Frequently Asked Questions

Two men on a grassy field with a large buck with antlers, mountains and blue sky in the background.

Sharing what we’ve learned over the years can help you become a better hunter, tracker and help you recover more wounded game.

  • The best time to call is immediately after the shot if there is any uncertainty. Calling early prevents pushing a wounded deer and increases recovery success.  If you track your animal and run out of blood to follow, mark the last spot of blood, back out and call us.  Grid searching will only serve to decrease the odds of us finding your animal.  If you’ve just made a shot and not sure what to do - call us! I’ll be glad to walk through the scenario and advise a best course of action.

  • The simple answer is no.  Grid searching spreads the scent of the deer everywhere you walk making it more difficult for the dog. Veteran dogs can often work through grid searches, but blindly searching after running out of blood to follow will only serve to decrease the odds of us finding your deer.  Track your deer, mark last blood and call sooner than later.

  • The biggest mistake we see hunters make is tracking too soon.  In many cases, waiting allows the deer to bed and expire. Every situation is different - call us to discuss the details of your shot and we can advise you on the best approach based on hit location, behavior, and conditions. Allowing the best tracker down the line first will always serve to maximize your chances of recovering your animal.

  • We follow all game recovery laws in the states we track in (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and western states).  Our dogs remain on leash and under our control at all times. Tracking is for recovery only - we do not pursue live, healthy animals. 

  • Yes. Our dogs are trained in cold nose tracking and can find game hours or even days after the shot in some circumstances, depending on conditions.

  • Dogs follow the cocktail of scent coming off the animal, not just visible blood. Many successful recoveries occur with little or no blood trail.  Our dogs do NOT need blood to track.

  • Yes. Hunters are responsible for obtaining permission before recovery on private property.  It’s always a good idea to gain permission from neighboring landowners before we get there.  We will not knowingly trespass. 

  • Under most conditions, the simple answer is no. Moisture tends to help freshen and release scent molecules for the dog to detect. In fact, scenting conditions after a rain or snow fall can be far better than they were before the rain. Snow tends to protect scent like a sponge allowing the dogs to detect odor even in deep snow.

  • Shot time, deer position, weapon used, deer behavior after the shot, last blood location, and any GPS information are helpful.

  • Yes, night tracking is available where legal and safe.

  • I do not charge a fee, but do accept payment the hunter thinks is appropriate for the work that we do - Pay us what you think our services are worth.  Call or text for availability.