning of the track.  This is a common situation in real tracks, especially when there is very limited sign to start the track.  A common scenario is when a hunter hits a deer that is accompanied by others or in an area of high traffic such as a food plot or bait station (where legal) and minimal sign is present at the hit sight.  Getting the dog started on the right line is VERY IMPORTANT to keep from going on a wild goose chase.  Also, keeping the dog on the right deer track is important.  When training for restarts, I like to lay the track in a high deer traffic area.  I almost always lay the start of the trail with hoof scent only.  After a period of 50 yards or less, I like to stop the dog's progression, and restart them again.  This can be confusing to the dog when it is on the trail, but it serves a purpose.  When tracking in a live scenario, your dog may be on the right trail, as well, though you may not know it.  If your dog gets confused by a restart, it may refuse to track back down the same trail.  I have experienced this on multiple occasions on real tracks, resulting in a dog that wouldn't restart a line.  There is little more frustrating than having a dog completely shut down on a trail that you have traveled a long way to run.  Train for restarts!

Another issue that I now train for that has caused me difficulty in the past is restarting at track after an extended sit.  I hate training for this situation as it requires idle time, but not training for it has caused my dogs confusion in the past.  A common scenario where this occurs is when you reach a property line that the hunter has to get permission to cross.  I always instruct my hunters to get permission in advance, but often times the deer goes further or a different direction that anticipated.  Generally, this requires taking the dog off the hot trail and sitting him down for a period of time while accommodations are made.  Another situation where this occurs is when you have completely lost the trail and want to conduct a visual search to see if you can get the dog back on track.  I like to sit the dog or leave it with someone while I take a look around.  Stopping the search in this way may break your dog's concentration or confuse it, causing it problems when you go to restart.  To train for this situation, I simply take my dog off the know trail and either sit with it or have someone else sit with it for a period of time.  5 minutes is about all I can stand on a training track, though on real trails the duration can go for much longer.  After the wait, I simply restart the dog at the point of the trail where we left off, and encourage it to move down the line again.  

Crossing physical obstacles has never really been a problem for me while tracking, but I know of other trackers who struggle with this, so it is worth training for.  Roads and waterways tend to be the most common obstacles.  In these scenarios, the dog will have to be moved across the obstacle, and encouraged to re-engage the track, perhaps blindly.  A good way to train is to have your track end at a creek or hard paved road.  I then lay some blood or hoof scent a few yards past the far side of the obstacle and mark it well.  When I move my dog across the obstacle, I like to purposely cause it to miss the track and do a search pattern on the opposite side.  Though circular searches are usually most effective, I prefer a linear search along the far edge of the obstacle in these situations.  Work your dog along the far edge of the obstacle, and see if it captures the trail on the opposite side.  If not, begin working it further and further out until it picks up the trail.  

These are a few of the "tricks" I like to use to prepare for adverse situations.  Next time, I will discuss ways to help avoid or correct scent distractions during a track.

Good hunting!  Brady

Off season tracking training...the devil is in the details. Part 4: Develop a plan

Though the main idea behind this blog was to highlight interesting tracks, much more time is spent training in the off season that actually tracking during the hunting season.  Also, much of the fun of having blood tracking dogs, is developing their abilities to the fullest.

 My hope in writing this series of posts is to not only develop interest among folks looking for a blood tracker, but also interest prospective trackers and provide them some useful information.  Much has been written about getting started in blood tracking.  There are a series of books, DVDs, and online videos that give a lot of the basics of getting a dog started in blood tracking.  What seems to be lacking is a more detailed plan to move a dog from a functional tracker to a top notch, reliable tracking machine.  

When I first started, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on how to develop my dog.  I had read books and articles on the subject.  I had watched online videos and read the posts of many "experts."   It wasn't until I joined the United Blood Trackers, and attended my first Trackfest that I realized how little I actually knew.  A weekend spent around dozens of experienced trackers and their dogs, and spent watching different trackers work training lines, taught me more than months of training on my own.  I left that event with a new appreciation of how important a plan was in developing my dog.  

Up to that point my training had consisted of laying one line after another, as often as I could.  As my dog got better, I aged the tracks for longer and used less blood.  Unfortunately, that was the extent of my plan.  My guess is, the same is true of most trackers.  

These days, every track is put down with a goal in mind.  Each track should develop a skill in the dog.  Putting down tracks to simply watch the dog complete them with no goal in mind is akin to handing a new basketball team a ball and tell them to play until they figure things out.  Without a coaching plan, they may learn to hit some baskets, but will never become a championship team.  Just like the coach, the tracker must develop a game plan to develop the skills of his tracking team.  

When a dog is first learning to recover wounded deer or other game a simple line with plenty of scent is all that is needed.  This stage of training focuses on getting the dog interested in tracking.  Rewards and praise serve to encourage the dog and motivate him on track.  Next,  tracks are laid with small gaps between them, but again tracks are kept simple with plenty of scent.  This teaches a dog "line sense" as they work through a trail.  A routine is also worked into the track, very early in the dog's development.  

Soon, the dog should learn the purpose of the game.  It should know what to do when it smells the first blood scent. Once this is accomplished, tracks should be aged for increasingly longer periods of time, and smaller amounts of blood used.  Eventually, hoof scent will be introduced in combination with the blood.  This transitions the dog to scent track rather than simply track blood. Most dogs make this transition easily.  Again, tracks are aged and the amount of blood reduced as the dog progresses.  As the handler, you should also be learning your dog's ability and limitations in varying conditions.  All of these techniques are well documented in the media outlets mentioned previously, and this is where many handlers stop their development.  However, there is much more that both dog and handler need to learn!

Almost all real tracks have points of difficulty.  The deer may have crossed a stream or hard pavement.  It may have back tracked, leaving a literal dead end of scent unless the back trail is discovered.  There will likely be areas of "dead space" where there is no available scent to the dog, and the dog and handler need to learn how to effectively search for the lost trail.  There will likely be times where you have to halt the track temporarily, and restart the dog minutes or hours later.  Undoubtedly, there will be distractions like fresh deer scent or other animal scent that will draw your dog's focus away from the track.  There will be areas where hunters have strung blood scent all over the place in their search for the deer.   The track may start at a food plot or bait pile where dozens of deer have walked through the area where the deer was hit. All of these circumstances and dozens of other scenarios will be encountered by the tracking team during any given season.  Preparing for them during the off season will increase a tracker's success during the hunting season.  

In the next series, I will describe a few of the "training pans" that I work through each season with my dogs and the reasons behind them.

Good hunting!  Brady