And it begins

[gasman]

Woke up this morning and checked TnDeer and then checked spacebook. One of the first post I saw was "BBD. I need a dog ASAP"

That post was at 6:30.... I'm thinking to myself, dude have you really tried to track this deer? Folks want the trophy, but don't want to work to get the trophy.

Sure I've lost a couple deer in my time, but who hasn't? But I guarantee you that I wasn't calling for a dog before I ever got down out of my stand.

The art of tracking a deer is a lost art. I see it every year, BBD I NEED A DOG XX COUNTY.

It's almost funny seeing all these post about it. It's like people would rather pay someone to do a job that SHOULD be part of the hunt.

OK. Rant over. Hope everyone gets their target buck this season.

 

[backyardtndeer]

One of the first post I saw was "BBD. I need a dog ASAP"

Well if it was truly a bbd, they would not need a dog would they..... Sounds like anticipation of a poor shot.

 

[Tweeter]

Sad really, I helped a friend track a nice buck years ago and before we found it I was on my hands and knees looking for blood, I heard of a way to aid in hood tracking is to use them mini landscaping flags and it gives you a general direction of where the deer is going

 

[backyardtndeer]

I heard of a way to aid in hood tracking is to use them mini landscaping flags and it gives you a general direction of where the deer is going

Yep. Flags, marking tape, toilet paper anything to get where you can step back and see the direction.

 

[Ski]

BBD means big buck down. Needing a dog asap means hunter doesn't know if the deer is down or not. Even if he saw it hit gut there's no need for a dog until tonight at the earliest. I'd chalk it up to inexperience. Sounds like the panic of a young and/or inexperienced hunter. Hope he/she recovers it for a happy end to the hunt. Losing a deer isn't a fun feeling.

Sad really, I helped a friend track a nice buck years ago and before we found it I was on my hands and knees looking for blood, I heard of a way to aid in hood tracking is to use them mini landscaping flags and it gives you a general direction of where the deer is going

Toilet paper works as well and you don't have to go back to pick it up. It deteriorates next rain. Having that visible line of travel makes a huge difference in predicting where to continue the search. Deer do sometimes make an abrupt turn when wounded but not very often, and when they do it's as they're about to plop over. If you ever see a blood trail make a hard turn for no apparent reason, look up and scan all around because it's probably lying dead nearby.

 

[cbhunter]

Well if it was truly a bbd, they would not need a dog would they..... Sounds like anticipation of a poor shot.

Gasman is the poster child of BBD, he even takes pictures of them before he turns them loose. He will track them for a year before he finishes them off. Kinda like a twisted serial killer. I need to re evaluate my friends

That's where the term "necks year" or "necks time" was born that you all have seen on here so many times

 

[Buzzard Breath]

The art of tracking a deer is a lost art.

^^^This^^^

I'm all for exhausting all means to find a deer that has been shot, but tracking dogs have become a crutch for poor woodsmanship.

 

[gasman]

Gasman is the poster child of BBD, he even takes pictures of them before he turns them loose. He will track them for a year before he finishes them off. Kinda like a twisted serial killer. I need to re evaluate my friends

That's where the term "necks year" or "necks time" was born that you all have seen on here so many times

You are correct because I looked for that deer way up into the night, the necks day and several more times over the course of the rest of the season. But not once did I ask for a dog.

 

[Gravey]

 

[DCA-DEER]

Way to hot for me to even think about going

 

[hoghunter65]

I'm going to sit in the recliner with a big glass of tea and watch Catman hunt.

 

[rbreedi1]

I never understand people who want to bash a fellow hunter. What's happened to the art of helping a fellow hunter? Talk to the guy, find out the situation, give some advice, maybe he is new and needs tracking help or encouragement.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

If anyone does ever need one, there is a group on Facebook called the Tennessee Blood Trailing Network that you can find someone that can help you out. I have no clue what is charged for the service, but I know it is out there available if someone needs it.

 

[Ski]

I never understand people who want to bash a fellow hunter. What's happened to the art of helping a fellow hunter? Talk to the guy, find out the situation, give some advice, maybe he is new and needs tracking help or encouragement.

