Sublime Tracking

03/21/2025

I get asked a lot, how do you train a dog to track a wounded deer? Do you have the dog follow blood? My usual response is “if you had a good blood trail there would be no reason to call me to track”.

The dog will take in many scents along the trail. Dander, saliva, pheromones, dorsal glands the list goes on and on.

A large factor in the scent picture is the interdigital gland. The gland secretes a waxy substance with a unique scent used for communication, territory marking, and potentially predator detection.

I personally like using tracking shoes, in some cases I’ll attach the hooves to a stick if the terrain is too rocky.

Also, I like to train as we fight. Using blood at the beginning of the mock track then tapering off to just hooves. Adding blood in a few areas down the line in hopes she will indicate the blood. Learning to read your dog during the “off-season” is a key element in making a tracking TEAM.

BuckBrade Tracking Shoes

03/16/2025

Three D Archery grand opening was a hit! Top notch targets! Had the pleasure shooting with a good group of guys today. Go check them out! Steve at Wild Arrow Outdoors taught me a lot in the world of shooting 3Ds, there was a lot I didn’t know regaurding rules and regulations.

03/01/2025

Off-Season Training Fun!

Windy conditions made for some tough work, but it was a great time to sharpen our skills and learn more about reading tracks. Always a blast running with The Nose Knows Game Recovery !

A common question we get is: How do you train?

For these training sessions, each team lays a “mock” track using a combination of blood and hooves. Then, teams swap tracks, ensuring a blind run so handlers can’t unintentionally influence their dogs. The team that originally laid the track observes, providing feedback on handler techniques and dog reads.

Hooves contain an inner digital gland, which acts as a unique scent ID for the dog to follow. We attach the hoof to a stick or use specialized tracking shoes to simulate real conditions. The ultimate goal for many tracking teams is for the dog to trail without relying on blood. We typically let the tracks age for a minimum of 24 hours.

Training days like this keep us sharp for the real thing!

Always a big party at the end…. Always.

Findings on rucas line, several dead armadillos, a turkey foot and a shed. Deer meat party at the end.

Team diesels line; distractions of several dead deer. A hefty treat of a deer shoulder at the end 😊.

02/15/2025

Go win this bow, you deserve it!

Hey y’all the Missouri Blood Trackers Association has some exciting news to share. This year at our tracking symposium we are doing a drawing for a complete 🏹 setup valued at 💲2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣!

Please note: you do NOT have to be present for the drawing.

This is limited to 200 participants, so get your tickets while you can!

https://www.mobloodtrackers.com/events

01/05/2025

Trackers and hunters!
What’s your experience with the .350 legend?

After the past few seasons .350 legends have been in full swing. (My son shoots one) He hasn’t had an exit even at 25 yards - heart shot. I think it’s a decent gun for whitetail BUT they don’t produce alot blood to the ground. The best way to get a good blood trail is to have an exit! Ballistics for this caliber (any caliber) is important! So after many conversations with hunters and trackers, including my own research. I’d suggest looking into www.bearcreekballistics.com.

Introducing the fastest and hardest hitting 350 Legend ammo on the market today! This 140-grain all copper ammo was specifically designed to optimize your specific rifle. Please select from the variations below.

12/30/2024

This is the tale of three men, a determined mission, and a .58 caliber Enfield reproduction muzzleloader.

Greg and Mick had set their sights on harvesting a deer with a special gun—a relic owned by Bill Baer(micks step-dad) , a retired St. Louis city firefighter. Bill, nearing his 93rd birthday, had used the muzzleloader in civil war reenactments since the early 1980s. Wanting to honor Bill, Greg and Mick were determined to put the old gun to work one more time.

The hunt began with Mick Goslin behind the muzzleloader and Greg Wehmeyer in the stand. They watched as a buck chased a doe around a small food plot. When the buck came within 30 yards, Mick pulled the trigger, letting the .58 caliber bark. After waiting about 30 minutes, the pair began tracking.

But the trail soon went cold. Knowing the drill, they reached out to Mary Wilson Blue Bagheera Tracking. Unfortunately, Mary was under the weather, so she referred us to come help.

We arrived at 10:30 PM. Ruca quickly picked up the blood trail and worked to the point of loss. She continued tracking, showing strong behavior, and led me into a patch of timber where I spotted a set of glowing eyes. Thinking it could be the buck, I mistakenly steered Ruca toward them. A buck stood and limped away, but when we examined the bed, there was no blood. We tracked the buck’s path further but found no sign it was the one Mick had shot.

Looping back to the original point of loss, Ruca found hair in the opposite direction. Unsure if it was from the target buck, we ran more loops without success.

As midnight approached, I decided to refocus. I told Greg and Mick I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless Ruca had another chance to work her first line—this time without interference. She took the same trail, leading us into the timber again. This time, she hooked a left, and 300 yards later, she found a spot of blood. From there, it was a race. Ruca bulldozed another 300 yards through the woods, straight to the downed buck.

Greg and Mick were overjoyed, reminding me once again that this hunt wasn’t just about the deer—it was for Bill.

I’m honored to have been part of such a special story.

12/28/2024

🦌 🐕 🎄
Merry christmas and happy alternative season!
Ruca is ready to roll! This girl needs to work, she has been sitting around getting all fat and sassy… possibly the same for her handler.

12/09/2024

Drones for Deer Recovery: My Thoughts

This year marks the first legal season in Missouri for using drones to assist in deer recovery. I’ve been asked about this many times and have had opportunities to track both alongside and behind drones. While I’ve seen deer recovered with their help, I’ve also seen cases where drones didn’t lead to a recovery. For context, I don’t own a drone, nor do I have a Part 107 license.

