Marksmanship that’s the lost art!!

I'd call a dog if I spent all my energy first to find a deer. I need reading glasses in my older age to see up close stuff. But it's fun having a tracking challenge. Had to learn after some bad bow hunting results. Blood high, blood low, color of blood, type of hair, leaves flipped, tracks, knees on the ground looking at a possible trail, creek near by, on, and on. What irks me is the folks who can't stay out past 10:00 PM to look for a deer. Naw, let's let the yotes getem.

I have always enjoyed tracking since I was a kid. Standing at last blood in the dark for my dad way back before I was big enough to shoot. He did shoot a .243 until 1988 😂 is maybe why I learned a lot about blood trailing.

Now days, I tell my teenager where the arrow is stuck in the ground and let him go find them for me for practice, even if I’ve heard them fall. He found his own bow shot doe and rifle buck by himself earlier this month so he’s learning. As mentioned above, good shooting makes for successful tracks.

BUT I have called a dog on more than 1 occasion for myself and kids if I know or believe the shot may have been marginal. Thanks Dano and Ada!

Nah dogs just a convenience people would still be able to track deer no problem if they wanted to. It's not hard

I don’t know. I feel like tracking and hunting both are becoming a lost art. Due to those like me! My son (11yo) killed a pig today (which is what he wanted to do) on a greenfield with a camera that told us they had been there for the last 2 weeks. We did nothing but walk out, sit in a $2,000 shooting house and wait for him to walk out. We had a great time. It was yet another great experience with my son, but there’s something about sitting over a feeder on a greenfield in a box that just don’t feel totally right. Maybe it’s just me, and I guess I’ll get over it, but it’s not what it used to be to me. I don’t need him wearing a headdress and slangin wooden arras, but trying to teach woodsmanship is tougher than I thought it would be. I need to become a better teacher.

I wonder if the Indians had tracking dogs??

Probably

They also ran buffalo off a cliff to kill them. Wouldn’t do that unless I had to. But I think you can grasp what I’m saying.
I believe hunting has become a complete convenience for folks. That may or may not be a bad thing. It just doesn’t feel the same as it used to to me. That may not make any sense at all. I just personally hate seeing what it has become. And it’ll drive me away from deer hunting before it’s over. The second my kids don’t want to go, I’m done I believe. I’ll continue turkey hunting and kill a few deer to make sausage and some specialty stuff I like. Other than that, people can have all the raves they want to about shooting a “giant” while they toasted their toes in a shooting house and waiting for one to walk in front of the camera which sends them a pic and tells them to look up from their phone so they can kill it. Just how I feel. Maybe it’s the whiskey….

Yep i like using my inner INJUN 😄

Friend of mine has a Cat that Tracks the Deer Shot on his place. As for myself, I’ll Track my own Deer. And yes stuff can, & does happen. But if you put it where it’s supposed to be, won’t be any reason to Track.

I think that shooting has become a lost art
Used to people learned to shoot out of necessity but now if a pie plate can be hit at 50 yds that’s good enough
Never in all my life have I seen so many need a dog to find a deer
Either neck shoot them or shoot to break both shoulders and you’ll find them in the spot they were standing

How many would you estimate that you've seen?.....Dozens??

How many would you estimate you had to track ?

I am gomna do what i want to do amd ifn u dont like it - tuff titty 😀

Amd if i ever get a bigun shot i will be sure not to let some judgemental
Jokers i never met hinder my decision 🤣🤣🤣

Amd if u use one r not - i could care less and i will not b any more impressed if you didnt use a dog 🤣🤣

Patience and take time is key if dont know how to track

Pretty sure just about every tracker tracks dozens every year and turn down quite a few they dont have time to track. Thats pretty accurate, isnt it? All ive talked to or heard about are staying pretty busy.

If the book of faces is any indicator, there shouldn't be an out-of-shape tracking dog in the state.

If you can't shoot worth a damn make sure you have CNC's phone number if you try these shots.

I really don't think Marksmanship is, everybody has guns that will shoot under MOA , with Hubble Telescopes and magic bullets. They don't know how to shoot to kill a live target in the woods.

Being a good tracker generally equates with being a good woodsman. Woodsmanship is definitely becoming a lost art.

Spot on