Blood Trailing K9 - a successful find begins with a consistent start routine

When blood trailing lost deer with a K9 the success of the find is a result of a consistent start routine, a consistent start routine outlined here will return the best chances of finding your deer.

The check command: This is a indication given by the handler to what and where the dog will start its trailing. Training begins at home with teaching the dog to scent check what you are pointing to, typically done by placing a piece of food under the dogs toy and bringing your hand close to the toy while at the same time giving a verbal command to 'check'.

The scent inventory: While removing the dog from the vehicle give the command to start work, make this command with added excitement to encourage drive, do this a few times and the dog will learn its going to do the job it likes. The dog is then walked on a short lead to the start of the blood trail. While on the short lead walk the dog in a full 360 degree circle around the start of the blood trail. All people who will be following you behind the dog should be present at this stage. The diameter of the circle will depend on the terrain but will typically be about thirty feet, during the scent inventory watch for head pops, this indicates the dog is looking at the deer's direction of travel.

The start: Immediately after the scent inventory walk your dog back to the start point (center of the circle) where the blood trail starts. At this point remove the short lead, harness the dog quickly with a 30' lead, and give the verbal check command at the same time bring your hand close to the deer blood.


Now hang on to your dogs long lead for a ride.

Pro tip: make sure the lead is not wrapped around your legs otherwise you may go for a tumble.

Thank you to Kevin Kocher for teaching me this method.

Got a question for you. Do you need a license for the dog because in a word he is hunting. I run my hounds during bear and dear season and need a license for each one of them. Just curious if you ever checked it out...

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Got a question for you. Do you need a license for the dog because in a word he is hunting. I run my hounds during bear and dear season and need a license for each one of them. Just curious if you ever checked it out...

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My dog is only trained for trailing lost game after the shot has been made, it appears they re-worded the rules recently so for now we do not need a license for trailing, but the dog must be kept leashed.

As I understand the $12.21 license is only required for running dogs when in the act of hunting.

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Originally Posted by Marker

My dog is only trained for trailing lost game after the shot has been made, it appears they re-worded the rules recently so for now we do not need a license for trailing, but the dog must be kept leashed.

As I understand the $12.21 license is only required for running dogs when in the act of hunting.

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I recall that from last fall - not sure if the discussion was here or on another forum.
IIRC the handler does not need a hunting license either. A lot of the blood trackers are not hunters.

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

I recall that from last fall - not sure if the discussion was here or on another forum.
IIRC the handler does not need a hunting license either. A lot of the blood trackers are not hunters.

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There must be someone with a license and tag present during the search, the dog handler does not need to be the one with a hunting license/tag.

Marker, I was just curious if you were required to have a license. Thanks for clearing my curiosity and question up... Got to be very rewarding when a deer is recovered that way... for you and the dog...

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Marker, I was just curious if you were required to have a license. Thanks for clearing my curiosity and question up... Got to be very rewarding when a deer is recovered that way... for you and the dog...

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Its more of a relief than a reward, at some point the trail goes somewhere unexpected and leaves you wondering if the dog found a hotter trail.

Trailing dogs are not 100% successful but when they are its amazing to watch, as smart as humans are dogs are equally smart in following scent. It amazes me how they can pick up a trail part way through and just by scent know which way the deer was travelling. I am sure you have seen that behaviour with your dogs, Blueticks move fast and are some of the best deer hunting dogs I have seen over rough terrain. My current trailing dog is a Golden Retriever, she quick but not top speed fast like my Bloodhound was, I was just a boat anchor going for a ride on that dog.

It amazes me to see my dogs or anyone else's work. How they can pick up scent out of the air while in a dog box with their head out or on top of the rig let alone drift a track running full tilt some 20-30 yds downwind. To me it's always been about the dog work. Again thanks.