This story starts 24 hours after this animal was hit, when Kevin Leslie; the owner of Rocky Creek Ranch called me about a monster buck that was shot at his ranch 24 hours prior and had yet to be recovered. As per our tracking SOP while taking a call, I asked all the important detailed questions and Kevin explained the who, what, where, when & why about the situation. I then explained we could not leave immediately for his call because we had two prior calls to attend too and at the time of Kevin’s call, there was a persistent light rain that made tracking the next day look like a hail-Mary pass to the end zone. So I then explain that the soonest we could get to him would be tomorrow around mid-day. He concurred and then we exchanged numbers and hung up.

     The next day we arrived at the ranch at 03:00pm and it was 47 hours after the shot. Kevin then put Hunter (my senior tracking dog) and me on the bucks trail and we were off to the races. Turns out the light, rain was a blessing in disguise. If the rain is light enough, like a mist, it takes a scent, rejuvenates it, and makes it easier for the dog’s nose to pick it up. Hunter looked like he was on rails as he was following the bucks scent, there was no visible blood, but Hunter had the animals scent and he was going from clump of grass to prickly-pear cactus and every so often he would cast and then back track to check himself and then he would progress. All the while, he was persistent, his concentration was up, and I could tell by Hunter’s body language he had a faint scent, but it was there and he was on the trail. After one forty-five degree turn, two nineties and one one-hundred eighty degree turn, we were headed back to where we had left Kevin and his son, at the last place the buck was seen two days before. Then it happen, Hunter takes us down a 40-degree hill and as we get to the bottom and we clear the standing cypress trees and we break into the open, there before us is a 3-acre pond and before us floating 5 yards from shore head down is a body of a deer. I sound off to Kevin that we found a deer floating and Kevin and his son start there 4oo yard walk to meet us, all the while Hunter has already jumped in and was trying to drag this deer’s body to the shore, quite a funny sight; a thirty-pound dog trying to water retrieve a 160 pound deer, LOL!

     I then took off Hunter’s 30foot lead, tied a rock to the end and tossed it over the deer, this was happening as Kevin and Preston was arriving, well as I grabbed the tail and started to pull the animal ashore it happen, the animal rolled over and there it was! The biggest deer I have ever personally seen and I was touching him. He was and is a magnificent animal. After dragging the buck to the top of the hill for a few quick pictures and a breather, we took a green score and it totaled out to be 164, WOW! It took us one hour to find the animal, which put us at 48 hours after the shot, this is our longest time find, and our biggest buck ever so far, and we were and are still stoked! To say the least and I am so proud of Hunter.

     Two hours after arriving back home Hunter was still running around the house barking and telling everyone he was the man, LOL. Kevin Leslie has a really super nice ranch from what I seen and you should see the lodge, MAN you talk about nice! He has dedicated bow hunting ONLY areas on their ranch and they have spots for gun hunters. Kevin thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime for a tracking team it was fun. Kevin was very grateful and he took good care of us he gave us $$ for gas and dog food for two weeks, Kevin thanks again Brother!

Time and day of shot:               04:00pm, 06-Dec-02

Time / day, called:                   04:00pm, 07-Dec-02

Time on station:                        03:00pm, 08-Dec-02

Time of find:                            04:00pm, 08-Dec-02  

Total distance by GPS was 752meters = ½ mile approx 

 

Kevin & Stacey Breaux

Vom Klaren Bach Kennels

Copperas Cove, Texas

1-254-518-7763

 

Wirehaired Dachshunds from hunting lines,

Where dogs are raised as family

And trained for Tracking!

 

May your shots be straight and your blood trails short!