Eh, I read it a little differently. I think it's more frustration of an overall situation, not a specific hunter, that too often results in unrecovered animals. The hunter in this scenario just happens to be the first example, hence the title of the thread, "And it begins". Nobody's bashing the individual, but rather voicing concern that young/new hunters in general aren't learning critical skills of self reliance because they have crutches like tracking dogs to lean on.

And yes I agree some encouragement and advice would be appropriate in this situation. But the hunter didn't ask for that. They asked for a crutch. If there's one thing I've learned about old guys, especially older hunters, is that they're eager to share knowledge with younger generations. But that knowledge goes largely untapped because a lot of the youth would rather rely on social media experts than to ask an old fart. The term "blind leading the blind" comes to mind. I can see why older guys seem a little jaded.

 

[dogsled]

Toilet paper works as well and you don't have to go back to pick it up.

I keep a tracking kit in my Jeep during season that I hope to never use. Has a roll of toilet paper, rechargeable head lamp, engineer tape and light sticks. I put this together after losing a deer a few years ago when I was not prepared for a night search. I found the deer the next morning in a brush pile only about 20 yards from where I lost the trail the night before, but due to the heat the meat was ruined. I still feel bad about giving up early.

The only other deer I have lost I shot in the rain. He took off in one direction over the hill. I followed in that direction, then lost the trail. Found the carcass the next spring , he had doubled back on me around the base of the hill and was not far from where he had been shot.

 

[gasman]

I never understand people who want to bash a fellow hunter. What's happened to the art of helping a fellow hunter? Talk to the guy, find out the situation, give some advice, maybe he is new and needs tracking help or encouragement.

Not bashing anyone, but at 6:30 am on the first day of the hunt, there was obviously NO attempt to find this deer.

 

[tellico4x4]

Not bashing anyone, but at 6:30 am on the first day of the hunt, there was obviously NO attempt to find this deer.

After getting this pup I researched every tracking group & service that I could looking for tips & a reputable trainer. One thing I noticed was that just about every one stresses " when in doubt, back out" and to not disturb the blood sign, call a dog tracker asap. Maybe these younger and/or inexperienced folks have heard or read that as well and first reaction is to look for a dog, especially if it was a big buck or a poorly placed shot.

I will say that I didn't get this dog to join a service but to use on the club I have. We've always had lots of young hunters and over the past 21 years some of us older guys have made some bad shots as well. Most were eventually recovered but might have been days, weeks or years afterwards.

Messing with this pup is just another aspect of deer hunting for me just like food plots are. At 69, maybe this will keep me in the game longer. I will say that if she turns out well, and that if there is any TnDeer member that are close to me in SW Wayne Co, I'll be glad to bring her over to try & lend a hand at recovery.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Last year I killed a nice doe late in the season and couldn't find blood. It was late at night and I did call someone with a dog after about an hour of searching. While on the phone with him I finally found a drop of blood, turns out she started running down the hill about 20 yds farther than I thought. The guy on the phone told me, "go find your deer and text me a pic". I did just that.

I would have used the dog, but not until I had spent a significant amount of time trying. And you know what? I learned a lot about tracking that night due to the mistake I made. I wouldn't have learned if I had just given up immediately and had a dog do the work.

 

[dogsled]

^^^This^^^

I'm all for exhausting all means to find a deer that has been shot, but tracking dogs have become a crutch for poor woodsmanship.

And poor marksmanship or taking unethical shots.
I know a guy that is a poster child for this. Between him and his brother they shoot and lose more deer in a season than I have lost my entire lifetime hunting. No way to know for sure, but I think it is all about just taking any shot they have and hoping for a good outcome. Every year I hear about the BIG deer they shot that got away.

I can't count the number of times that I have seen them checking zero on a rifle AFTER they have shot and lost a deer. Galls me to no end.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Not bashing anyone, but at 6:30 am on the first day of the hunt, there was obviously NO attempt to find this deer.

Yep. To me that looks like, "Well...I didn't see him go down, call a dog."