Blood Tracking Log – 2017
entries go from newest to oldest

2017

Two tracks one day. Amazing dog

Track#1 was a 3 hour old track for a large buck.
The first fifty yards had decent blood and some transfer/rub on trees just above and at my knee height.

Fifty yards out the blood pretty much just stopped. Bella hit the track start and never looked back. 
We found some blood periodically along the track to confirm out quest was true, but no beds and nothing substantial.

The track headed down hill almost to a bedrock bottomed mountain stream but then sidehilled along some of the most dangerous terrain I can remember tracking on.

We found spot of blood just before starting along a deer trail on a STEEP sheer hill side. The path was no more than 10" wide and in some spots it was maybe 6'. In one section we all but rappelled down almost to the stream a couple times to a lower trail but then back up. We hit a better more level spot and found two drops blood before continuing the insanity of this narrow trail.

At one point I told the hunter "If I fall, Catch the dog... I am serious"

Finally we got out of that but then the track turned steeply uphill and we found another spot blood. More up and downs and finally out into normal forest floor and three drops blood. That excitement was short lived as Bella started slowing down and giving me the not dead sign.

We came out to a woods road and Bella indicated the crossing but still telling me not dead. Hunter and I agreed to call track at this point

1.6 miles

Track two was a buck shot 22 hours prior. At first the hunter thought it was a double lung with pink frothy blood and chunks. But that hope soon waned. Hunter and friend tracked buck for about 3/4 mile, ending at an ok size spot.

Bella took up the track just fine but This track was some of the most challenging scent conditions Bella has had in awhile. Almost every direction change took her a lot of time to figure out.

At one point where the track started downhill we finally found a splotch of blood. Then down in the fern and moss flat next to a swamp a second splotch.

The track then twisted about where it was obvious the buck had met up with another deer or two then headed at a run towards the major road. Within sight of the road the deer tracks crossed a sand flat next to a deep brook/small river and there were coyote tracks behind them.

Bella hit great scent then and dragged me down the bank and leap in. It was far too deep for the humans to cross but Bella was insane wanted to get across.

We decided to walk back to car and drive down to the other side.

Unloaded Bella a bit downstream from where she had indicated and worked her up and she hit the track hard right where she had indicated a crossing and there were two sets of deep in mud frozen deer's tracks

She spun and headed straight for the road. The hunter's friend got us across safely and Bella worked the other side for a bit trying to hit the track. This was at the entrance to a sand pit. The road was frozen sold hard gravel surface.

Bella hit a track running up the gravel road and took off fast. Her hard scent tracking this almost 24 hour at this time track was amazing!

The track cut over a soft sand area and there were two deer's tracks and one coyote. The track led to a steep downhill in the road and Bella cast in a circle trying to regain it and I looked up this incredible steep sand bank and one of those deer had actually ran up it looked like a hill climb.

At first I thought this was our deer but Bella had no interest and was still casting. A few yards down the hill road the hunter yelled he had the running tracks again and Bella hit on them right away and took off at a run. She followed them down into a brushy island in the pit and across a small stream with very steep bank. About waist high but Bella made the leap just like the deer had. Across another hard packed open area and up a side road and there was 3 drops blood. No more coyote tracks. The buck hurdled a dirt berm blocking a woods road and took off up the woods road then a sharp right up a wooded hill.

I called the track at this point. Hunter went up hill and did a loop but nothing up there and no more running tracks

On our exit out we ran across the tracks chasing a smaller deer at right angle to the buck's path

We tracked 1.3 miles plus the hunter's 3/4 mile and this deer had covered just over 2 miles with not one bed. My guess is this was a single lung hit.

Very proud of Bella on both tracks but especially the second. She was amazing 

a confirmation track

Got a call from a man who had shot a big buck last night. Found only one drop of blood. He was certain his bullet had blown up on a stick and it was a flesh wound but wanted Bella to confirm. He had searched the area all morning

Bella hit the no blood start and took off at top speed. Within yards she took us in a completely different direction than the hunter's assumption. She went up through apple trees, through thick growth and tall thick grass then milled around more appletrees as if the buck was looking for the doe he had been with,

The track then looped down back the way he had come before the hunter shot him and at a steep downgrade we hit posted signs.

We cut back to the starting point and examined the scene again and there was a broken off stick right in the bullet's trajectory, just before the buck's position.