One common call I get goes something like this: “Mark, we used a drone last night and spotted the deer, but it’s not there today.” This raises questions:
• Was it the right deer?
• Did the drone operator refuse to return the next day?
• Is it too costly for a follow-up flight?

After nearly a full season of legal drone spotting, I want to share some advice to help hunters make informed decisions and avoid potential fines from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC):
1. Verify Licensing: Ensure the drone operator has their FAA Part 107 license. Always ask for proof.
2. Check Follow-Up Policies: Ask if they’ll return the next day if the deer moves and whether there’s an additional cost.
3. Wait Before Flying: Don’t use a drone until proper recovery wait times have passed—12 hours for a liver shot, 24 hours for a gut shot.
4. Understand Drone Limits: Drone “recovery/spotted” numbers don’t compare to tailgating recoveries with a trained tracker.
5. No artificial light may be used: If the operator is flying at night, spots the target with thermal then uses a light to spot the animal. This is a violation..

While drones can be useful—especially after the leaves fall—I don’t plan on getting one. For me, nothing beats tracking with my partner, Ruca.

As an IT professional and avid hunter, I love the primitive challenge of using a trained K9 to track whitetail. The satisfaction of high-fiving a hunter over their deer after Ruca tracks it for over a mile, or hearing “good girl” when she finds the target, is unmatched. Sometimes, it even turns into a “hunt track” where we jump the deer and help the hunter get in position take a follow-up shot. Moments like these are why I do this.

This is just my perspective, but in my opinion, a good dog will always outperform a drone.

—Mark, On-Lead K9 Whitetail Tracker

11/30/2024

I’ve met a lot of these trackers, awesome teams and even one of my favorites from sw Missouri Tebo Creek Tracking. This truly just scratches the surface in tracking. It’s a short video, give it a watch.

In the rugged wilderness, where every scent tells a story, humans have an extraordinary partner—the K9. With noses attuned to even the faintest trace of bloo...

11/23/2024

My forever hunting buddy track
My nephew Dominic Maniaci
20 hours post shot

Dominic picks up the blood trail the following morning. He has a blood trail for roughly 150 yards to point of loss. Ruca did her thing in a deep ravine. The doe had traveled up the ravine, ran a flat then back down the ravine we go. I believe the doe was pushed by a few coyotes on this line due to rucas behavior. Track distance 850 yards.

Congratulations domino!

11/20/2024

** Youth hunter*** 🚨 Epic TRACK! 🚨

Congratulations Bowen!!
Age 8
30-30
50-60 yards
First shot -Front legs
Second shot (read below)
Track distance, Almost a mile!

Cory (bowens dad) gave us as a call as we have tracked for him a few times. Cory states my son shot a buck this morning and the buck rolled got up and ran into the thicket. As Cory was watching with binoculars during the second shot he could see the antlers of the buck, second shot appeared that the buck dropped. They then waited for a doe to come as they were sure the buck was dead on the second shot. They looked for him and no blood or deer to be found.

We drop ruca in the plot where the deer was shot the first time, she makes her way over to where the second shot was placed. Got blood! Awesome ruca takes a line then hits a small food plot, take a line from there on fresh tracks. She doesn’t look right so we circle around to the second food plot, she now takes a different hole into the woods , blood! So ruca takes us down the line spotting blood, we find 2 bloody beds. We keep going, she now hits a river slough! Ruca jumps in the water and try’s to swim over. Cory spots the buck stand up and hurtfully start walking. Cory goes up to grab his small duck boat. We head over to the island. I bring ruca to where we seen the deer stand up. Note: this buck climbed a 15 foot river embankment wall with a shattered front end. Rucas head down and on this buck hot! She takes us to the other side of the island to a rocky bank on the Mississippi River, the buck then turned back to the island. We track another 50 yards and the hunter sees him bedded. Takes the 3rd shot! Rolls the buck and he’s now back up and still going. We track after the shot another 90-100 yards to bowen’s Buck! He’s finally dead!

Turns out that bowen’s second shot hit the bucks g3! Everything about this was just awesome, bowen’s patients, Cory’s relentless pursuit mixed with being a stellar dad, ruca was just on fire and ready to chew on this buck!

Missouri Blood Trackers Association
Missouri Blood Trackers

11/20/2024

***Wildwood mountain buck***
Congratulations dean!
20 yards
Compound
Grim reaper mechanical
Stomach shot
(Arrow had a smell of sweetness and urine)
Track distance 500 yards
Bloodless (rained on line post shot)
24 hour post shot track

Dean took a shot on this buck and witnessed the buck walk off down the ridge. He didn’t see the buck walk up the next ridge. Dean left his arrow at the impact site and gave us a call. He knew the drill!

We place ruca at the hit site (steep ridge). She takes the line down to the bottom of this ridge and crosses the run off. Going straight up the mountain, it’s a ridge but felt like a damn mountain. She then doubles back as I’m sluggish going up this sucker then travels a popular walking trail.. she’s grabbing some scent from somewhere. I would rather her follow the line. So we opt to turn around where we crossed the walking trail, straight up the mountain we go as we did originally. We top the mountain, winds are whipping she’s bracketing the top. She takes us another 130 yards on top of its peak. She then heads down the one side 20 yards to find this buck in root wad hole! Dean even had trouble seeing the deer as ruca was on it, he was tucked in there. Originally, I thought this deer was intestinally hit. Turns out it hit the lower spot of the stomach. Deans buck he would have went much further if pursued any sooner.

Missouri Blood Trackers Association
Missouri Blood Trackers