The adventures of Elkie

Doctorbrady is my mentor, and I give full credit to doctorbrady! Doctorbrady found the kennel where we got Elkie, and started Elkie on her first track! Doctorbrady supplied blood, made me tracking sticks that hold deer hooves, and periodically checks Elkie's progress. When I lost Elkie he even offered to drive to Kansas and attempt to track Elkie, and then he offered me a replacement pup, which has become his best tracking dog! Doctorbrady has been there every step of the way and his advice is gold, even for an old stubborn Marine. ;-)

The secret to tracking isn't as easy as just finding the right dog, it's lots of hard work and training. When the above pic was taken, Elkie was just over a year old, and Elkie and I had been doctorbrady's students since Elkie was about 9 weeks old! Today I'll be laying a crossing track to work on keeping Elkie on the right track and not be distracted by fresher trails, a tactic that was recommended by....... doctorbrady!
 
I can't take credit Brush. You have a great dog, and have worked her according to the training plan I have given to you. Hard work is often rewarded with good results! I think you are going to see a big difference in her this year. She will continue to improve over the next few seasons.
 
This is a buck that Elkie failed to find, but it was important to Elkie's training. The hunter asked me if I'd track a deer in Ozark County, and the town of Ozark, MO is a short drive. What I didn't realize is that "Ozark County" is half way across the state on the Arkansas line! This was Elkie's second track of the day, it had rained, the track was old, and the briars were unreal!

Elkie did a nice job of tracking the wrong deer, complete with a river crossing, but she was not able to follow the cold trail... notice the flies on the buck, he's been dead a long time. The hunter had a direction of travel, where he'd jumped the buck after it was wounded, and the hunter had two teenage sons, so I spread the four of us out about 20 yards apart and started sweeping through the woods, and then shifting and sweeping back and forth, until the buck was recovered.

Elkie didn't find the buck, but following behind the buck as it was drug through the woods triggered a strong desire, and something connected. Elkie wanted that buck, but she couldn't have it!
 
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Doctorbrady said:
I can't take credit Brush. You have a great dog, and have worked her according to the training plan I have given to you. Hard work is often rewarded with good results! I think you are going to see a big difference in her this year. She will continue to improve over the next few seasons.
Click to expand...
You're too modest. ;-)
 
I was really proud of Elkie on this track. The hunter shot the buck with an AR15 the previous night, and he and his wife searched for the deer the night it was shot, and until about noon the next day. When the hunter called he thought the buck was probably back to chasing does, but he wanted to be sure and he wanted to see the dog work. I gave the hunter and his wife some flagging tape and had them marking the blood trail, while Elkie and I proceeded to track. In less than 5 minutes Elkie covered about 300-400 yards and found the buck. The hunter thought I was joking, when I told him we found it, was he ever thrilled!

We couldn't find an entry or exit wound, but when the buck was dressed, there was a tiny hole through the middle of his heart. Like many of the deer we recovered, coyotes had chewed this buck up, but the hunter was happy to have his trophy.
 
Brush

This dog has a career of success in her first season. I love this and all of the deer tracking threads.

Appreciate you sharing.
 
Coyotes are a problem and I don't have good night vision, so without Elkie I can't find deer shot at dusk. At night I follow Elkie wherever she takes me. This deer was shot with a .270, right behind the shoulder, but disappeared into heavy cover. Elkie was 3 for 3 on deer I shot.

There had been blue tongue plus a poacher, so there were no mature bucks in my area.

 
I thought our tracking season was over when I got a referral from doctorbrady about a "Gut shot " buck in Kansas, 300 miles away, but a gut shot buck leaves a good scent trail, so Elkie was off to South Central Kansas. Days are short in January, and we arrived with only an hour or so of daylight remaining. The hunter shot the buck with a .308 from a tree stand on a wooded draw that overlooked a NWSG prairie, dropping it on the spot. There were several other big bucks that the hunter watched, and he remained in his tree because his buddies were hunting in the area.

Sometime later the hunter saw a large buck walking away along the edge of the tree line, and when he went to recover his buck it was gone!!! The grass was flattened where the buck had been, there was some blood, and there was a mound of deer pellets. When I started Elkie on the track, the hunter insisted that the deer didn't go that way, or he would have seen it. So I took Elkie where the hunter thought the deer went, and there was plenty of deer scent, so Elkie set out on a track, but there was no blood. Eventually it got dark, and the hunter wanted to try one more place to track before quitting. Elkie is well suited for me, because Elkie and I don't quit, and I told the hunter that I'd come too far and wasn't quitting until I found his deer; after all it was shot with a 180 grain .308!

Once it's dark I follow Elkie, wherever she takes me. Starting at last blood, Elkie went exactly where she wanted to go to begin with, and she let out a sharp yelp. We were tracking through a plum thicket when Elkie stopped and I shined my light on a lump on the ground... that looked like it had hair! I was only about 3' way when I told the hunter that I found a deer, but I couldn't see the shape because of the brush and grass. We pulled the buck into an opening, and WOW!



The hunter assumed it was a gut shot because of the pile of pellets on the ground, but actually the buck had been shot in the head and lost control of his stool when he dropped, then he regained consciousness and staggered off, leaving almost no blood trail. When the buck was recovered he was warm and limber, having died moments earlier. I was told that he scored 220, and the hunter contacted me inquiring where he could find a dog like Elkie. :)

 
Last look at Elkie before she gets a Marine Corps high and tight! The goal is to cool her down and make her bur proof. We're running about 4-5 training tracks a week in the lead up to deer season.

When Elkie isn't tracking, she lives a dog's life, sleeping in front of the fireplace.

 
You may have already answered this but do you use a beeping collar or a flashing light collar on her when she is tracking at night or are you always holding the check cord (leash)?
 
dogdoc said:
You may have already answered this but do you use a beeping collar or a flashing light collar on her when she is tracking at night or are you always holding the check cord (leash)?
Click to expand...
After losing Elkie I bought a Garmin, which I don't always use, because it inhibits movement. If I'm tracking for a hunter who is willing to take Elkie's leash while I negotiate into position to regain control, then I leave the Garmin off. Maintaining leash control is paramount, preceding all other priorities.
 
Poor Elkie is sad, she's lost her pride/hair.



The goal was to relieve Elkie of heat and burs. Elkie got fat laying around in hot weather, and we'll be taking some long walks now that she can. Elkie is a happy little girl and will be back to normal in a day or two.
 
The picture of Elkie at the door cracked me up. It's a scene that is played out often here ...my wife's nixes the idea of allowing Luna in with it though.
 
outdoorstom said:
The picture of Elkie at the door cracked me up. It's a scene that is played out often here ...my wife's nixes the idea of allowing Luna in with it though.
Click to expand...
My wife nixes the deer leg in the house also. Does Luna look like Elkie with her hair cut?
 
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