i read a great article in buckmasters a couple years ago about using dogs for tracking. i can't remember what states are involved but there are people that volunteer if you have a deer you can't find they will come to your camp and the success rate is like ninety some percent. i can't remember what month it was or what year but it was a very good article to show the positive side about using dogs for tracking downed game.

 

That's an interesting thought......never heard it before......

 

It taints the meat. After the animal dies, it doesn't get absorbed back into the body. So it changes the way the venison will taste.

 

that and if they run to long and get a fever it will make the meat tough.

 

In Washington State it would be illegal to use a dog for this. Can't use a dog for hunting deer at all. You might want to check the laws where you hunt prior to starting training the dog.

About the meat of a game animal being "tainted" by being run. I did'nt know the adrenilin was the cause but I do know that any animal that is run hard and heated up prior to being killed will produce meat that is tough and have a strong flavor. I was taught to pass up any game animal that was running hard when first seen or if you spooked it and it ran for more than a short distance. Best to ambush them and drop them quick rather it be an elk or beef animal.

 

Tencube, good call about checking local/state laws on the use of dogs.

When we shoot any game, depending on shot placement, we leave them alone for at least 45 mins for a good, solid shot. If it's a borderline or low/lung shot, we'll usually let them be for a minimum of 2 hours. When we hunt in Oregon, we will start calling with a cow call after the shot. Seems to calm them down a little. At least, it seems that way[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] But after the shot, time is usually on your side.

 

It's very important to wait before tracking an animal even if you KNOW you had a good killing shot. I have a friend that made a perfect broadside arrow shot on a deer. He saw the deer go down less than a hundred yards from his tree stand so he assumed it was down for good. It took about ten minutes to get his stuff together and get out of the tree then another few minutes to check out his arrow and start following a good blood trail. He got to about 20 yards from the deer and it got up and ran. It only went about 150 more yards before going down for good, but it went down in posted land and the owner is a jerk about any kind of hunting. He wouldn't let my friend go get the deer. I may have just said screw you and went and got the deer, but my friend did the right thing and called the Game Warden. He showed the Game Warden where he shot the deer, where it went down and then where it ran after it got up. He could even see it from the fence line. The Game Warden went to the land owner and told him if he didn't let my friend go recover the deer, he was going to fine him. I love N. Dakota.

 

Good for him. I believe in Illinois, you can recover a shot deer regardless of who's land it may be on. Don't quote me on that though.

 

We use a beagle. Many times a deer can be hit without leaving a very good blood trail. Especially when it was shot from an elevated postion without a complete pass through. Learning to watch the deer run off and then following his trail with/without blood is crucial though.
I have seen a regular house dog find a downed deer. The problem here is EXTREME thickets. I often wonder how deer get through all that crap with any speed.

 

According to this website. You CANNOT recover a deer on private property UNLESS you have permission.

520 ILCS 5/1.19 All authorized employees of the Department are empowered, pursuant to law, to enter all lands and waters to enforce the provisions of this Act.

Without question or controversy a CPO can enter land or water anywhere, at anytime to enforce the law or to conduct compliance inspections. In the case of a suspected illegal kill he could clearly seize that animal as evidence regardless of the protest of the landowner. And in fact if a landowner attempts to stop the oficer from doing his job, he is subject to arrest and all licenses issued by the DNR which are held by that person are subject to imediate revocation and no license of any type can be issued for one year.