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Tiny but Mighty Big Game Recovery

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Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Tiny but Mighty Big Game Recovery

Wound game tracking and recovery with dogs. Servicing the Eastern Upper Peninsula and Tip of the Mitt of Michigan.
(3)

11/10/2024

Another on the tailgate.

Hunter called last night, thought he had a good shot, couldn't find any blood when looking. He backed out and called us. Got all the info, I had a good feeling from the info that his deer was dead.

We arrived at about the 16 hour mark after the shot. Hunter was worried about the rain but I assured him it won't effect Rascal's nose. We got geared up and headed into the shot site.

We heard some crows and then an eagle and Rascal had her nose in the air and took off. We hustled after her only to hear her barking and standing on a brush pile. She had scared the eagle off the the hunter's deer. Hunter was very happy to have recovered his deer. There was a good amount of predator damage, but there is still some salvageable meat. Track was a max of 200 yards and probably the fastest we have ever recovered a deer (2 or 3 minutes). Hunter had a perfect shot just no blood.

Congrats on your first archery 9 point public land buck.

11/09/2024

This is what warms the heart.

Got a call this morning from a dad needing a buck tracked for his daughter. She shot mid morning. There was white hair and very little blood. He tracked maybe 10 yards and decided it was best to back out and call in a dog.

We weren't able to got much info on the phone because of poor signal. The mom called me to arrange a time and place to meet but wasn't out in the woods so didn't have much info. I decided we would get more info when we got there. Harvey was excited that he got to finally tag along on a track.

The young hunter did a great job recounting her shot and the behavior after the shot. Dad concurred and off we went to the hit site. We found white hair and a tiny bit of blood. I was a little nervous at first but Rascal took the trail and off we went. We picked our way through thick grass into some tagalter slashings where blood was starting to show up more. We kept getting tangled in the brush so I took the lead off to simplify things. Rascal worked down the line as we followed, finding blood puddles at that point. My GPS dinged that Rascal was stopped and I looked she was only 75 yards away not moving. I told them she is on their deer. We made our way towards her. The dad and kids walked up ahead farther and myself and grandpa took a right turn following my GPS. I finally spot a white wagging tail under a log. I tell the grandpa to look to his right as he was just about to walk by. There was Rascal with the young lady's buck tucked up under a log.

I called to the young girl that she needed to come over and claim her deer. I don't think she touched the ground as her and her dad came running over. It was so special to be part of this young hunter's story on her very first deer. To make today even more special for this family, grandpa also tagged a nice buck. 3 generations in the woods making lasting memories.

Congratulations on your gorgeous 8 point UP public land buck young lady.

11/05/2024

Proof of Life!

We tracked this big boy about a week ago. Hunter knew his shot was off but wasn't sure if it was fatal and had no sign because of rain. We came in and Rascal nosed around for a bit, picked a trail. She was busy looking for the noisy squirrel. Brought her back and restarted, she took the line for about 100 yards and gave me the look that she didn't think it was dead.

Hunter sent me this last night. His buck is alive and well. He hopes to get another shot at him soon.

Edit: I apologize, I realize i posted the wrong picture from the wrong track.

11/04/2024

Rascal decided she was going to put on a clinic this morning.

Aiden got a hold of me this morning to see if I was available to track a buck he shot last night. The only hitch was he was trying to secure landowner permission to track on property he suspected the buck went to. I was able to point him to the right people to get contact info for landowners and he was able to get permission. Landowners lived downstate and were not up.

We head out to go help find this deer. It was a for sure gut shot. Aiden and his friends had tracked a little ways and found gut material so they backed out to call for Rascal.

We arrive at the 20 hour mark after the shot and the hunter was explaining what happened at the shot site. Well Rascal said let's go boys and took us along where the hunter said the deer went. There is no visible sign as it has been raining all night and morning so I was blindly trusting my dog. She was steady the whole way and after about 650 yards we got into some heavy brush. I knew we had to be getting close as she was getting more excited. So I cut her off lead to get myself untangled. Rascal beelined it out of the thick stuff and about 100 yards my GPS unit dinged that she was stopped. We get out of the thick brush onto a small 2 track and I looked at my unit and she hasn't moved. I knew she was on her deer and I could smell the gut smell. She was about 50 feet inside the treeline on this gorgeous 9 point UP buck. There was a little predator damage on the hind quarter, but still lots of salvageable meat.

750 yards of 20 hour old rained on track to find this beast. Congratulations Aiden and thank you for trusting the Tiny but Mighty crew to find your buck.

10/18/2024

Rascal with the win yesterday morning.

Dad and son were hunting the night before and the boy took a shot at this big boy. Found very little blood and decided to back out and check again in the morning. The dad looked for over an hour and couldn't find anymore then the couple drops from the night before. Gives me a call for some help.