We went down to the main road and walked up even with the bucks down path and Bella hit his path over the guardrail and down to a deep brook/small river. She indicated out in the water but air scented downstream a bit then wanted to cross. You could clearly see where the buck had scrambled up the steep bank.

Hunter called track here and will hunt that side of the brook/river this weekend.

We are confident the bullet did fragment and the buck had no serious injury.

600 yards total start to water crossing. 20 hours old.

Sneaky bucks and trust issues

Trust your dog. That's the mantra of all trackers. It is a learned habit to be sure. Yet even among teams whom have worked together years you hit a track where you break that trust and the dog has to smack you in the head with it.

Went on a 6 hour old call. Buck shot in the am, jumped straight up in the air when hit and bedded twice with decent blood sign. Sounded like a brisket or front of chest ahead of legs to me but you cannot make assumptions you just go.

I like to start at the beginning when I can. This track though spanned about 500 yards or so of known track through some not so great terrain and not easy to immediately access the beginning with limited light left so we opted for the last 60 yards of blood... that ended in someone's yard.

Parked down the road and the hunter knocked on the door to try to talk to owner, but no one home. So we went to the well marked last bit of sign.

Hunters had jumped buck on the edge of a tall grass marshy area but could not safely shoot because of proximity to houses.They then followed the buck through shoulder and head high marsh grass to where the trail came out on the lower lawn of a house near a leaf pile. Two small bits of blood in the last 60 yards.

I circled around and started Bella about 60 yards from the end. She followed it to the grass and said-" missed corner"

There was really no where for deer to go across the street so I cast her about on the lawn on several likely directions. ALL of which was "NOPE" from Bella. Cast her again and still nope.

Circled back to where Buck had come out and she hit on track going back almost the same way it had come. Part way through the marsh he angled off a bit and someone found blood, then more blood. Bella followed this track to a brook crossing and over my boot I went right away.

On the other side she said "nope" again. I checked aways u the other thorny side but still no.

Crossed back over brook and Bella airscented over to where hunters had jumped deer. We crossed brook again and Bella veered slightly. We tried to get her to take a break and have water but she said hell no and as we started off again, someone found blood just a bit.but it was directional and our direction!  A bit farther up one more favorable drop and then no more and we shortly after hit the bucks incoming track

Bella, who does NOT backtrack ever, said this way. We all said no hunny come back. and we cast out and around where she had said buck went to brook the first time... Nothing not one hit.

Took her back to the blood she found and same story almost identical.

Took her back a third time and recrossed the brook at the first place and belle followed brook down to near where she found blood then refollowed her prior paths. This time the hunter and I let her go a good ways and she was crouching and dragging me like a pulling horse up that hill all insistent the buck had back tracked. I believed but........ dumb handler I am told her we were going to cast and see if she hit on any other exit tracks. 

Bella fought me with all she had to make her point and I finally got her to come with us as we looped out a bit then down to where we had cast her the first time.

Hunter wanted to take her over to the other field to cast her just because. No problem. Ha. Bella wanted to go back up that hill. I had to put on her leather collar and hand walk her back across the marsh

Took the path to the field with Bella casting back and forth. Nothing. Up the field and around the perimeter. Nothing.

Got to the upper right corner and Bella's head snaps up and she catches the bucks scent coming down hill with the cooling air flow. Ask hunter if he wants to see where that gets us and that's a yes
Bella air scents nearly straight up towards the bucks former path.. The direction she had wanted to go. We got to a flat area and the wind scent quit. Hunter and I discussed the possibilities and deduce they jumped buck who is likely brisket or front of chest hit, he ran and walked his way across marsh in the half hour they sat there. Got to yard and for whatever reason decided that was a no and turned back. Hunters started across the tall marsh grass area and buck slipped past them out of sight, into the brook, down the brook a few yards, up to where we found blood then up his own trail back home

I've only had this happen twice before- a deer backtracking a long ways- but Bella does not backtrack (go backwards on a track only forwards) and she was insistent and hit scent no where else. Could she have caught up if I had not been so concerned with confirming this craziness? I dont think so. The deer was far too mobile.  But I feel bad I tested her skills so hard

TRUST YOUR DOG

Hopefully hunter will get another crack at this deer

Law enforcement help needed

Went on a bear track today. Yeah I don't normally take bear but I did today.

I arrived to find two F&G Conservation officers on scene
.
The bear had crossed the road after traveling about 3/4 mile from the hit site. Crossing the road put it on posted land. 
The hunter's had asked permission to enter when the landowner had come upon them standing at the side of the road and landowner denied them. Thus the F&G help.

