Well I went not expecting a whole lot of success but thought she might be able to wind a dead deer. I got a call about a deer that was shot Saturday evening. The father and sons were sitting together, and had agreed if a buck came out the oldest of the boys would get to shoot. Well a buck comes out and the oldest son settles in for his first buck, the shot (which was low and back) hits the deer and deer doesnt run out of field just slow walks (classic gut shot). The father and son team with help from friends immediately get down to check for blood. In doing so they find the deer bedded about 100 yards away, then the deer gets up only to bed back down again, this time they tried to squeeze off a finishing shot to no avail. Well they searched all night Saturday and went back Sunday no luck. They called me yesterday and I was thinking are you serious? Well you cant find them if you dont go so I took the short drive to Boligee and we get there and notice the first blood. I asked them where the last blood was and took Ada there, she goes from there and back tracks a little I get her back settled in and she proceeds to a pretty deep creek with steep banks. She dives in and completely goes under and swims to the other side climbs the bank with her nose on the ground and looks at me like come on in the waters fine. I find a stick and try to reach bottom, the stick never touched. I looked back at her and said I'm not crossing this creek here you come on back. We discuss that the deer went across the creek according to the dog. Well hunter said they searched the other side pretty good Sunday but never saw where he could have came through. I said I just need an easier access point to there, landowner took us around on rangers and I cut her back loose, she puts that nose to the ground and goes to work and I am thinking shes tracking something. Well we go through a strip of open hardwoods on the side of the creek and into some nasty planted pines and briars. Im trying my best to keep her within sight and her collar says shes still so I get to her and shes got her nose in a pile of gut remnants. Now I start thinking the coyotes have drug this deer off in every direction probably, I called for the dad to stand at the guts and send her back out, this time she leads me to a little boys first buck, shot 48hrs ago and recovered. All in all deer went probably 900 yards from where they had last blood, and they had tracked him about 400 yards bumping him several times. Dont get me wrong I didnt have much hope of finding this deer but figured what the heck. I just hate the little boy wasnt there to see his deer, however his dad facetimed him when we did the recovery so that was pretty cool.



One happy little hunter when dad got home.

that's awesome!!

Nice work guys! Love the track job stories.

That's a great ending!

Meat still good?

Unfortunately no a gut shot deer 2 days old wasnt going to take a chance on eating that 60 degrees and flies and maggots had found him too.

I love these... well done!

Dang, now that's some good stuff!!

Great find!

Congrats

Great job, and thanks!!

That’s a heck of a job!

That is awesome. Great job guys.

Great ending to a hunt. I know it made that young man's day to know ya'll were able to find his buck. A dog's nose is a fascinating thing.

must not have coyotes where they hunt that thing woulda been a bone pile in 48 hours where we hunt congrats to the boy on his first deer

Glad y'all found him. I hunt in Thomaston and wanted to know if you are Daniel W. on the tracking list in case we need some help one day. Better to ask now instead during a desperate time.

awesome. You just gave that little boy a great Christmas present.

Yes that is him.

Wow - impressive - great job and story - thank you for sharing