Our deer went down within view 30-40 yards from impact. No dog needed as my friend Scott was a few hundred yards down the woods overlooking another plot. We didn't want to disturb him so we simply packed up, loaded the deer on the 4 wheeler, and left as quietly as we could.
Once back to camp Jaden got to play with the deer. At first, he was scared of it, then he began to smell it, then lick it. He cleaned out the deer's wound.
My son approached Jaden then Jaden got real possessive of the deer and snapped at my boy. I kind of expected that to happen as I was warned to wear leather gloves when removing dog from deer.
We proceeded to field dress the deer at camp where tools are plentiful and running water from the well hose is useful. We got her all hung in the tree when Ron radios in....buck hit....bring dog.
We arrive a few minutes before dark to aid Ron. Ron is color blind. Its been almost an hour since Ron struck the decent 8 point buck on a 40 yard food plot shot. Jaden picks up the track instantly as I didn't see any blood. Jaden carries us into a nearby woods heading East. It's getting dark pretty fast by now but I begin to start seeing blood in decent patches as Jaden is pulling me through the woods. With the dog pulling so hard I give no attention to the blood trail as I'm simply trying to keep up with Jaden, the dog. Down into a ravine, then up a hill, down a logging road, and into a power line, down the power line, then losing all blood and Jaden's attention is drifting. We have covered 2 neighboring properties and 500 yards. Since Jaden's attention is now in question (as he's no longer pulling; wound probably gut plugged the blood hole) I simply allow him to take lead and I continue to follow him down the edge of the power line and into the road. We end at the road and mark the spot.
We walk back to the cabin and arrive at 8, have a couple of beers, and a quick dinner. Scott, Ron, and I head back out at 9:15 to have another look just off the road. Scott immediately finds one drop of watery looking blood on the side of the road (Scott and Ron were both in shock that the deer made it that far and Jaden's young nose had delivered us to that last known spot of blood on the roadside), on the other side is fenced club property (in which I'm a member). We access through a nearby gate and allow Jaden to work the inside fence line. He got a little "Birdy" in one spot. As we continued to look we saw no clues and Jaden was not "hitting" on anything. I allowed Jaden to work the perimeter of this 10 acre thicket so thick you can't walk into it. He didn't hit on anything. We ended our search at 11pm.
Since we had a football game back home Brendan, Jaden, and I had to leave camp Sunday at daylight because of our prescheduled football game (we won 26-13 with Brendan busting off a 60 yard run as well as nice defensive tackle/strip/recovery). Ron, Scott, and my Dad looked for another hour in that ravine yesterday during daylight hours. They claim it was too thick to walk through. I think Ron's buck probably crossed the road, jumped the fence, and bedded down in that nasty thicket. We were probably 100-200 yards from it. It was probably gut/liver shot by what I could tell. Chris, the neighbor down there, said he'd take his dog Bear for a walk down there today. He says if there is dead deer Bear will find it. The hope is small but there remains a glimmer of hope. If not, the deer drivers during gun week will find Ron's deer. I know the coyotes probably found it the first night as they are plentiful and make quick work out of an unfound deer.
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