The CO's went into the property to look for blood sign and then returned to talk to landowner who had also appeared on scene.

The landowner started the conversation with a firm no, but finally after a long conversation relented (THANK YOU) as long as the COs accompanied us.

We started the track at the road crossing where there was a bit of high blood sign. Blood quickly ended but Bella continued on. Track went up hill then cut across the hill face.

We went through some thick stuff where I expected to find the bear but nope. Bella kept on.

At 1584 yards (just under a mile) the CO's called the track. All evidence pointed to a high hit and the bear appeared to have been heading for home safe zone

Huge thank you to the CO's for facilitating this track

Wind and rain and undead deer oh my

Morning after the storm of the decade, I get a call for a track about an hour away
The swamp is encroaching on my cellar, there are ducks swimming on my lawn, my basement is filling with water. But I load up and we go.

Detour after detour, trees across the road, lines across the roads. Wash outs and then more rain and wind. I eventually arrive at the hunter's house about 40 min longer drive than it should have been.

Hunter had shot the buck with a muzzleloader at 8:30 am . The buck had dropped like a stone and flailed trying to gain it's feet and the hunter reloaded as fast as he could, but not fast enough and the buck regained his feet and vanished. With no visible blood and just a tuft of fur, the hunter had then seen a torrential rain come through and wipe any possible blood off the track and he gave me a call.
From the start of the call I was positive this was a high back hit, but committed to giving the track a shot.

We made the one mile walk out to the deer stand to see what we could find.
Bella hit the shot site eagerly and I looked at the tuft of fur. Longer, Pale grey bases darkening to black and red gold tips. Not your typical back color, but the right length and right tip colors. 

I made Bella circle the start to make sure she had enough scent and she headed right out and down to a fast rushing brook heavy with the recent rain water.
We had crossed this same brook higher up  to get here and Bella had indicated this down in this direction just before we made the crossing.

Before wading again we worked the bank a bit and I decided to take her back to hit site to reconfirm direction.
We went back to hit site and again Bella came down to the brook. Not one drop of blood on ground, leaves or sides of trees, with that rain I was not that surprised, but still hoping to find some.

We waded the brook and crossed. Ironically the buck had snuck around behind the tree stand in the thick brush just over the crest of the hill and out of the hunter's sight.
Bella was dead on this track never wavering. Some stretches were slow as she was nosing under leaves into tracks to get the scent and other sheltered stretches were faster. 
We got to a place where the deer tracks went in a small circle, possibly grooming and then it took off again.

The track went gradually uphill in a fairly straight line but slowly looping right. Eventually we came to a very steep downhill to a brook bottom. At the bottom it was structure hell. Flooded bottom, steep hill side funneling scent, jumbled rocks and logs. Bella took some time figuring it out and made it out of there and down stream a bit to a place where the deer had milled about.

  This was a bowl like area with a steep drop on one side a steep up on the other and a brook out a third way. 
Worked this a long time but it was a big scent mess. Hunter and I discussed and we decided to call the track.

1056 yards of very excellent work by Bella.
 No beds, no blood, no recovery but a win in the dog work category none the less.

Went to track for a fine young hunter
Arrowed a doe about 14 hours prior and did a good job tracking it in the dark but got to a point he and friend could make no progress
On the walk in to the shot site, Bella indicated doe path. We started at the beginning anyhow because I wanted to see the start
Followed the track across a brook into the worst Multi Flora Rose and Japanese Barbary thorn hell I have tracked in, in ten seasons.
We tracked out to where the hunter and friend had jumped the doe the night before, passing a sapling with a 4-6" smear of blood at high thigh height on me which indicated that this was a higher hit.
There was a small amount of blood at the jump site.The doe looped around and briefly headed back the way she had come then veered off and went up over a small hill crossing a fence.
Track went under an appletree and Bella briefly got sucked out to the field, then found the path and went out into a swamp where the doe obviously spent a lot of time as the scent was super strong. Found a fresher bed that appeared to have been this doe's but no blood.
Searched around and finally broke out of the scent pool but lost scent. Searched back to the field entrance but that was obviously drifted scent.
Took Bella back to swamp and she found the exit.
Bella was very strong up through the woods to a field and went straight across. The scent Bella was smelling at the bottom of the hilly field was drifting from this path
Straight across the field, into the woods for a distance, at which point the doe took a very sharp left and headed back and back into thorns. When the track recrossed the fence heading back the way she came we called the track
Bella bleeding, me bleeding only the deer not bleeding!
 1.5	miles

Peace of mind is worth the time

Got a call this am from a very experienced local hunter. His arrow last night had clipped a dead limb stub and deflected. Hunter was quite sure the arrow had hit bone in the buck's thigh, but he wanted Bella's professional opinion before writing the shot off as a non fatal. Broad head had broke off arrow right at joint.

