I got a decent buck this morning in Bankhead about 10am with a muzzleloader. Knocked him down but apparently he got back up. Had good blood and hair for about 70 yards but then lost his trail. Searched for 2.5 hours. Anyone know of a good tracking dog? I’m willing to pay

I have a number of still needed

Yes please

Best of luck on finding. Hoping to see some pics.

Call Ammon McKinney, 256-808-8412. His dog's name is Woodrow and is a DEER-FINDING-MACHINE!!!

David Jones and his dog Bo is another helluva dog. Plus he's close to Bankhead. He lives in Lawrence Co

Call Ammon.

Well no luck so far.

Story:
I already had dropped down my equipment from my climbing stand. Still had to let my muzzleloader down. I had just unhooked my safety harness from where it was at and I turned around and saw his antlers coming over a hill: 40 yards away and he was climbing up a huge hill. All I could see was his antlers and upper chest/neck. As he crested, he heard me and stopped. He stopped and I pulled my gun up and shot because he was about to run. Neck shot or upper chest. He dropped and rolled a few times down the hill. Then lay there with his legs in the air for a short bit. I turned around to get my safety harness hooked up correctly and thought I heard another deer. I presumed it was another deer because when I went to him about 45 minutes later..... he was not there. I found where he rolled as it was covered with hair and a little blood. I trailed blood and hair for another 70 yards then lost the trail. No froth in the blood, no bile, no gut material, no bone, no black blood. I of course looked for hours for anything else and couldn’t find anything. First deer I’ve shot with a muzzleloader and first one on Bankhead. Been scouting him for a year.

sounds like a backslap

What Bead said. I've done it too. They get over the shock and run off while you are climbing down.

I agree with the above

Any updates? Did you get a tracking dog?

No luck. I talked to Ammon and he felt like the deer probably lived so we didn’t get out with his dog. Thanks everyone for the help.

You should have called someone else. At 40 yards with a 50 Cal pushing a 300 Grain bullet that's probably a dead deer laying in the woods

Not if it went down, then got up and ran off. Most good trackers know a good track. 99% of the time those deer ain’t recovered.

I learned along time ago if it’s a big deer and he drops I keep the cross hairs on him for at least 5 minutes. If he’s a real big one I send another thru his ribs to be sure...don’t eat them ribs anyway.

That's exactly my thinking.

I've shot only one buck so my experience is limited, the first shot was I believe fatal but he flinched and caught another round.
I'm not about to let a buck get away and bullets are cheap. 2 bullets vs hours of my time tracking a deer in hopes of finding him.

Muzzleloader hunting makes getting reloaded and the crosshairs back on him a little hard.

Yep. After reading about all the "back slaps", if they drop instantly, I'll put another one in em just to make sure.

I agree that the hunter could have called someone else if the first tracker didn’t want to track it..... I completely agree that it’s probably not going to be a recovery on this one as well but you never know. If the hunter wants someone to come out and verify that his deer is not dead then I don’t blame him for that…..that’s part of what trackers do…This is where charging a fee has its advantages over “accepting tips” IMO. This guy gets his peace of mind by having a dog check out the situation and the tracker is still compensated for his time and travels even though there most likely won’t be a recovery……versus just no one taking the track at all because it’s likely a backslap. I'm just speaking in general terms here.....this has nothing to do with any one tracker specifically.

Ammon is probly the best tracker in the area. If he says no it probly isn't a dead deer

If he didn’t even come out,he’d have to be a better psychic than tracker to be sure though

Let a hunter draw blood on a big buck and then tell him that there’s a 1% probability of recovering his deer……….Most will respond with……

I thought I read Ammon came out but decided not to pursue.

I contacted Ammon once last year and he had not tracked all day, offered him $250 to come put his dogs nose on the ground where I had shot my biggest buck and could’ve sworn I had hit it and he would not come out. Tried calling more people on that Facebook page but with no calls back I gave up. Not saying he’s not good, his numbers speak for itself, but it would be nice to call a guy that supposedly has the best dog in the area and him come out.

Any tracker I’ve ever called has asked a few questions before coming out. If they didn’t feel like a deer would be recovered, then they wouldn’t come. I don’t blame them. You couldn’t pay me enough to come waste a day looking for a deer that can’t be caught or found dead. I’m sure Ammon had his reasoning.

I would have wanted to give it a shot, regardless. You never know.
And the dog will sort it out. One way or the other. If he never finds it
then so be it. At least there was an effort.

