I left something out
. Bloodhounds do not track people like a police dog (e.g shepherd) will. If there is a breeze, the scent will fall to the side of the person's actual footprints. The dog may walk a few feet to the side of the actual path the person took, but this is what they are supposed to do. This is why they are usually known as trailing rather than tracking dogs. Their job is to find someone ASAP, whereas a police dog is trying to find evidence on the way.