When hunting large game, an animal may run away and hide, even if fatally injured. Even if a moose is large, you may not find it if it decides to hide. At this point, the arrival of a bloodhound handler can make all the difference.
“I have always advocated the use of a bloodhound to search for big game in the forest,” explains Simon Lemay, owner of outfitter Le Chasseur. I believe that once hunters have searched and found nothing, they should always employ the services of a handler and a dog. »
The latter recently experienced a good example of an injured animal not being found when he discovered an elk skull with the plume still in place.
“Usually, for example, a moose that dies in the winter no longer has antlers. What I found were the remains of an animal that was the victim of a hunting injury and was never found. For the hunter involved, his story must have ended with him shooting the animal and missing. If he had called a dog handler, he would most likely have found the animal,” explains Simon Lemay.
The dog handlers and their specially trained dogs are real professionals.
“Several steps are required to train a bloodhound capable of research,” he continued. You have to start when he is very young, with a dog of a breed that has long been trained for this use. We train him with small trains, with a piece of elk skin. When he finds it, he is congratulated. We increase the air resistance until it can follow the course for a distance of one kilometer. The trail consists of a piece of moose skin and 250 ml of blood aged for 24 hours. All of this with the aim of offering hunters the greatest possible return on their search. »
NO NEED FOR BLOOD
Normally we rely on bloodstains during a search. The dog doesn’t necessarily need this element to find the beast.
“An injured animal leaves traces that humans cannot recognize. The dog does not need blood as it prefers to follow a wounded animal. It may well be blood, but if the animal is hit elsewhere, for example in the rumen, the dog will often follow the so-called path or passage of the injured animal. It detects the stress left behind in the animal’s tracks on the ground. In addition, the injured animal causes stress, which dogs can easily sense. The dog follows the path of the injured animal. The dogs used come from lines that were trained for this work. »
Another successful search for Simon Lemay and his faithful companion Maurice. Photo provided by Simon Lemay
A very important point for this experienced outfitter is the quality of the shot.
“The hunter must adjust his weapon very well before hunting. It is also necessary that a hunter, having shot an animal, looks to see what happens to that animal and not just say that he missed it. I practice this with the outfitter. The handler can quickly determine whether an injury has occurred based on the dog’s behavior. »
“In 50% of the cases where I do a shooting inspection and find out where the hunter shot, there is an injury even though the hunter has no idea. I find the beast. »
Even if the game falls into the water, the bloodhound does not lose its resources. He will find him. Photo provided by Simon Lemay
It often happens that a hunter misjudges the place where he shot. The dog finds the exact spot by simply breathing the wind. You should not always trust the image that appears in the telescope. As much as possible, memorize clues around the location where your wild animal, elk or deer, was.
PREPARE
Before you go hunting, it’s best to be well prepared in case you need a bloodhound handler for the search.
“The hunter must ask himself the following question: If he ever needs a driver, where will he call and what is the profile of these professionals in his hunting area? Simply visit the Association of Blood Dog Handlers of Quebec website (accsq.com) where you will find a list of all blood dog handlers by region. It is the best source of information. It is very important to know who to call if necessary. A bloodhound manages to cover up the tracks left by the hunters during their search. You have to be careful not to come across traces of blood, that’s for sure. »