Bella was happy to take the 17 hour old track but was right off acting "not dead"
She tracked by the first two small drops blood and got to the large splatter area where the buck had calmly stood for many minutes licking the wound. While it looked significant, it was obvious it was not a gush but rather a drip from a long term stationary animal.

There was no more blood til the two small drip areas near where the hunter had exited.

This track was a very interesting example of very calm deer exuding very little alarm scent combined with very dry conditions and lots of scent capturing structure like stone wall, deep low areas and rock jumbles. Some of the scent had also blown from one trail across the woods and you could see Bella try to pin source several times (this is visible in her red path) and then we'd get to that actual part of the track later. very cool to watch

The hunter was exceptionally patient while Bella searched all this out. She followed his path to driveway and headed right back.
Bella continued on well, no more blood. She then came to where the buck had done a large circle. This may have been when the hunter walked out. He headed almost back the way he came , then stood still evidenced by a single non directional blood drop. He then looped back down to his original path and continued out to the woods where we called the track.

This good Buck had covered a bit over 700 yards in a calm non panicy fashion, circled to watch his back trail then continued on.

My thought is the arrow struck the deer's thigh bone and no arteries or other important structures. He was not limping nor did he bed

Hope this hunter gets a second chance at him!

Two Youth tracks

We received two calls last night for tracks from day one of Youth weekend

First track was local and we prepared to head out in the dark
Second track sounded like a gut shot so we arranged to meet at first light

Track one was a doe . Her and her Dad had found one spot of blood and called us. Dad is a repeat client.

Bella locked right on to the 2 hour old track and took off on fire. As she led us out into the thick forest we started seeing drops of blood steady at first but tapered off the farther we went.

Bella was totally hot and super accurate on this track! This was our fastest speed track of the year with a top speed of 4.4 mph and an average of 1.86 mph! In the dark!

There were zero beds or other signs of a fatal hit. Deer crossed a road and Bella nailed the crossing.

The deer was heading in a pretty straight line for a farm that is 100% posted and not hunter friendly so when we reached the brook near the property, Rob and the Dad went across to look for convincing sign. They found one miniscule drop blood and otherwise just wet tracks from the deer and a clean jump track where she had hurdled a big puddle. So we gave up the search.

The little hunter was a heck of a trooper as this 1.6 mile track was a heck of a march plus the walk back out

I arrived on site for the second track just at daylight, fog still covered the cut corn field. The youth hunter and his older brother had tracked the button buck with difficulty to an area of tall weeds where they had jumped it from a bed and it ran straight away into some pine trees. At which point they left him.This was 2:30-3 pm and he was still quite alive. (Called me that night) This was a probable gut shot and this choice was the right one to avoid pushing him into the next county but sometimes the right choice does not always work out well.

Bella tracked this nearly bloodless track also incredibly accurately. When she got to the bed they had jumped the buck from yesterday she quickly checked ahead the direction he went then came back and charged through a wire fence. COMPLETELY at right angle to where the buck had last gone.

No blood to confirm but Bella was adamant and we trusted her

Bella charged straight across an open field to more tall weeds on the opposite side

She went up a farm road then suddenly got slow and crept left nose out. I looked over a small rise and there was the button buck. TOTALLY consumed by coyotes. No blood on the ground so they got him after he had died. There was seriously not two handfuls of meat left on this deer. Not even between the ribs! All that was left was head, guts, legs and a very small section of hide on the ground side of him. Amazing!

Bella then wanted to track the coyotes!

528 yard 24 hour old track

Both tracks Bella was totally top of her game. GOOD GIRL

Very good dog
Sometimes your dog's best work does not result in a recovery. Today was one of those days

Took a track in an area I've been before for a new client. The perfect shot went awry when the doe turned and jumped after the arrow left the bow changing a great broadside shot into a hard quartering away unknown shot

No blood at the shot. Arrow had blood and fat on it

Blood started a short distance away with several 2-3 hands wide splatter areas and a good steady dime to half dollar sized drop trail up to an open area where the deer stopped to consider options with another splatter area then two under dime sized spots and nothing

Hunter had done an amazing job leaving deer last night and then marking the trail this am.

