outdoorstom
Active Member
There's a decent chance she will survive.
-
The forum has been upgraded to support both light and dark themes. Click here for directions.
Luna's Tracking Journal 2016
- Thread starter outdoorstom
- Start date
outdoorstom
Active Member
10/7 - This morning Luna and I went on the track of a doe that was gutshot last night. It turns out that waiting overnight was a mistake. Luna made short work of this 200 yard track and led us to what was left of the deer.
backnwhack
New Member
Good job Luna! That's one of those tracks that only the coyotes win. If you try to recover the deer too fast it runs into the next county and then the coyotes get it. The only chance is to wait, let it expire and hope you beat them to it.
outdoorstom
Active Member
It was shot in the morning.
outdoorstom
Active Member
Exactly!
outdoorstom
Active Member
12/8 - I received a call this evening from a guy reporting his son had double lunged an eight pointer and they needed help. I recovered a deer for the Dad last year, so he knew the drill about marking last blood and backing out. Of course I was skeptical of the double lung statement since you rarely need a tracker with a hit like that. WhenI got there the story had changed to a high lung hit. The arrow showed a little bright red blood on the fletching and broad head, but no bubbles. Luna was all over this one for the first 300 yards, then at that point she abruptly stopped and started working over a large area. It became obvious the deer had been milling around there, but Luna worked hard and found his exit route. A minute later she started her high pitched bark and off we went. I didn't have the gps going, but we went at a good clip for an hour and never got a glimpse of the buck. We called off the track at that point. Not finding the deer was bad enough, but I later realized I had lost my iPhone out there
Crimson n' Camo
Active Member
Do you think Luna was on a "hot" track and the deer was still alive?
outdoorstom
Active Member
I do, that's the only time I've heard that bark from her.
outdoorstom
Active Member
10/9 - I went on a track tonight for a hunter that reported he gutshot a doe at 4:30 this afternoon. Due to how quickly coyotes have been finding deer around here, I arrived 4 hours later at 8:30. Luna excelled on this track. It turns out it wasn't gutshot, but was a high double lunger. She never wavered over the 450 yards and led us straight to the edge of a swamp where we found the dead doe. It was particularly satisfying as this was the hunters first deer ever. The hunter and his buddy had an extremely tough drag out due to the numerous deadfalls and obstacles. They refused to let me help drag, so I carried his first deer trophy arrow for him. I only complained about the weight of the arrow once.
outdoorstom
Active Member
And 10/12 - I received a call from a friend last night who reported shooting a buck in a standing bean field with his crossbow, at a little after 6:00 pm. He said there was a lot of tail flicking and the buck hunched his back as he walked away. Of course my first thought was paunch shot, but he said he could see the skin being pushed out at the opposite shoulder, like it hadn't been a pass through and the bolt was pushing against the skin there. He and his father in law looked and couldn't find the buck, or even any blood. Luna and I got there at 9:00 and started at the hit site. We didn't find any blood either, but Luna locked on and took us exactly where the hunter saw the buck go. We walked the edge of the field for a short distance and Luna dove onto a trail and we were off. We went through areas of thick stuff and lots of tall overgrown fields, never seeing any blood, but we did see big tracks. After 3/4 of a mile and still no sign, I told the hunter I wanted to walk the edge of the field again. Back to the field we went and I walked Luna beyond the trail we had previously taken. About 30 or 40 yards, Luna chose a trail and we found blood bright red blood. We tracked a hundred yards and in that distance we observed some watery looking blood, a little dark blood, and a drop of brown. It was at this point we came to a big tall log the deer had jumped over. I suggested we stop tracking and come back later. That was at 10:30 and we agreed to meet at the hunters house at 2:30. Luna was not in agreement with our decision. I got home and napped on the couch, then headed back. We went to the point of loss and Luna made short work of the track and led us to the 7 pointer that was still barely alive, and had to dispatched. It had gone another 100 yards from where we stopped earlier and bedded down. It was in fact a paunch shot, but the liver had been nicked as well. Luna is a good girl!!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I know that Luna did great on this track, however the tracker gets the credit for suspending the tracking and regrouping at 2:30 AM.
Most folks lack that amount of discipline and sound judgment. I say the 4 and 1/2 hours made the ending a happy one. I love reading these stories - they are entertaining and definitely full of valuable knowledge for hunters.
Most folks lack that amount of discipline and sound judgment. I say the 4 and 1/2 hours made the ending a happy one. I love reading these stories - they are entertaining and definitely full of valuable knowledge for hunters.
