ABOUT BLOOD TRAILING WITH DOGS
When dogs were domesticated by man, they have been used not only in bow hunting, but also in the retrieval and recovery of game. We all know a dog can out smell its owner so this line of work for man best friend is only natural.
A wounded animal often leaves only a faint trail with little visible blood to follow, it makes sense to incorporate the use of a dog---especially one that is trained specifically to follow the faintest blood trail of a wounded animal.
Every Bow Hunter has a responsibility to do all within his means to recover an animal that has been wounded. When it is obvious that an animal is unable to be trailed and recovered by a visible blood trail, there is definitely another option. When faced with the loss of a trophy (coupled with a genuine concern to minimize the suffering of the wounded animal) the employment of a highly-trained blood tracking dog is the most ethical choice. As a matter of fact, in some Scandinavian and European countries, all Bow Hunters MUST have access to an officially titled and registered blood tracking dog in order to legally hunt deer or moose.
Keep in mind that success is not automatic just because a good tracking dog is called in. The first thing a dog has to do when he is put on a wounded animal trail is to work through the area that has been tracked up by the Bow Hunter. The toughest part of the tracking process is usually at the point where the Bow Hunter loses the blood trail. This is generally the area where the Bow Hunter's search has been the most intense, so obviously the area with the most amount of Bow Hunter disturbance---from tramping around looking for blood evidence on every leaf, twig, or blade of grass. A blood trailing dog will have to work through this contaminated area.
The behaviour of the animal itself can create serious difficulties in tracking also. Sometimes a wounded animal will make sharp directional turns or even appear to back track. In such cases, an experienced dog is needed to work out the trail. Other animals will also have an influence on the blood trail. A track laid several hours earlier will have many cross-trails of uninjured animals. These animals will not only be altering some of the tracking and scenting conditions, but they will also be offering tempting smells to a dog that is not disciplined to stay on the track of the wounded animal. A good blood trailing dog must be trained to discriminate and focus only on the specific wounded animal that is being sought.
The wounded animal will often flee immediately after the shot at full speed, and it may have bled very little. Training a dog that is disciplined to handle such difficulties and distractions is an exhaustive, time-consuming and expensive project. It may take years to develop a top blood trailing dog. From my own personal experience as a hunting guide, I have learned that you should never assume a miss! If a shot is fired, you must treat the animal as if were hit. I have tracked and recovered animals that Bow Hunters thought they either missed or felt confident that it had not been a non-lethal shot. On the other hand, some shots may appear to be lethal, but the animal is actually still healthy enough to travel a great distance with apparently no physical limitations.
Determing the true condition of the animal after the shot is critical. A wounded animal should never be rushed. Wounded game that is pushed too early will often flee---on survival instinct and adrenaline alone---causing it to distance itself in such a manner that it is almost impossible to recover by any means. Moderate rain or snow on the scent line is not nearly as bad as dry, windy conditions---which can make trailing difficult or even impossible.
All wounded animals are not recoverable! The animal being trailed has to be seriously injured if the dog and handler are going to catch up to it. A dead animal is not going anywhere, so there is usually not any hurry to get to him. If the animal is not dead---a reasonable amount of time will only allow it to get weaker and hopefully lay down. If the wound is not sufficient to slow up, and eventually bring the animal down, then the moderate waiting time will have no bearing anyway. So if tracking conditions are favourable it may be better to wait at least an hour or two to start a dog on any trail of wounded game.
The age of the track is important, but the nature and severity of the wound has more bearing on the recoverability of that particular animal. Atmospheric conditions will play a part, but that is a factor that cannot be manipulated or changed by the Bow Hunter or dog handler. The type of animal will also have some influence on the difficulty of the trail to be followed by dogs. A non-rutting deer will obviously leave much less scent than a stinky old mature wild boar. A small animal like a bobcat will be much harder to trail than a black bear. Hopefully there is enough blood---along with various body scent and fluids---present on the trail to be sufficient for the dog to follow (whether the blood is visible to the Bow Hunter or not). Sometimes a wounded animal will have to be trailed for some distance to determine whether or not it is recoverable. Some mortally wounded animals do not bleed at all, but they will leave other scent evidence of a wound that only a dog can detect and follow.
The entrance or exit wound of a pig will often close up due to the extra amount of fat and thick hair. A pig hit high in the torso may not show any blood for up to 100 yards. A mortally wounded animal will eventually get weak or sick and start leaving a trail that indicates its weakened condition. If there is no visible blood or track that leads to this point, the animal will not be retrieved by even the most proficient tracking skills of a Bow Hunter or guide. Trailing a wounded animal is a fun and exciting sport in its own right. But it can be just as challenging and sometime just as un-productive as any type of hunting can be---however---having a well-trained blood dog will always tip the scales in your favour!
