Originally Posted by CNC
Originally Posted by JustinJ
CNC, I've got an honest question, and maybe I'm dead wrong about what I'm assuming, but what percentage of tracking jobs that you get called on are for bucks vs does?


99% of the calls are for bucks……A good portion of them are for “the best buck I’ve ever shot at”…..You get a good number of calls too for kids first deer and that kinda thing.

No one has answered my question though….How is shaming folks for not having superior tracking skills any different than shaming them for not being big buck killers? There’s a wide range of skill level amongst hunters.

Honestly though….I get just as many calls from very experienced hunters as I do from ones who aren’t. The first buck I found this year was for someone who’s probably killed 200-300 deer with a bow. They’ve just been a part of watching a dog work on numerous occasions and understand how superior they are to a human. So they call in the superior tool to help recover their deer. They’re not concerned with all of this nonsense about proving themselves like I feel like this is being made out to be. It feels like just another chest poking, dick measuring contest about who’s the real hunter. Who cares? I like Matt Brocks comment…..The goal is to find the deer and how it’s done is of no real concern.



While most of that statement is pretty self-serving I don't disagree. I wish I had a dog tracker a couple of times in the past. However, most of the issue is that all the skills learned by hunting small game aren't used today. Tracking squirrels and rabbits (and such) are what trained many in the past. Heck, half the guys I hunt around these days can't even tell what kind of tree they are looking at. Plus, understanding how deer navigate a property is very helpful. Many times on our property the deer are pretty predictable after they are hit (7 out of 10). But knowing the terrain and experience are hard learned and not everyone has those opportunities, so dog trackers offer a great service.