We arrived about 16 hours after the shot and from the way the dad described the deer's behavior after the shot, it sounded like it was a dead deer. Put Rascal on the ground and she took off on the line that the dad seen it go originally. After about 300 yards I could tell she was off on something that I didn't feel was the right deer. It was then the dad told me that when he was congratulating his son on his shot, he caught a deer heading the opposite direction but wasn't sure if it was their deer or another one. So I pull Rascal off and we go back to the hit site. I walk her along the other side of the trail just to see if my suspension was right. Sure enough, Rascal lines out and 75 yards later she was standing on this gorgeous 9 point.

Congrats to the young boy and his dad on this amazing UP buck. This was the boy's very first deer and what a whopper.

10/13/2024

After a frustrating start to the season we finally got a recovery.

We got a call yesterday morning for a deer shot not far from my house. Very little to No blood and hunter saw the exit wound was farther back then ideal. I came in about 6 hours after the shot and started with Rascal. We talked it up the hillside and had some trouble after the deer crossed the road. We stayed with it and Rascal managed to sort it out and back on the deer. I was working my way through some raspberry bushes when Rascal started barking and whining. She is about 25 feet ahead of me on lead and suddenly there was the buck heading straight at me. I'm pretty sure Rascal bit him on the rump the way he boogied out of there, spraying blood as he ran hunched up. I yelled to the hunter and his friends that were helping track to get out of the way. Everyone was able to get out of the injured buck's way. We backed out to let him expire.

We left for another track that ended with a suspected live deer.

I brought Flynn out to finish what Rascal started and he marched us right back down the hill to the expired buck. Congrats to the hunter and his very first archery buck.

09/04/2024

Michigan Deer Trackers list for 2024 hot off the press. We are 52 on the list.

09/04/2024

Shirts and Hoodies are in. I have a limited about but go from small up to XXL. I only did orange for now. 25 dollars on the shirts and 40 for a hoodie.

08/12/2024

Hello everyone,

Tracking season is drawing near. I will be available during bear and whitetail. I won't be able to take all the tracks but I'll do my best.

Couple of announcements: we are adding a rookie team this year. Josie and her handler will be tagging along in tracks to learn and gain experience.

We are able to help our Canadian neighbors this season! Yes we will be going officially international this season!

Picture of Rascal working her summer job as rodent pest control.

05/04/2024

Super excited to have a logo. I'll be putting in an order for some shirts and hats. If any of my followers or previous clients would like one please let me know. Thank you Ryann Bradley for the stellar logo.

03/10/2024

Flynn got mail this past week! He will be heading to UKC Premier Nationals this summer to compete for Top Ten.

12/04/2023

Proof of life! Got a text yesterday on the buck we tracked about week and a half ago for an old coworker that he showed back up on camera yesterday morning. This is awesome to see that Rascal was right in knowing the deer was gonna be just fine.

11/24/2023

Hello everyone we will be taking a little break here as we will be heading west to Wisconsin to visit with family. We will be back Monday November 27th to help close out rifle season. I'll still be available to offer advice. Stay safe and good luck.

11/20/2023

Yesterday we were 0-2 on tracks.

Track #1
Hunter called said he shot at a deer and the bullet hit a sapling first before hitting the deer and he wasn't sure where the deer was hit and had limited blood.
Rascal and I had to take a boat ride to the track site. We inspected the area and seen the large sapling that was hit. We tracked the deer along the river then up into a big field. After about a mile I felt confident that the deer had a non lethal brisket wound.

Track #2
Flynn and I went on our first night track together. Hunter shot at his deer at 100 yards. He was uncertain where it was hit and had good blood for about 300 yards then it dried up. Flynn gets to work but I could tell he wasn't really interestedin the known blood line. We worked through the blood trail only to go in circles after last blood. He had zero interest in advancing the line, which told me the deer was not a lethal shot and would probably be just fine.

Today

Rascal and I get a call from a hunter that had just shot his deer, felt it was a good hit but had no blood at all. We gear up and head over about an hour after the shot. Hunter was explaining what happened and Rascal was already lined out and dragging me along. I told him, hey dog says this way. 250 yards later and only 1 little splash of blood, we are standing over his buck. He was super impressed with how fast Rascal worked the line and had his buck.

Congratulations to the hunter on this nice 7 point UP buck.

11/18/2023

1 for 2 today.

First track was for an old coworker that shot a buck last night and didn't have much blood. We get there and survey the scene. There was not much sign but the hunter told me the shot knocked the deer over. Rascal goes to work and we track for about 300 yards and I didn't like how she was tracking. I felt like she was back tracking the deer from where it came from before the shot. We go back to the hit sight and sure enough she heads in the opposite direction towards a creek. She loses interest after about 400 yards. We suspect that the deer is still alive and was only spinal shocked.

