The adventures of Elkie
- Thread starter Brushpile
- Start date
A second, much larger, buck was shot my the hunter's partner, so I loaded Elkie and Heidi in the truck and drove 250 miles to Northern Missouri, home to MONSTER bucks. The second buck was tracked over 1/2 mile with spots of blood 1/4 mile apart and never bedded or slowed. He did leave this tree behind.
His hoof print was the size of a small cow!
His hoof print was the size of a small cow!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Brush
I have a what if question. My son and I will be hunting a farm on Kaskaskia Island, Illinois 13 miles east of Perryville, MO. If we have a deer recovery issue would you come that far to track a trophy deer. We are 34 miles north of Cape Girardeau, MO. We stay in Perryville at a Campground but our hunting ground is directly across the River from St. Marys, MO.
We are traveling up this Friday for about a week of it. Believe we have good timing.
Wayne
I have a what if question. My son and I will be hunting a farm on Kaskaskia Island, Illinois 13 miles east of Perryville, MO. If we have a deer recovery issue would you come that far to track a trophy deer. We are 34 miles north of Cape Girardeau, MO. We stay in Perryville at a Campground but our hunting ground is directly across the River from St. Marys, MO.
We are traveling up this Friday for about a week of it. Believe we have good timing.
Wayne
I will if I'm not some place on another track. It would be my pleasure to track for you Wayne!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
My son will be in the tree before daylight this Saturday AM and I will drive up this morning and be in the tree the Saturday PM. We are hunting thru Thursday or Friday morning. Stay tuned friend.
Wayne
I will, I would like to find your deer.
Be left the buck with the hunter's wife, while I got Heidi and the hunter got a knife. Heidi also ran the 26 hour track to the buck, much to the relief of the hunter's wife who had two coyotes try to scare her off the deer; she said they were big as wolves and came in close!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Good recovery by Heidi but sad to know the Coyotes got to destroy the carcass.
I don't know if the law allows anyone to pack a side arm, but it should so the coyotes can be dispatched if present. Myself, I don't trust a pack of hungry coyotes at all. The hunter would have never seen this rack without your tracking job. Congrats Brad and Heidi.
Wayne
I don't know if the law allows anyone to pack a side arm, but it should so the coyotes can be dispatched if present. Myself, I don't trust a pack of hungry coyotes at all. The hunter would have never seen this rack without your tracking job. Congrats Brad and Heidi.
Wayne
We finally beat the coyotes on this 400 yard track for a gut shot buck. Elkie is my primary tracker and then one of my other dogs also tracks on a known dead deer, so they always get their reward.
This is Elkie.
This is Heidi.
This is the hunter's and Otto's first buck! Otto did not track, he was just introduced.
This is Elkie.
This is Heidi.
This is the hunter's and Otto's first buck! Otto did not track, he was just introduced.
Kwood
Well-Known Member
Distance is important, as it relates to time, and money. I had a hunter offer me $1000 to track a deer 500 miles away... I didn't take the track. In Northern IL I would refer you to a closer tracker.
Elkie had a track yesterday, that did not result in a recovery, because the deer did not die. On this track the hunter didn't see where the arrow hit, but the buck dropped when it was shot. I suspect the arrow hit the spinal process, as it did pass through, but shocked the spine, causing temporary paralysis. Elkie took the track across the hunter's property onto a conservation area, and there were spots of blood about every 10 yards. Hundreds of yards into the track, we lost blood, and then found more blood 200 yards further. Eventually we ran out of real estate. When we returned to the beginning of the track, we had walked 3.5 miles.
Even though we did not recover the deer, this was a successful track! We learned how much blood the deer lost, which was maybe 4-5 ounces. We learned that the deer had gone over a mile without bedding. The hunter learned that the deer is alive, and not suffering or going to waste. Many questions were answered, tracking was the ethical thing to do, and the hunter knows that he can go back to hunting that buck.
Elkie wanted to go further, but the buck crossed onto private property and was not seriously wounded.
Even though we did not recover the deer, this was a successful track! We learned how much blood the deer lost, which was maybe 4-5 ounces. We learned that the deer had gone over a mile without bedding. The hunter learned that the deer is alive, and not suffering or going to waste. Many questions were answered, tracking was the ethical thing to do, and the hunter knows that he can go back to hunting that buck.
Elkie wanted to go further, but the buck crossed onto private property and was not seriously wounded.