When dogs were domesticated by man, they have been used not only in bow hunting, but also in the retrieval and recovery of game. We all know a dog can out smell its owner so this line of work for man best friend is only natural.
A wounded animal often leaves only a faint trail with little visible blood to follow, it makes sense to incorporate the use of a dog---especially one that is trained specifically to follow the faintest blood trail of a wounded animal.
Every Bow Hunter has a responsibility to do all within his means to recover an animal that has been wounded. When it is obvious that an animal is unable to be trailed and recovered by a visible blood trail, there is definitely another option. When faced with the loss of a trophy (coupled with a genuine concern to minimize the suffering of the wounded animal) the employment of a highly-trained blood tracking dog is the most ethical choice. As a matter of fact, in some Scandinavian and European countries, all Bow Hunters MUST have access to an officially titled and registered blood tracking dog in order to legally hunt deer or moose.
Keep in mind that success is not automatic just because a good tracking dog is called in. The first thing a dog has to do when he is put on a wounded animal trail is to work through the area that has been tracked up by the Bow Hunter. The toughest part of the tracking process is usually at the point where the Bow Hunter loses the blood trail. This is generally the area where the Bow Hunter's search has been the most intense, so obviously the area with the most amount of Bow Hunter disturbance---from tramping around looking for blood evidence on every leaf, twig, or blade of grass. A blood trailing dog will have to work through this contaminated area.
The behaviour of the animal itself can create serious difficulties in tracking also. Sometimes a wounded animal will make sharp directional turns or even appear to back track. In such cases, an experienced dog is needed to work out the trail. Other animals will also have an influence on the blood trail. A track laid several hours earlier will have many cross-trails of uninjured animals. These animals will not only be altering some of the tracking and scenting conditions, but they will also be offering tempting smells to a dog that is not disciplined to stay on the track of the wounded animal. A good blood trailing dog must be trained to discriminate and focus only on the specific wounded animal that is being sought.
The wounded animal will often flee immediately after the shot at full speed, and it may have bled very little. Training a dog that is disciplined to handle such difficulties and distractions is an exhaustive, time-consuming and expensive project. It may take years to develop a top blood trailing dog. From my own personal experience as a hunting guide, I have learned that you should never assume a miss! If a shot is fired, you must treat the animal as if were hit. I have tracked and recovered animals that Bow Hunters thought they either missed or felt confident that it had not been a non-lethal shot. On the other hand, some shots may appear to be lethal, but the animal is actually still healthy enough to travel a great distance with apparently no physical limitations.
Determing the true condition of the animal after the shot is critical. A wounded animal should never be rushed. Wounded game that is pushed too early will often flee---on survival instinct and adrenaline alone---causing it to distance itself in such a manner that it is almost impossible to recover by any means. Moderate rain or snow on the scent line is not nearly as bad as dry, windy conditions---which can make trailing difficult or even impossible.
All wounded animals are not recoverable! The animal being trailed has to be seriously injured if the dog and handler are going to catch up to it. A dead animal is not going anywhere, so there is usually not any hurry to get to him. If the animal is not dead---a reasonable amount of time will only allow it to get weaker and hopefully lay down. If the wound is not sufficient to slow up, and eventually bring the animal down, then the moderate waiting time will have no bearing anyway. So if tracking conditions are favourable it may be better to wait at least an hour or two to start a dog on any trail of wounded game.
The age of the track is important, but the nature and severity of the wound has more bearing on the recoverability of that particular animal. Atmospheric conditions will play a part, but that is a factor that cannot be manipulated or changed by the Bow Hunter or dog handler. The type of animal will also have some influence on the difficulty of the trail to be followed by dogs. A non-rutting deer will obviously leave much less scent than a stinky old mature wild boar. A small animal like a bobcat will be much harder to trail than a black bear. Hopefully there is enough blood---along with various body scent and fluids---present on the trail to be sufficient for the dog to follow (whether the blood is visible to the Bow Hunter or not). Sometimes a wounded animal will have to be trailed for some distance to determine whether or not it is recoverable. Some mortally wounded animals do not bleed at all, but they will leave other scent evidence of a wound that only a dog can detect and follow.
The entrance or exit wound of a pig will often close up due to the extra amount of fat and thick hair. A pig hit high in the torso may not show any blood for up to 100 yards. A mortally wounded animal will eventually get weak or sick and start leaving a trail that indicates its weakened condition. If there is no visible blood or track that leads to this point, the animal will not be retrieved by even the most proficient tracking skills of a Bow Hunter or guide. Trailing a wounded animal is a fun and exciting sport in its own right. But it can be just as challenging and sometime just as un-productive as any type of hunting can be---however---having a well-trained blood dog will always tip the scales in your favour!
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