The woods cover was heavy dry leaves and it was over 60F and climbing with sun. You could feel the scent burning away every minute

Bella checked several directions through the hunter's search area and finally settled on a direction and we soon came to a few blood drops, not big 

A bit farther on a few more on a hill side that was getting a good bit of sun through the trees. Bella searched in several directions to refind the trail. She went this one way multiple times and I was sure the deer had turned but she just was not finding it.

We took a break to cool off then started again. Bella again went that same way then slowly worked back up and this time found the turn through a dry ditch!. She was getting so hot this itself was amazing.

She went through some thick dense growth and out onto a woods road and down wanting the take a left over a stone wall.

I waited for the hunter and gave her another long shade break some 50' up the path. When I released her to work she went right back to the spot she wanted to cross. A stone wall topped with barb wire. Not high at all but I bent down to lift Bella over the wire and there on top of the stone wall was a leaf with a blood smear. Holy wow

Crossed the wall into a heavy deer path area. Sorted through that and made a brook crossing and three more drops blood under nickel size on rocks in the brook. Good girl this is a REALLY hard track.

She then had to sort through more deer trails and I restarted at brook a few times to confirm and she led me down a heavy trail through really dense growth and up into a dry swamp area with ferns etc. Just before entering this area two drops smaller than a dime on dead leaves and I only saw them because we were going really slow.

around 71F now and Bella was starting to overheat in spite of lots of water breaks. We were very close to the actual track start so I called the track about 3 hours of very very hard scent work. I was very proud of Bella even though no deer recovered.
I'm thinking this MIGHT be a high back or top of neck hit but not at all certain

about 18 hours old and the deer traveled 891 yards in a half circle, Bella went over mile and half with all her searching

the Undead
Went a good distance away for a buck arrowed from about 18' up not very far from base of tree stand and facing hunter.

We thought we were going to track a gut shot buck.... but I have no clue what we tracked.
Arrow entered high around center of deer and exited somewhere low. First several inches of arrow coated in thick fat. Arrow lightly coated in blood and covered in short white hairs. Fletching coated in brown substance. It was NOT blood or feces.
Arrow had zero bad odor. Smelled quite deery/buck/tarsal like

a couple hand widths wide blood at both hit site and right next to stand tree. A couple other spots of 2-3 handwidth blood medium dark in color mixed with bright red. IMMEDIATELY trickled off to just drops dime size and smaller and very fast just down to occasional drips then nothing.

ZERO beds, stumbles, falls or other signs of impairment

Three times Bella followed the track or drift of, out to this opening near an abandoned toilet. It was very obvious deer milled about there for a good bit but no blood.

We circled out and around the boggy areas in different directions trying to cut a new exit path to no avail. 

The third arrival at the toilet I let Bella choose her exit. She followed what was very obviously a much more subtle track. Possibly same deer earlier yesterday. Out to a house yard then doubled back to almost the mill about area then out to a field we did not have permission to search.

We checked all the drainage ditches filled with brush and cattails at our end of the field edge just in case. Nothing

Peach line is Buck's actual path of 396 yards, our search paths total over 2 miles. Bella told me "Not dead" from the second we hit the shot site, guess so for now

Suburban tracking
Took a short track today for a repeat client
Doe was arrowed with one great area of blood but the rest was poor, doe crossed road and they lost it

I examined the best blood sign before getting Bella out of car and was pretty darn sure we were dealing with a quartering hard away, single lung hit. Unfortunately we have a good bit of experience with these. Typically your best blood sign is when the lung collapses and the animal coughs up a big wad of blood but the rest of the blood sign is poor to none. 
Every single lung hit we have done and heard back about later, has to our knowledge survived

We tried to start Bella at the road crossing but there was not enough injured deer scent there, so took her back and started at the only good blood, the coughed up pool.

Bella then took the track well across a flat area and down a steep ravine to a brook. She indicated upstream (which would be across the road) a bit and a whole lot of "not dead"

Pushed on up a small hill and between two houses, the track led right up against the split rail fence of one yard and out onto the busy road.

At this point Bella checked the bank again but indicated down the road air scenting. Let her go and she stopped at the brook where she again indicated upstream.. I told the hunter that I bet the doe crossed the brook upstream if she had not ran down the road

Brought her back to the crossing area and got up the hill. She spent some time sorting out the small hunter search area and then hit the exit path and took off at a fast trot.

