Ellie Mae Off to Good Start
11-12-2014 | 10:52 AM
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Nontypical Buck
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Ellie Mae Off to Good Start
Last two weeks I have been at camp archery hunting deer. Several of the guys that I hunt with were in camp off and on too. Last count we had 14 does and 2 nice bucks recovered, but 3 deer would not have been found without the good work of my tracking dachshund Elle Mae. She was 3 for 4.
Two she found were hip shot does. One only went about 175 yards but in the dark, the hunter could never get started on the trail. The other doe was hit essentially from directly behind. Never seen such a shot placement !!! Arrow went in 20" or so. Practically no blood trail at all that any of us 3 guys could see despite some nice lights. And into some super thick under brush and briars. Elle found her piled up 300 or so yards in.
The nice 9 pt. buck she found was shot at last shooting light by a X-Bow hunter at a ranged 46 yards. Hunter was not sure of a hit and had no idea of where the buck had left the food plot. Turned out it had been well hit and the bolt had plugged the exit hole until it was pulled or fell out. Ellie immediately took up a track though we could not see any blood indicating that the buck had left the plot at that location. My two buddies followed us in and found 2-3 drops 10-15 yards behind where Ellie and I has just passed. We came across a wee bit of visible blood about 150 yards into the pine thicket. And then the bolt. Found the buck about 50 yards in. We would probably have never gotten started without her. Might have found him the next day.
The buck she did not find was an amazing effort. She immediatedy hit the buck's blood trail right where the shooter said it was standing when arrowed. There were 5 adults tracking and none of us 5 saw any blood at all until about 400 yards into her tracking. Elle stopped to sniff a spot and I found a spatter of blood ion a leaf. She lost the track about 400 yards more into the woods. Through the entire tracking we saw only 5 small blood spots. None any larger than a finger nail. We went back the next morning. Started from scratch. Elle took the same path and lost the buck about the same place. After a 6-man grid search of another 1/2 mile square or so, we called it a morning.
Two she found were hip shot does. One only went about 175 yards but in the dark, the hunter could never get started on the trail. The other doe was hit essentially from directly behind. Never seen such a shot placement !!! Arrow went in 20" or so. Practically no blood trail at all that any of us 3 guys could see despite some nice lights. And into some super thick under brush and briars. Elle found her piled up 300 or so yards in.
The nice 9 pt. buck she found was shot at last shooting light by a X-Bow hunter at a ranged 46 yards. Hunter was not sure of a hit and had no idea of where the buck had left the food plot. Turned out it had been well hit and the bolt had plugged the exit hole until it was pulled or fell out. Ellie immediately took up a track though we could not see any blood indicating that the buck had left the plot at that location. My two buddies followed us in and found 2-3 drops 10-15 yards behind where Ellie and I has just passed. We came across a wee bit of visible blood about 150 yards into the pine thicket. And then the bolt. Found the buck about 50 yards in. We would probably have never gotten started without her. Might have found him the next day.
The buck she did not find was an amazing effort. She immediatedy hit the buck's blood trail right where the shooter said it was standing when arrowed. There were 5 adults tracking and none of us 5 saw any blood at all until about 400 yards into her tracking. Elle stopped to sniff a spot and I found a spatter of blood ion a leaf. She lost the track about 400 yards more into the woods. Through the entire tracking we saw only 5 small blood spots. None any larger than a finger nail. We went back the next morning. Started from scratch. Elle took the same path and lost the buck about the same place. After a 6-man grid search of another 1/2 mile square or so, we called it a morning.