outdoorstom
Active Member
10/14 - I received a call this afternoon from a hunter who reported shooting a doe last night with his crossbow. He tracked her across a long field, then stopped when she went into some thick stuff. He went back this morning and slowly advanced the track, then marked last blood and called me when he could know longer follow it. Luna followed the track to the hunters point of loss and was just starting to go beyond when she shut right down. It was like a switch had been turned and she refused to go further. It was when she started licking her paw that I realized she had picked up a ton of burrs in all of them. I informed the hunter I was going to pull the plug and take Luna home. He was very gracious, understanding completely. While removing the burrs I discovered Luna had cut a paw and earned herself a couple days off. I received a call from the hunter a few hours later informing me he had found the doe about 150 yards from where we stopped. I really like how this determined, ethical hunter never gave up or had the "it's just a doe" attitude that is sometimes seen. Sent from my iPhone
outdoorstom
Active Member
10/17 I was called this evening by a bow hunter who reported a high hit on an 8 pointer. He couldn't find any blood, and after one loop, backed out and called me. Luna hasn't worked in a few days due to a sore paw and acting lethargic yesterday. Today she was acting normal, which was very obvious when she got excited as she heard me interviewing the hunter. We started at the hit site, and after a minute or two, Luna started off through a field in the direction the hunter watched the deer go. She took a trail into the woods and we soon spotted blood. We ended up in a thick swampy area and Luna worked it like a champ. I lost count of how many times it was too thick for her to walk through and she'd stop and look back at me, asking for a lift. After 3/4 of a mile, Luna focused in on an area that was even thicker than the rest and started air scenting. She would try to go in, but couldn't penetrate the thick brush and swamp grass. I picked her up and waded in, as Luna started getting excited it was obvious we were close. I told the hunter his buck was in there, so he started searching too. After just a couple minutes, he hollered he found it. Unfortunately, the coyotes had already worked on the hindquarters. This was only 4 hours after the shot. His shot wasn't very high, but was back and had hit the liver.
outdoorstom
Active Member
10/20 - I got up at 5:20 this morning and saw I missed a call at 11:00 last night. I sent a text, then spoke with a hunter who had shot a buck with his muzzleloader last night. He reported he and a friend had tracked close to a mile, then backed off when they saw the deer stand up and hobble off. We started the track at good blood, at about the halfway point from last night. Luna locked on it and stayed on it. A couple times the hunter told me the deer had gone a different direction but I told him I trusted Luna's nose and we continued without blood. A few hundred yards beyond where they saw him last night, we found the four pointer bedded down, still alive. I shot him with my 3.57 and he jumped up and ran off. We tracked him about another 100 yards to the bank of a river and I finished him there.
While on the way to the first track I got a call from a hunter I met briefly earlier this year while tracking for his friend. He shot a bear with his muzzleloader last night, and he and his Dad searched until midnight, then ran out of blood. This track was only 20 miles from the first one and we headed right over after finding the 4 pointer. We started at the hit sight and Luna made short work of getting to the hunters point of loss. Luna took us 400 yards beyond there without blood, then I finally spotted a drop on a leaf. Another 150 yards and I spotted the bear 75 - 100 yards in front of us, still alive and looking back at us. I called the hunter up and he shot at it, but it took off running. We caught up with it a short distance later and he finished it.
I'd say Luna had a good morning......a deer and a bear by 9:15!
While on the way to the first track I got a call from a hunter I met briefly earlier this year while tracking for his friend. He shot a bear with his muzzleloader last night, and he and his Dad searched until midnight, then ran out of blood. This track was only 20 miles from the first one and we headed right over after finding the 4 pointer. We started at the hit sight and Luna made short work of getting to the hunters point of loss. Luna took us 400 yards beyond there without blood, then I finally spotted a drop on a leaf. Another 150 yards and I spotted the bear 75 - 100 yards in front of us, still alive and looking back at us. I called the hunter up and he shot at it, but it took off running. We caught up with it a short distance later and he finished it.
I'd say Luna had a good morning......a deer and a bear by 9:15!
Last edited:
outdoorstom
Active Member
For some reason I'm not able to post pics. I tried the upload a file button like I always use, but it get the pic, then the pic disappears and it says no file selected. That's why I tried to use photbucket....that didn't work either. Any idea why I can't upload?
Like Wayne said, sounds like a computer problem, not a site problem. The number one reason the site won't let you upload is the file is too big, but you shouldn't have that issue with Photobucket.
outdoorstom
Active Member
11/5 - I was called by a hunter morning reporting he had shot a buck, found good blood and some bone fragments. I told him it sounded like a leg hit and if we pushed it, we'd have a chance at a recovery. I arrived an hour later and Luna quickly took us to the hunters point of loss. At this point the hunters son joined me and the hunter dropped off due to health issues. We went at least 600 yards beyond that point with no blood and I have to admit to starting to wonder if we were still on it. Right then, presto, there's a drop. Good girl Luna! A few minutes later, a deer took off right in front of us, but I could see it was a doe. We got up near where it had been and Luna headed in that direction. I told the hunter to keep a close eye out for blood to confirm we were still on the buck and not on the doe, and sure enough, Luna had ignored the doe. Once again....good girl Luna! We ended up at a property line and had a 15 minute break waiting for permission, which was granted. I gave Luna a sniff of some bloody leaves I had picked up and we were off again. We ended up going by the hunters game camera and I was happy when he said he had a card reader with him. Sure enough, there was the 4 pointer, 3 minutes ahead of us. That was at the halfway mark of this 3 mile track. The buck ended up circling back on to the hunters property and right back to where we had started. We continued a little past this point and then agreed we were not going to catch up and called off the track.
Worth noting is that your looking at the exit wound, the buck had been standing on a hill above the hunter.
Worth noting is that your looking at the exit wound, the buck had been standing on a hill above the hunter.