The bloodless track went between two properties that we could see both houses but not super close and then across the brook as I had thought! Bella spent a bit of time in the brook then up the bank to a grassy area near an old driveway

She indicated straight across but I had her double check anyhow
At this point I parted company with the hunter fairly sure this was a deer we could not catch because there was posted land in the direction Bella indicated. Hunter and friend sight tracked doe from that point a very short distance through the woods to tightly electric fenced cow pasture with a herd of cattle and posted land beyond so they arrived back at the car before I left with confirmation of our decision

Total track about 1/2 mile 7 hours

Win some lose some

Two tracks today
Track one was a "Peace of mind" track
Local Hunter had hit a deer high that morning and only a few drops blood in one spot
We went into this track knowing the result, but were glad to provide peace of mind to a hunter.
Buck had been about 15 yards out the arrow went way high, he bounded off tail up. At the point he stopped the hunter found about 2/3 of the arrow and the only blood, just a few small spots

Bella had a hard time picking up the track. She is trained to follow injured deer- the scent of which is a combination of adrenaline, fear, personal scent and blood. In lightly hit deer they often don't put out enough wounded deer scent. Thus causing Bella to say "not dead"

I cast her about a bit and she checked many deer runs in this oak area. Each time tossing her head saying "not this way"

She picked up a faint scent and followed it around, but I think this was older scent same buck as she gave me the not dead, not right sign so we went back again to the arrow and cast a last time and finally she hit on his exit path. Fresh tracks this buck's size as evidence.

Bella pulled me along and the track went up to the woods at the back of a heavily visited field with apple trees and she indicated that the buck had gone towards a strip of woods that leads to a road crossing, still saying "Not dead mum"-so I called the track.
Deer traveled a half mile from shot site to my calling point.

Track two about an hour away, was a gut shot doe, arrowed at 7:30 am and jumped once when they went in four hours later.
Hunter and friend had followed the track with good blood sign about 176 yards to the point they jumped her and a bit beyond that and they flagged it well.

Bella followed the good track well, we got to the last flag and sporadic good blood beyond that. The doe made a sharp left turn and there was one more section of decent blood then it quit.

Bella kept following without hesitation and there was small random blood dots. She got to a low wet area and made a circle. The blood totally ended here. Picked up the doe's exit path from the low area and followed at increasing speed, up to the edge of a deep small rectangular man made pond with steep sides. Bella dove over the edge into the water and I looked up to the other end and there was a pile of junk in the water. Car parts, seats, junk etc..The water was just evil

I got Bella out asap and saw what I thought was the deer in the water, but it could have been a car seat. LOL
Bella and I skirted the bank and as we got closer it was indeed the doe. She was dead in about 6' of water.

The hunter held a tree and managed to grab her ear and he and Rob dragged her up the bank. She was still warm and newly dead.
Rob and hunter dragged her intact back to tree stand area and gutted her then we dragged her to hunter's back yard and completely hosed off and out the deer and hosed Bella and her harness off.
Total distance from tree stand to water hole was 352 yards, so Bella and hunter tracked the same distance. In this 74 degree heat, Bella finding the doe so fast saved the meat.

Trust but Verify (and still be confused)
Went on a track an hour away last night
Hit site you could see where the deer turned and ran. But first blood was not for several yards
We started tracking close to 10 pm
Right away as hunter is showing us his first blood sign, Bella indicated deer went other way but we had to follow the track to confirm that. Bella was frantic trying to get us to go "the right way" but we made her follow track the way the hunter had gone.
Decent dripping blood sign goes up hill. significant dripping sign each place deer stood still. No beds, no stumbles, no falls.
At the top of hill where hunter and friend lost sign we cast dog about but she indicated nothing except wanting to go back down
Followed dog at least twice down and she indicated crossing stone wall same place. Finally Let her cross and followed her. zero blood sign though dog was strong, so pulled off and went back up again. At first blood Bella say down and refused to come with me wanting to go back the direction she said deer went but I got her convinced to go up one last time
Cast farther out beyond hunter's last blood, still nothing so let dog come back down again
at this point Rob finds drip blood sign indicating downhill travel confirming Bella saying deer turned and went back down
Down near first blood was what hunter had thought was part of first blood but actually was last blood
The deer had come down hill on same path then veered off and stood in this thick bush a while. Blood was on top of the leaves of the bush (not wipe on , actual dripped onto) at a fairly high height of my pant waist height.
one more splotch of blood indicating path down then zero blood that we could see.
We let Bella follow track out and she took me back (cutting across) to where I had pulled her off before, then wound her way to road near where we parked and across road. Deer tracks in ditch at crossing but no blood. We called track here
peach colored line is where deer path actually most likely was
Dont know what to say
Did not appear to be a chest hit. Thinking shoulder or head. Loud wack noise indicates bone
no arrow found.
ZERO beds
The fact that blood just stopped baffles us. I mean we do see this from time to time, but not usually so completely with this much blood
GREAT JOB Bella

