wildlands

I have been dealing with tracking dogs for about 6 years now. Having my own for the last 4. This past Feb. I passed the JGHV 20 hr blood tracking test and I also became the first American to be excepted into the German dog club for my breed. I said all that to show I have The knowledge and understanding to talk about this. By no means an expert but I have a very deep love and understanding for this type of hunting and it is hunting.Two good resources for tracking dogs are Deer Search and United Blood Trackers. I am a co-founder and board member UBT. You can go to http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/state-reg.php and look at what I put together for our web site for tracking laws in each state. Bigbuck28 as of 2005 tracking dogs were not allowed in MA. This might have changed and we are allways wanting to hear from people if the law changes in there state so we can keep this page current.This is not to saythat tracking dogsare not used in MA. Many GW's see there benifit and allow their use even though it is against the law. I do not understand why anyone would deny a hunter another option to recover their game. If we are going to shoot an animal, then that animaldeserves our respect by using all means possible to recover it.

vtdeertracker, there are many good trackers up in that area. Keep up the good work.

Dan, it does not matter what state, there are plenty of animals to track. You would be supprised to know how many deer a small number of trackers track each hunting season. Most hunters will only call for bucks so the numbers are really higher in our ares. Now expand that out across the country.

So much goes into tracking like scenting conditions. Some states allow you to cross property lines. Others like here in GA I have to stop at the property line. That means if the hunter can not get permission for us to cross the line then that is were we stop. I do not like this as many deerwe track I felt could be found but thats the law.Some states allow dogs to be worked off leash like Texas, but most require the dogs to be on leash. I prefer the leash as you are able to see the signs left along the trail to help determine the type of hit. Some states require you and/or the dog to pass a test before you are allowed to track. Those are mostly in the NE. Here in Ga anyone with a dog can call themselves a tracker and charge for it. There have been many a hunter ruined on the thought of useing a tracking dog because they have call out someones yard dog that might have found a deer or two.

For the hunters out there. Please if tracking dogs are available in your area use them. They are great resource. Don't be afraid to ask what typeof training is done in the off season. If someone is not dedicated to train year round then more than likely there dog is not the one for you.Not to say there are not some really good natural dogs out there. But just like us, if you do not use it then you loose it.

Here is a list of mistakes hunters make before calling in a tracking dog and some misconceptions about tracking dogs from my web site.

"These are things that I have run into over the last few years. This is not an all inclusive list of mistakes as I am sure I will continue to see new things the more I track.The most common mistake is that hunters walk down the middle of the blood trail. Then when they get to were the blood runs out they start walking all over the place. This transfers blood from their boots to places the deer did not go. When the dog gets there to track and gets to this point on the trail they have to spend a lot of time unraveling this false blood trail that is now laid out.  There is not a good solution other than to try to be careful and walk to the side of the trail were possibly.Mistake number 2 is that the hunter does not visually mark were the deer was standing when they shot. This point can be very important to a tracker in that a lot of information can be gained by looking at the color of hair at the hit site along with any bone that might be there.Mistake 3 is that they do not know who their neighbors are or how to get in contact with them in case the deer travels across property lines. In many states it is illegal to cross property lines without permission even to track a wounded deer. A solution is to go ahead and make arrangements with your neighbors ahead of time just in case. This will help when late at night you come to a property line and you are trying to find out who owns the property. You will be very disappointed when the tracker and his dog call it quits, so get permission ahead of time.Mistake 4 Is not being prepared for tracking at night. A pen light works fine for walking into the woods but when you need to see the most minute sign you need a very good bright light. Bring several good lights just in case your batteries die or a bulb blows.Mistake 5 not marking their progress along the track to the point of loss. Marking the trail helps the tracker to see that their dog is following the right blood trail to the point of loss. If the blood trail is very light the handler may not see any blood as they will be watching their dogs reaction. By marking the last spot of blood the handler will know that at that point there might be a lot of false trails, see mistake #1Mistake 6 pushing the deer. If the deer travels out of site after the shot give it 30 to 45 minutes. As soon as you start tracking and see that the animal may travel a great distance or that it is a poor shot back out and give it at least 4 hrs if the temperature will allow and you are not worried about coyotes.  If there is signs of a gut shot wait 6 to 8 hrs before begging to track again. Most mortally wounded deer will try to lay down within 200-300 yards. But if pushed out of the bed can travel great distance before expiring.A few misconceptions"It has been raining so a dog will not be useful." Actually a light rain helps to hold the scent. Some dogs are even able to track after heavy rains.It is always better to call as soon as possible but if you can not get a tracking dog until it has been over 12 hrs then do not worry. A lot of people think that a dog is only good if the track is under a few hours old. Actually a well trained dog will be able to follow a scent trail 20 even 40 hrs old. The meat may not be any good if the weather is hot and the yotes might have got to it, but if you want to recover your trophy do not be afraid to call in a quality tracking dog.Another misconception is that "a tracking dog will always find your animal".  A tracking dog greatly increases your chances of finding a wounded animal but it is by no means a guarantee. Dogs have bad days just like people do."

Ken