In this episode, I sit down with Robbie Kilcollins to discuss the use of trained tracking dogs to recover wounded or otherwise difficult-to-find deer and other game in Maine. We begin with the legal side of tracking wounded animals, including what hunters should understand before calling for help. From there, we explore what a hunter should and should not do after a questionable shot, how easily a track can be disturbed, and when it is time to back out and contact a dog tracker. Robbie explains how a tracking dog works through scent, how the handler learns to read the dog, and whether dogs can distinguish between a dead animal, a wounded animal and one that is still moving ahead. We also discuss shot placement, weather, blood trails, property boundaries and some of Robbie’s most memorable recoveries. At its heart, this conversation is about more than finding deer...we must respect the animal make every reasonable effort to recover the game we pursue.

Enjoy!

To find a licensed tracker near you check out:

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/licensed-dog-trackers.html

United Blood Trackers at https://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/find-a-tracker/