This is an interesting topic for debate.....So if you were a tracker.....would you only take the gut hit calls??? What would it take for you to go out on a track?? What if someone shot one in the arse???

I wouldn’t do it period. I’ve seen the kinda hours you guys work and I just simply wouldn’t do it. That’s why I’ve been so very thankful for those who do it and take the time to do it right.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at it…….I’m not so concerned about every track having to have a dead deer at the end of it. I see it as providing clients with a service…..not just simply trying to see how many dead deer I can find. I serve the same folks over and over……plantations, landowners, clubs, etc…..I have several calls booked for tomorrow morning and there’s really only a chance of finding a deer on one of them in all reality. The other ones sound like low probability situations. The hunters want me to come out though and put the dogs on it anyways….. They don’t want me to tell them….”No, I don’t think we’ll find him so I’m not coming out.”…….That’s why charging a fee makes sense to me…..They get the peace of mind of knowing they did everything they could……I get paid….they’re happy….I’m happy…….That makes more sense to me than just picking and choosing tracks bsed on finding a deer…..Again though that’s just my opinion.

I see you're not going to take the bait on the arse shot, huh?

Nope. Lol

I take every call that I'm able to take. Some I thought were back slaps based on the description ended up being a find and some were confirmed back slaps. I will never charge a set rate just because 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 can understand that……however, there’s not too many folks hunting these days that are down on their luck. The track I just came from the guy owns 2500 acres……The one before that the guy was driving a $60,000 truck pulling a $20,000 buggy……The one before that the guys lease 4500 acres with 8 guys......Most hunting clubs around here cost a minimum of $2000-$3000 to join. One place I tracked was two guys who spent $25K each yearly to lease the place. The idea of tracking for people “down on their luck” sounds good but it’s just not the reality for most of the situations we get called out on.....I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the area you’re tracking as well.

Maybe he had some other calls and had to make a choice on which one to take? I wouldn't hold it against the guy for not coming unless I was sure I knew all the facts.

If I lived in your area and needed to call in a dog, you would be the man I'd call. Simply because of your attitude, integrity and character. Your a man that knows not all deer hunters are wealthy and you seem to want to help a man find his lost deer more than you want his money. I know you guys can't do what you do without some kind of compensation but it's nice to know not everyone is driven by a dollar to do what they do.

Not many folks left like you in this old world we live in. Kudos to you.

Well said

I'd call the man who choses discretion over the man who is just in it to make money no matter the case every time.

In another recent thread it was said that it costs $675 to have the best taxidermist in the state mount your deer…….He charges that much because there’s demand for his work….the quality is worth it….and there’s only so many he can do in a year. The best trackers in the state are no different… I’m baffled by how we celebrate folks who charge for one service but then act like someone else providing another service doesn’t have any character or integrity because they’re charging for it. It’s really about the most retarded chit I’ve ever seen.

I went on 3 calls this morning and had to turn down 7.........The three I went on paid for being the three that I could do today....It was their choice to have me check out their situation. I advised them on our chances of recovering the deer and they made the choice to book me. I even tried to talk the second one out of tracking it because there wasn't a chance in hell that he had fatally hit the deer. He wanted to give it a try anyways just to verify it. That's how most people feel about the situation.

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.

I've got called to a few places up here like that but not many. For the record, I didn't say what I said to bash anyone who charges. I just don't charge because I don't want someone to not call because they are having a hard time. I've been there a time or two myself. And as far as someone being the best tracker, I don't believe there is a "best". I believe there are folks who have more experience. My numbers will never be as good as the trackers that pick and choose what call to take. If I feel like the deer will survive, I state my opinion and tell them I'll come out regardless if they want me to.

I completely agree…..There’s a lot of good dogs and trackers out there. It slays me when I see people post on social media that this guy or that guy has the best tracking dog they’ve every seen…PERIOD!.......I want to ask them…..”So just how many tracking dogs have you actually ever watched?”… ….What’s really happening is that very few people have ever watched a tracking dog work…. so when one comes out and finds a deer in 15 minutes that they’ve spent hours looking for…..it blows their mind.

As far as “numbers” go……It’s just my personal opinion but I’d forget all about them and just go help the hunters in your area that call looking for help. I’m speaking to all trackers. Numbers are just something for us males to poke our chests out about and it’s obvious that numbers mean more than they should. Numbers can be heavily manipulated by only selecting for calls like gut shots while turning the others down. To me that’s not tracking to help the hunters as much as its tracking for the tracker’s sake….This is all just my opinion though and you know what they say about opinions…..