You reckon Cuz-Pat does his skull mounts for free? If not, does that mean he doesn’t have any character or integrity? Those are his words...not mine.

I think you guys that track are doing a very valuable service. However after seeing all "I need a tracking dog"threads on here, do people not know how to track deer anymore or they don't want to track it and just let the dogs do it? I guess before dogs the deer just went unfounded? Are people taking more low percentage shots now because they know they can just pick up the phone and have a dog there to find the deer? I'm not by any way bashing the guys with tracking dogs but it's veering to be the big thing now to call in the dogs. There are some deer I shot that I wish now that we had the option of using a dog to find it. But I figured after tracking droplets of blood for 100s of yards and farther that the deer was not gonna die. Is hunters tracking their deer getting to be a thing of the past?

I think there is probably the same amount of bad shots happening as in the past, but before more people knew about calling a tracker, they just gave up easier and didn’t tell everyone they lost a deer. I personally have called trackers (Idaho Mike and bowtarist) on deer I knew were dead, and I knew where they were, because I like to watch dogs work. I’d rather have a dog with 2-4 people walking in the woods only where the deer went than 1 person zigzagging for 3 days every inch of their property

I don’t think anything has changed at all from the perspective of hunters taking bad shots…..The same shots we are getting called out to check with dogs have always been made. At one point in time or another I’ve made them all myself before I ever even knew anything about dogs. Nobody is shooting at deer with a dog even remotely in their thinking.

The reason “calling in a dog” has become so popular is because we Alabama hunters are just now realizing what a valuable tool there are to us. Folks out in Texas have known for decades……We like to have a lot of pride in our woodsmanship skills and I completely understand that…..but there’s just no comparison with how a dog can track a deer versus a human…..we’re not in the same ballpark…..not even in the same sport…..Once you’ve watched tracking dogs work a few times then you’re quickly humbled at how inadequate were are in comparison. We track a lot of them without ever even seeing a spot of blood….or after its rained an inch….or when its had its leg blown off or shot in the guts….etc…We get a few simple calls here and there but the vast majority of the deer we recover would have never been recovered otherwise….I’ve heard that repeated over and over and over from hunters…..The rest of the calls are just from people who truly want to give every effort to recover an animal they’ve wounded….A dog is just a far superior tool for the job than a human.

This right here. Always been bad shots. It’s just a recovery tool people are willing to pay for, and gladly.

I guess what I'm saying is how many tracks have y'all been on where the hunter found blood and followed it for let's say 50yds and the deer wasn't found yet and backed out and called in the dog? I'm all in for people using the dogs to recover deer and I know it is a very valuable service as I hate to see any animal shot and not recovered. Hell Im working with my lab to track for us if we need. As I said there are some deer in my past that I wish we could have used a dog to find. Just curious to see how many of these deer could have been found with a little effort from the hunters.

I have only called in a dog on shots I knew it was needed due to the deers reaction post shot or finding questionable sign at the point of impact. I can track a deer fine. Have tracked hundreds. Have helped track a lot too. All without dogs. Dog can quickly turn an unrecoverable deer into a recoverable one. Can also mean the difference in finding a deer that can be used versus one the buzzards and coyotes got to first.

I used a dog on opening day of archery season this year on a deer I was fairly certain I had a pretty good shot on, but at the point of impact I found nothing but brown hair and guts. Guts on my arrow too. So I didn’t risk bumping the deer into the next county. I backed out knowing with full certainty if I waited on a good dog I’d get my deer. Several hours later the dog shows up and my deer was dead within 125 yards. I probably would have wasted my time going after him without the dog. The shot was actually much better than I thought it was given the sign on my arrow. Guts had plugged the exit and my entrance didn’t bleed much at all. He was in a thicket and I would have walked all over him without the dog.

A lot of what you’re seeing is a reflection of the number of bad shots being made. You just never heard about them in the past but now those folks have another option to possibly recover that bad shot and you’re hearing the “cries for help” so to speak. Many calls are just scratched up deer….

Another good percentage of calls though are just like Matt just referred to and people wanting to play the situation conservatively knowing that it will increase their odds of recovery. A lot of it is just about weighing the odds…. Once folks see dogs work then they start pondering over that math in their head and they realize that just backing out and letting the dogs handle it is their highest percentage play….”Hey I just stuck “Freak Show” too far back and I’m just not seeing much blood”……. Do you go in the next morning with a search party….booger the area up…..and hope a dog can come out 24 hrs after the fact if you don’t find him??.....Or do you just back out and book the dog as insurance that “Freak Show” ends up on your wall?? That’s why a lot of people call in dogs and in my opinion it’s the absolute right play to make. I say that as a hunter as well as a tracker…..

Thanks for the insight. makes lots of since and I agree with you and thank y'all for providing such a great service.

If someone cares and can't afford a tracker they aren't gonna give up and keep looking on their own. If someone cares and are willing and able to pay they will. But if a man dont care or he ain't willing to put in the effort he won't look or call a tracker free or not.

That deer could should be dead by now did you get a chance to look some more? If the coyotes are still out there a hurt deer probably not going to last at least you could get the rack if it is large. Carry some help and look 2-300 yards from shot area and look for buzzards circling.

Sum comes from newbies seeing tv "experts" making a perfect shot and then they say we gonna come back tomorrow ... then next day find deer 50yrd from shot..makes people think they need to wait out all shots or call dogs in...i know this isn't the case for this one but just refer ing to your comment

Mr Teague,

Let me set you straight on something. You need to work on your reading comprehension skills. Don't come on here and twist my words around.

I made a comment about one tracker having character and integrity because he said these words earlier in a post...

..."if a man is down on his luck money wise, I don't want him to not call and risk losing a deer over a few dollars".

I never said that any other tracker that charges for his services didn't have character and integrity. I was just commenting on one man being a good man in that he cared more about finding a deer than getting a man's money.

That is your insinuation.

You would be surprised at just how many skull mounts that I actually do for free for kids and others at my discretion.

I'd like to make a few other comments to you but I'll refrain.

As a Christian, I'm obligated to my Lord and Savior to take the high road and that's what I'll do.

Good day to you, sir!

Ya’ll reckon MTeague is an irritating dick that only posts on here in an attempt to stir crap?

Kinda like his brother? Roll tide

What time did you get out of the ladder stand that you were watching your neighbor's pasture from?

Who says I'm out? Moon sure is bright right now

He's like a dang coffee straw.