Best Deer Tracking Dog in Texas
A deer tracking dog also called a blood tracking dog, has saved many a Texas hunter a sleepless night. Sooner or later it’s going to happen to all of us hunters. You’re going to shoot an animal and there won’t be enough blood, or sign, for you to track your animal. That’s when it’s time to call in the deer tracking dog(s)!
Gus, my deer tracking dog, is a National Lacy Dog Association (NLDA) registered lacy. Gus is a 6-year-old red (recessive red or cream) Lacy and he’s been tracking deer since he was a pup. He found a big axis buck when he was just 3 months old. Over the course of the rest of that year, we found a couple of more big axis bucks and whitetail together. Since then he’s tracked and found countless animals. Most of the wounded animals he’s found have been whitetail, hence the name deer tracking dog, but he’s also found all kinds of exotics including axis, aoudad, blackbuck and fallow deer.
Where We Track
Most of our game tracking is within 2 hours of Kerrville, in the Hill Country and the Northern edge of South Texas, however, I do spend a lot of time out in West Texas, the Trans-Pecos Region, and will be happy to track any wounded animal while I’m in West Texas, as long as time allows. It’s best to just give me a call/text, and see where I’m at, and we’ll see if we can work something out.
Information needed before tracking:
When calling for a deer tracking dog there’s some information that will be very helpful to know prior to showing up. Obviously I’ll need to know your location, so please drop a pin on a map and text it to me. That will give me your exact location and will allow me to have an idea of how far you are from my location as well as how long it will take to get to your location.
Gus tracks off lead, using a GPS collar, so for his safety and ours, I’m fairly particular about the way I do things. Ideally, it’s best if you think you made a questionable shot and might need to call for a deer tracking dog, not to go walking all through the brush where you might be contaminating the blood trail and/or pushing the wounded animal further. Being a hunter myself, I know this isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but it will greatly increase your odds of recovering your animal if you back out of the brush and leave the track fresh, undisturbed, and call/text as soon as you think you have a wounded animal.
Here’s a list of a few things that will be helpful to know before heading to track your animal:
- Was the animal shot with a rifle or bow?
- When was the animal shot?
- Have you put any other dog(s) on the trail?
- How large is the property where you shot your animal?
- Is the property high fenced or low fenced?
- Do you have permission to go on the neighboring properties if you are hunting low fence?
- Does the property have any snares, traps or cyanide guns?
Deer Tracking Dog – Policies & Procedures:
- I can’t guarantee that Gus and I will find your animal, but we will do our absolute best, and spend as much time as I feel necessary, to recover your animal. Because it’s the same amount of work whether we recover your animal or not, I charge the full amount whether we recover your animal or not. Obviously, cash is king (who doesn’t prefer to be paid in cash, right?), but if there’s enough cell signal, I’ll also accept Venmo and PayPal.
- When I’m watching my GPS, and trying to keep up with Gus, it’s very difficult for me to keep track of everyone if they try to follow us into the brush. For our safety, as well as Gus’ safety, I’ll be the only person following him and the only person with a firearm. As long as I know everyone stayed at the spot where I entered the brush, I know where everyone is at if I need to finish off a live animal. This keeps us all safe, and keeps Gus safe, and we’ll all be able to celebrate and head home to hunt another day.
- Gus only barks if your animal is still alive, and if it’s still alive I’ll finish it off for you. Once again this is for the safety of Gus, as well as our safety. After I’m sure your animal is dead I’ll come back and get you.
- When we walk back up to your animal, please do not, under any circumstances, try and touch your animal, or Gus, until I give you permission! Your animal is his, because he found it, and he will protect it. He’s a great dog, and very friendly, but when he’s working, he’s all business. If you try and touch him, or your animal, before I tell you it’s ok, there’s a very good chance that he will bite you!
Please contact me via text/call, 210-602-3118, ASAP if you have a wounded animal and need a tracking dog in Texas!
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