Corpusfishing.com

[Prof. Salt]

I've seen plenty of videos of people using dogs to help track wounded deer in the past, and until now never needed one. Saturday morning I had a bunch of does inside 15 yards and they kept watching someone out of view. He finally came in and was a solid 10 point, probably 3.5 or 4.5 with wide antlers but he wouldn't score above 130. I mostly hunt for meat, and this guy fit what I was looking for. After 45 minutes of being squirrely and staying outside my shooting lane he finally gave me a good shot, quartering away at 14 yards. I drew the longbow undetected, picked a spot and sent the arrow on its way. It hit just behind the ribs angling low into the chest and stopped with fletches still visible. The deer all scattered and I quickly lost sight of the buck. My tree only offers good visibility within my shooting lane, with small holes to see incoming animals but cover to help keep me from being spotted, but I could see enough to tell what trail he was on as he left.
I gave the deer two hours before taking up the track, and at first it was very limited blood. Within 20 yards I found my arrow that had been pulled out the opposite side, and it was covered in bright (but not bubbly) blood. The shot was low enough that it should have hit the heart or vessels close to it, so this wasn't a surprise to me. The blood got a little better and tracking was easy enough until the deer slowed down about 75 yards along. The blood began to drip in better quantities, and finally there was a good pool of blood on the ground ...and then nothing. Not another drop in any direction could be found. I worked the trails leaving that spot without any blood or even prints visible. By mid-day I was grumpy and hungry, so I ran into town for a burger. I felt better coming back onto the property and retraced the trail looking for any place the deer may have doubled back and cut in a new direction. The trail lead only back to that blood pool. I worked in a widening circle looking for signs without any luck, and finally resigned myself to doing a grid search through the brush in all directions. By dark I was tired and depressed. The shot had gone right where I wanted it to be, and the hit was surely fatal but where that deer went after it clotted off is still a mystery. I had been able to smell this guy from 30 yards while I was in the tree, and I had hoped he would give himself away if I crossed down wind from where he crashed, but I never had a whiff of rutting buck during the search.

A long story but it leads to my question: Is there anyone in the Corpus or Popalote area that has a deer tracking dog? Any ideas what that kind of service costs? I hope to never need it in the future, but I need to have contact info in case this every happens again. I really really hate losing a deer like that.

[lagunaroy]

Probably someone in the Kingsville area, maybe Refugio. The GOAT of deer tracking dogs is Roy Hindes. Texas Monthly did a video on him made me smile.

Or get a puppy and train him yourself. Might cut into your fishing time though
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wake and speed are not linear

[Southeast Of Disorder]

Glen, as you probably know the Buzzards will let you know the next morning where your deer took its last breath.

I have in the past contacted the closet vet where i lost a deer and inquired with the vet or his team to make contact with a dog owner who his dog is used for tracking. They know their patients.

[Prof. Salt]