A Mess

Tracking wounded game has some amazing highs, heartbreaking lows and moments of total bafflement where you'd pay any sum of money for your dog to talk.
We went on a track last night that had a difficulty level 9 for many reasons, the biggest one being because Bella cant speak English.
We knew going into the track that human contamination was going to be a 12 on a scale of 1-10. The doe did not bleed at the shot site. The hunter backed out for a bit to get help and give the doe some time. When he came back the mother of all searches ensued. Grids, circles, loops, you name it they did it trying to find blood sign.
The guys are amazing and they found blood, but the blood sign made zero sense with circles loops and back tracks.
With the hit site basically being ground zero in a search bomb we made the (wrong) decision to start at last blood. Right off Bella said we were going the wrong way, but sometimes that is what she says when we start at last blood as she has not had time to orient to the deer and we work it out. So we pushed her to follow the other way and she did but eventually gave me the lost sign indication.
So we started again to same affect.
Did an intensive field search through head high dense weeds and multiflora rose. Checked every possible place for a dead deer or an exit path all to no avail.
Made our way to the stretch across the field in the woods with better effort and more blood. Bella took me up and over the hill across a dry stream bed and straight up a steep hill. Having seen no blood sign coming from a decent amount I took her back assuming this was the track of one of the young deer that had stepped in the blood too. Hunter showed me a fair splash of blood and again Bella said we were heading wrong way. She tried to take me back to that hill.
Instead I made her come back to field and extensively search more to no effect.. In all we searched for 2-3 hours.
We checked a roadside ditch as we were leaving too
I kept telling Rob I was sure the deer was up the hill and as soon as I downloaded the gps off the handheld to the computer I could see Bella was right and her handler was a moron
Tan line is what I am fairly sure deer did (I did not mark all blood so there is more loops actually than shown on the probable doe path)
On the plus side there's 5+ acres that I am certain there is no dead deer in LOL

Two over the weekend

Two tracks. One friday one today
Friday was a high hit buck. about 15 hours old. Hunter had already tracked it about a mile. We followed it from minimal blood to an area under conifers where the buck had spent a lot of time walking around and two hand sized spots blood. Looked like it had been trying to groom it's wound.
After that point no more blood
Got out on a power line and headed up a ways before crossing our entrance road and heading back the way he came.
Called this one
Monday was a high down angled hit. Hunter left to help friend track deer right after hit so buck was totally unpressured 4.5 hours.
On and off blood from dollar bill to quarter sized to where hunter had pulled out to call us
Track was around 16 hours old when we started
Bella followed to hunters hat and was very excited. Found a bit more blood then Tried to pull me through a slash downhill area and before I broke my leg I pulled her left around it at which point she air scented a long way with no sign then head down tracked to the edge of a steep down hill
Before we committed to the slide down we took Bella allll the way back to last blood to restart
Ran into some sun and dry area scenting conditions, worked through that found more blood. More bad scenting conditions, then more blood including an area where the deer coughed up a large puddle then a speck more blood, then more bad scenting conditions.
Finally a good downhill stretch and a small smudge of blood
Then out on to a tote road where Bella had too much scent problems.      
We decided to walk the road and if Bella took the crossing where she had gone to the edge of the steep hill we would follow her, if not then we'd quit
Crossed that track and thought well she was not going to care, when head came up and she whipped around and dragged me back and followed nearly exactly her prior path.
Followed the track down the incredibly steep hill and across a swamp and brook.      
We then hit a sun baked dry as a bone scentless area. Worked and worked it and finally took a break. The whole break Bella is uncharacteristically trying to go track
Got up to restart and she dragged me right along. Hunter's friend found a single small dot of blood head high on the deer so likely a nose drip
Then got into scent hell. Bella tried and tried but could not lock on well enough.
Would have liked to kept at it but by now we had been working this track about 4.5 hours and we were all tired and starving so hung it up
Most likely a single lung hit

