Page 50 - Kansas Sportsman

LOST DEER? DON’T WORRY!

Kansas Deer Recovery Helps Find Your Wounded Animal

By Brent Dale

Kansas Deer Recovery is a group dedicated to the legal and ethical recov- The real star of the show is the dog. Our dogs are of many different breeds
ery of deer that have been wounded by hunters. We maintain a Facebook but all are prey driven with an overwhelming desire to find the deer. The
page used as a means of connecting hunters in need with a tracking dogs are trained to follow a specific scent line through various conditions
team. The Facebook page contains an interactive Kansas map with and situations. When a deer is wounded, it is stressed and puts out an
tracker locations and contact information. The page also serves as a way individualized scent—something like a fingerprint.
to communicate information on applicable topics such as dog training,
and best hunter practices to improve chances of recovery. On occasion, The dogs are able to distinguish your wounded deer from other deer in
tracking teams are used to locate other game animals or lost pets. the area. The dogs use a variety of inputs to sort out the puzzle. Some of
the inputs are blood, if any, scent drifting out of the wound, and scent
Tracking teams consist of a human handler and a dog specifically trained from a gland on the foot called the inter digital gland. If the inputs/scents
to track wounded game. All teams represented by Kansas Deer Recovery are disturbed such as when a grid search is performed prior to calling
and listed on our map, have been vetted by our senior trackers who have a tracker, the puzzle becomes more difficult for the dog and handler to
years of experience and/or serve as judges for the National tracking piece together. We regularly recover deer that could not be located after
organization, United Blood Trackers. The vetting process helps ensure a visual track by the hunter but chances are improved the less the area is
that tracking teams contacted through us are legitimate, capable, safe, disturbed.
and will follow all the related Kansas regulations.
Although we don’t recover every deer we are called to track, we do find
many that would not be found otherwise. Your chances of a successful
track will always be better with a tracking team. Even if the deer is not
recovered, often times we identify signs that the deer is not mortally
wounded giving some peace of mind to the hunter.

Our tracking teams are here to help and probably enjoy the track, as
much as hunters enjoy the hunt. We encourage you to use the Trackers
Map and contact someone if you need help. Better yet, make contact with
your local trackers prior to season. They would love to talk to you about
your upcoming hunt
and the things you
can do increase
The dog and trainer work as a team to find deer. your chances of
recovering any deer
you shoot.
Of course, there are differing levels of experience in the group but all have
demonstrated proficiency through real life recoveries and/or testing. The best advice we
If a team is just starting out, you will be made aware of this upon initial can give is if you
contact. Costs for the service are set by the individual trackers and range have any doubt after
from free, to several hundred dollars. the shot, back out
and call your Kansas
The handler and dog work as a team, each contributing differently to Deer Recovery
the track. The handler must know how to read his teammate and make tracker. It could
decisions based on what his dog is telling him/her. Dogs are required to mean the difference
be leashed when tracking in Kansas and are therefore always under the between recovering
control of the handler. The handlers also see many more deer tracks your deer or it rot-
than the typical hunter. This experience alone can lead to a recovery, ting in the woods.
many times just by providing guidance to a hunter and without the use Different breeds of dogs
are used to find deer.
of the dog.

50 THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024