FirstBark
October 28th was a very difficult evening for me. I had shot my 135 inch hit list buck I had been hunting for the past 3 weeks. I made a marginal shot on a moving deer and decided to back out as to not push the deer. There was significant rain over night and my battle was uphill …Read full reviewClose full review
October 28th was a very difficult evening for me. I had shot my 135 inch hit list buck I had been hunting for the past 3 weeks. I made a marginal shot on a moving deer and decided to back out as to not push the deer. There was significant rain over night and my battle was uphill to find this deer on my own. After a few calls to my buddy I was connected with Jeff and Cooper to try and track down my buck. On short notice Jeff agreed to meet me the next day on my schedule. The knowledge I was provided from Jeff before we ever started the track was beyond imagination. I have been competitively hunting trophy whitetail for over 2 decades and I had no idea the breath of insight that resided in the dog tracking umbrella. Cooper was placed on the deer trail and immediately picked up the trail I had followed the night before. There was no visible blood left from the night before, but Cooper had no issue staying on the bucks hormone left from the glands in his feet. He led us straight to the deer 350 yards away. Unfortunately the deer was still alive, but very weak. Cooper locked him down but not long enough for another shot. Jeff strategically decided to position me and push the deer while his adrenaline was pushing what blood was left through his body. The plan was to catch up to this physically injured deer and get another shot. Cooper picked up the aerial scent trail and led us 400 more yards directly to the injured buck. We got a second shot on the deer and were able to dispatch it quickely. There was no chance I would have found the deer without Jeff and Cooper. If I had stumbled on the deer, it would have gotten up and left my life for good. It would have suffered for potentially several days with a broken rear leg and left me with a hole in my heart. I have so much respect for these animals and in this scenario there was no other option than to contract Jeff for the track. He was professional and proficient. He was recommended from several other trackers and I am happy to consider him a friend after our time together. If you are not sure of you shot placement and dont have sufficient blood to track, you need to contact Jeff and give your animal the respect it deserves to find it and dispatch it as quickely as possible. Thank you Jeff and Cooper for the once in a lifetime experience.