Short but sweet
Bella did a short track on a gut shot doe for a hunter we've tracked for before
Arrow went in perfect for a lung hit but exited just in front of opposite hind leg
Hunter knew the arrow had gone awry and planted arrow at blood sign and did the right thing and left
Bella knew where the doe was on the walk in she was trying to take us up hill before we even got to the stand, but we made her start at hit site and she make short work of the track super accurately
Even though it was short it was perfect
Perfect hunter behavior not pushing a bad arrow hit
Perfect dog work
Good job

FAR TOO HOT
Went on a track the other day
Very humid and dry
In the clear cut to the right of the hit site was something dead Bella wanted. we found old dried blood and knew it was not the deer we were after
Rob and Chance will have to go in later!
Bella and I ended up not finding the deer, the hunter did - in a Brook dead 500 yards from hit site. He was trying to cross into the grassy field and fell into the brook dead.
It was a very very high gut shot maybe a couple mans hand width from spine and just in front of haunches
But we helped him drag it to his truck anyhow, as that was the right thing to do

Still too humid
went out on a track early this am. 
Temps down to a reasonable 65 at the start, but the humidity was still oppressive

Buck arrowed high in the front half last night. Arrow was protruding out both sides.

Zero blood for a good many yards, then maybe a hand sized spot followed by sporadic spots ranging from pin to dime sized. 

Hunter had done a find job following the sparse blood and contacted me last night about coming out.

The humidity was still bothering Bella making her wide tongue pant so we did frequent water stops

Took some work to sort through all the other deer tracks, but she eliminated them one by one and finally found the cutoff the buck had used on his exit.

We popped out on a grassy strip at road side and lost it for a minute, checked up and down a bit and found it. The buck had crossed the major state route with running tracks in the sand

As we crossed and went down between two houses in tall stuff,the wind was blowing in our faces and Bella air scented down to a small swamp but found no hoof scent so we came back and found his actual path through head high weeds, mint and grass.
Broke out into the woods and the tracking got faster. If you look at the photo you'll see that where she air scented down in the swamp is directly across from his path! (his path scent blew to her)

Zero blood, zero impairment and moving directly up a sloping woods. Decided to call it as a high non fatal

15 hours old a bit over a mile, dewy, damp conditions

Hot Weather Deer Season stinks
Did a track today for a new bow hunter
Nasty 80++ temperatures plus humidity
Picked up the deer's path where it had crossed a road and re tracked it back to hunters last blood
Managed to extend the track another half mile and it was clear the deer was fully unimpaired and had stopped bleeding. The last blood we found was a very small streak almost unnoticeable 
Deer appeared to have turned and started to head back the way it had come

Soaked bella in a beaver pond before making the long trek out

Track was 6 hours old , we traveled 1.9 miles and the deer itself traveled about 3 miles in total

This is likely a high back survivable hit

Opening day
Did a track last night for a friend of a former client 
Got to the hit site around 10:40 pm

Bella had a hard time with the heat/humidity combo. She tracks well in heat but not humidity,it makes her overheat fast- ironic given her breed. I was in just shirt sleeves even at that time of night and sweating so it was not good conditions for us as a team.

We very slowly made our way from the hit site down hill. There was minimal blood even though the buck seemed hit well but it was a down angled arrow hit that embedded in the off side so no exit wound. Hunter had recovered about one third of the back part of the arrow. 

We got down to A pine needle area near a swamp with less blood

Bella kept taking me into the swamp edge then out,air scenting the buck but no direction 

Eventually she hit the bucks entry to the swamp with good blood sign, but a few yards in it petered out again

Bella was tracking well at that point and knew the buck was there, she was strongly pulling and very eager, but the 8-12' tall broad leaf cattails and  swamp grass made the going tough and the scent spread 

We kept at it for awhile but in the dark and grass we just could not see the deep holes and after filling my tall boots several times and my red dog being turned brown by thick swamp mud, we all decided it was far safer to back out

The hunters were returning this am with and I really hope they can find it in that mess

Bella went over 1000 yards total but the deer only around 600 yards it took us awhile to cover that though

Got to bed at 2:30am

Update
Hunters tracked buck through swamp this am no beds
Probably was standing out there when we were in the swamp
Deer wallowed through very deep mud with just pin points of blood, exited swamp and went up a steep hill  with no blood beyond the swamp exit so they called it