Track #2

I got a call from a friend of a previous client that he shot a buck and needed help. We were already pretty close so we head on over. The hunter said he found some bone and blood. With looking at the bone I'm already suspecting a leg shot. Rascal gets to work and down the short known blood trail. We work our way through the track and I'm seeing deep foot prints and drag marks in the dirt and leaves. I'm starting to get worried we weren't going to catch up but then Rascal picks up her head and starts hammering on her lead. We find fresh blood and more drag marks. I'm 100% certain that we are pushing a live leg shot deer. I knew we would never catch up on lead because I'm not fast enough to keep up with my little terror. I asked the hunter if he was ready to catch his deer. He looked puzzled and I explained what I was seeing and only turning the dog off lead to bay up the injured deer would be hope we would recover this deer. I also made it clear we would have to move very quickly once the deer is bayed up to get a kill shot. He agreed and said he was ready. I unclip the lead and she tears off down the track, yipping the entire time. I'm watching her on my garmin and she gets 150 yards and just raises a ruckus. I told the hunter to move, she has it stopped. We sprint towards where she is barking and sure enough there was his buck. The deer slips past the dog and off we go again. Another 80 yards and she has it stopped again. The hunter pulls the rifle up to get and shot and the deer moves again with Rascal hot on its heels. Third bay up was finally where the hunter got the kill shot and put it down very quickly. Total this track was .85 miles.

This buck would have never been recovered without a dog and without the new off lead tracking that Michigan allowed this year. I was scared s***less this whole time as I have never turned Rascal loose, nor have I wanted to due to her size. She did a fantastic job and got her deer. Definitely will not be making off lead a habit though.

Congratulations to this hunter and your very respectable 6 point UP buck. I'm a very tired handler and Rascal is a very tired pup, but it sure was worth it. This deer would have surely become wolf or coyote food if not recovered.

11/12/2023

What better way to spend Veterans Day then in the woods with my boy. Rascal went 1 and 1 today.

Marcus got ahold of me this afternoon about a buck he shot this morning. He said originally he thought he might have missed it as it didn't show any sign of being shot and kinda just walked off. He lost sight of it as he was recocking his crossbow hoping he could get another shot. He went looking for his arrow and found a small pile of dark red blood and a very short blood trail. Instead of going searching he made the call to back out and called for Rascal.

I knew the area so asked if the hunter minded of my son tagged along as he has been bugging to go on a call with me for a while now. Marcus gladly said yes bring him along. We arrive at the 6 hour mark and Rascal went to work. 150 yards and 3 minutes later we were standing over this beauty. Perfect liver shot. It was a great moment to show my son how tracking work dogs works and also signs to look for to show that your dog is on the right track. Perfect recovery to get him started.

Thank you Marcus and congratulations on this UP buck.

We got a second call as we were leaving this first track to see if we could help find a deer for a different hunter. I knew this next track wasn't going to be as nice as our first one as it was over 36 hours old and had been grid searched, but I said I'd give it go. So we head right down to the other track. Rascal picked her way through the multiple deer trails and the grid search. We pushed it another 600 yards past last blood but very unsure of the deer was still alive or not. Sadly no recovery, but my boy made new friends and talked the hunter's ear off.

10/30/2023

Got a message for a double track for a hunting couple. Both shot a deer last night and backed out after losing blood.

I got out there first thing this morning after dropping kids off at school and got Rascal out on the woman's deer first. We follow the known blood trail for a bit and she gets off on other routes. After a few restarts we get on a line and find fresh blood. After taking a total of 1.6 miles I called the track as a possible brisket shot and we were tracking a live deer. After walking out the boyfriend stumbled over the arrow, which they didn't find last night, and it had streaks of fat grease. We all were confident it was a brisket shot after that and the deer will be fine.

We get back to the vehicles and I swap out to Flynn to give Rascal a break. We go into the hit sight and Flynn locks onto the blood trail and starts making his way towards last blood. We take our time and I keep double checking making sure he is right since we don't have as much time in the woods together. We worked through some small stops and a couple distractions until we get to the last blood. Flynn pushed the track past last blood another 200 yards to the hunters deer. Sadly the wolves found it before we did. The couple was disappointed they weren't putting the meat in the freezer, but really enjoyed getting to watch both dogs work the tracks. This was Flynn's first official recovery with me as handler, and I couldn't be happier that we are learning to work together.

10/29/2023

Got a fun chance to run a known kill track. Neighbor shot their deer this morning and gave me a call see if I wanted a nice 150 yard practice track. I didn't turn it down. I took Flynn to see how we did together on a real life track. He took a while to figure out the start line but once he locked in he marched me right to the gut pile. I think him and I are ready to start going on calls together.

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Sault Ste. Marie, MI

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+17153510579

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Videos

Rascal ran the practice track today after 22 hours of lay time. Needed 2 restarts as she thinks fake tracks are boring. We did finally get it together and found the "deer".