Everybody likes to brag about the good times, especially me, but I figured I should also post about the bad times, too.

From my research, blood trailing looks to be about a 30-35% success rate activity. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.

It has been hard for me to come to terms with those numbers, but then I remember that we are dealing with a wild animal under the worst conditions for OUR success.

Usually you are called after a hunter has exhausted all their efforts on trying to find a wild animal that was not wounded in an immediately fatal manner. You get called when everything is going wrong.:smile:

So, I've already post about my brother inlaws deer that we did not find, but had tremendous success in finding blood that would be virtually impossible for a hunter to track by eye. The there was the father inlaws deer which we found after 3 hours of tracking.

We have been out 3 more times and have come up empty.

The first was a deer vs. auto. The driver was unable to tell us anything. The point of impact could only be narrowed down to about a 1/2 mile. The deer's direction of travel after impact was unknown, so for all we know, he went behind the car and crossed the road. Anyways, no find.

Next was a call for a big buck shot with a high powered rifle. We were called about 5 hours after the shot. Immediately upon Turbo taking the trail, there was good blood evidence to confirm the trail, but also a large piece of bone that was obviously from the leg. The hunter's description of the deer stumbling after the shot perfectly matched a leg hit. Knew this wasn't good.

We followed the trail for a hundred yards or so until we made it to big clots of blood. No more blood after that. Turbo did strike off on a trail after that, I followed, and he eventually indicated that he had nothing.

With a leg hit, you HAVE to keep the deer moving. Or else you end up with a clotted wound, and a fast moving deer that you can't catch. May live, but probably not.

Next one we should not have taken. I knew we weren't going to find it before I hung up the phone. Hunter described the deer dropping immediately like a ton of bricks. He did not fire a follow up shot, and the deer got to it's feet a minute or so later only to run off healthy as can be. No blood, except where she fell.

This was a high back hit. The shock wave from the bullet impact close to the spine temporarily paralyzes them. Eventually the effects wear off and the deer is able to run away with a flesh wound and a new lease on life. Obviously any wound can eventually be fatal, but something like this has a high chance for survival.

So that's our year so far. I hope to get one for me this weekend. Hopefully the shot is perfect, and Turbo will have a "sure thing" to end the season.

I really need to get him on more "sure things". That way he can experience the taste of successful trails, and I can learn to read him better. Maybe next season more people will call with deer that they know are dead, but are willing to let Turbo practice.

I really love these stories Michael. Thanks for posting. Even within finds, I'm sure Turbo is having a blast!

I too love hearing about your and Turbo's escapades, regardless of the outcome. (Easy for me to say, I know...)

Turbo is learning a lot which you may not even be aware of, and this can only benefit him on the next hunt or next season.

Happy hunting Michael!

I also love reading about your adventures. My entire family hunts (me included) and it's always so neat to have a dog who can trail. I'm going to introduce Vader to it next year, but for now we use my Grandfather's hunting dog. He is a little terrier mix that was rescued from the pound on his last day. At 11 years old, he is still going strong and is the best little hunting dog we could ever ask for. Since we lost my Grandfather last year, it means even more to still use his dog. Sounds like you guys do a great job..keep up the good work!

I will always be sorry I never got to run Ranger on a wounded deer. Even though he had his UBT 1 cert., here in East Texas it's against the law to use dogs on deer trails -- whether wounded or not. He did love running those blood trails though!

Mike, I have no idea how this works, so are you on a call list for Hunter's that want a blood trail followed???

Does that mean you would go out anytime day or night???

I feel a bit sorry for the ones that aren't found...
it's gotta be a hard way to die.

Its people that I know I am working with Turbo that are calling. If he turns out to be purty good, I'll do more to get us out there for people to contact. I'm usually in no rush to get there. Dead deer don't go anywhere.

With blood trailing, a vast majority of the time, the deer is dead. It just didn't leave a good blood trail for various reasons.

But, as my other stories have shown, there are bad hits that don't translate into a dead deer immediately.

I don't want any of my post on blood trailing to cast hunting in a negative light. Deer move, people flinch, the wind blows, that little twig that you didn't see deflects a shot.....things just happen. I don't know anybody that shoots for anything less than a quick kill.

I know you didn't mean that, Wendy, I was just putting that out there for everybody.:smile:

 Quote: Michael_Wise

I know you didn't mean that, Wendy, I was just putting that out there for everybody.:smile:

no no, i get that s**t happens out there.

Just tugs at my heartstrings a bit (im girly that way)

don't forget im the chick that saved a baby mouse i found under the sink by feeding it cheerios & water from an eyedropper! I just couldn't kill it (

Mike How did you get started. I took Rayne out in acre lot and she did nothing but track every deer track she could find. She didnt even bother with the rabbit tracks. Will be training with the blood soon. Have to wait till i get rid of my flu/cold thingy. She also only lifts her nose up to look at me.

I would tie a long string to deer meat and drag it through the yard. Then put him down and let him do his thing.

Then I moved on to making trails dripping blood along the way. Always with some type of food reward at the end.

Now I'm telling everybody I know what I'm trying to do and please call me if you shoot a deer. This is actually been the toughest part.

If people don't mind calling you, the best thing you can do is put him of a real blood trail. The easier the better at first.

There are so many more smells on a real track.

This is just my opinion, and I am certainly no trailing authority, but I wouldn't let her purposefully run hot, live deer trails anymore. Most of your blood trails are going to he old. You don't want her getting use to following the hottest deer scent available.

I'll try to touch on a few more things later. I'm actually in my deer stand right now hoping to get some meat for the fam, and video of a blood trail to post later.:smile: