The first season of the experimental project of the Association of Blood Dog Drivers of Bas-Saint-Laurent (RCCSBSL) completed the first elk bow-crossbow period with 92 free searches and allowed the definition of hunting situations.
The activities of the eight driver members of the RCCSBSL took place mainly on the Zec Bas-Saint-Laurent and in the surrounding areas.
“We didn’t want to expand too much in order to provide good service to hunters. We have received very good feedback about our Call Dispatch Center. We responded to the vast majority of searches. Eight calls to the dispatcher were canceled after the hunters found their moose,” spokesman Sébastien Deschênes said in an interview on the radio show “Rendez-Vous Nature.”
Of the 92 searches, approximately 25 to 30% of calls confirmed that an elk had been fatally shot (liver, heart, and lung shots), and 60 to 65% of searches were unsuccessful.
“After non-fatal shots into the moose’s flesh. With a crossbow, if the distance is poorly judged, the hunter often aims too high and hits the bump on the back or neck. And also when the crossbowman takes a risk when the vital zone is not visible. It also shoots over game. In these cases, we do our job and reassure the hunter that his animal is not fatally injured and then proceed to another call,” explains Sébastien Deschênes.
5 to 10% of the searches turned out to be outdated because there was a lack of valid clues for the handlers and their dogs that would allow them to assume that the game was targeted or not. “It’s part of the research,” adds Sébastien Deschênes.
Where to aim?
This first phase of RCCSBSL research allows us to arrive at certain negative findings that can be attributed to the attitudes of certain bow-crossbow hunters.
“The other drivers and I noticed that many crossbow hunters don’t know exactly where to aim their elk. Before we start the search, we have the “Moose Tracker” application and ask the hunter to identify the place where he shot his moose. And he shot too high. Hunters lack information and some mistakenly believe that shooting crossbows from a height brings positive results. Others shoot from too far away, others from too far away. They only see hair, but they still pull and reach the beast too high,” complains Sébastien Deschênes.
The bloodhound handler reminds us of the importance of practicing shooting before hunting, using broadheads and never shooting a moving elk.
Another successful search for Sébastien Deschênes and his dog Ario, who searched for and found the moose targeted by the archer Samuel Parent. (Photo courtesy of Sébastien Deschênes)
“The attitude of the hunter is very important and he must not shoot when the conditions are not right, otherwise he will injure his game. He has to accept letting it happen. The hunter’s responsibility is to make a clean and healthy shot and not make an unnecessary shot that could injure the animal,” he says.
Do not give up!
Sébastien Deschênes is convinced that the “Recognized Responsible Hunter” program proposed in the ZEC-BSL delivers positive results that, without reaching 100%, remain important and must be continued.
“It’s an eternal new beginning. Without giving up, we must continue to educate and raise awareness among big game hunters.”
To hear this interview click on the link above