books about tracking a wounded deer

First. Take him a LOT. Even when the deer is close, easy to find, or even already found.

Did you google it? I think there's a couple of resources out there.

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how well a lab could trail a deer if he is properly trained?

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Actually I've heard they do very well. Most of the ones I have seen have been curs. Believe it or not, the best I have ever seen was a dachshund. Come to find out, it's one of the breeds strong points. The little bastards are actually good for something. Who would have thought it?

Blood Tracking web site

Do a bunch of research right here. It will tell you tons about the subject and recommend the best books.

As for breeds. Labs can have very good noses. Being task oriented and loving to please their masters....they can be excellent trackers.
However, they are not as natural to it as dogs whom are bred to this exact purpose. Further, I have known labs who tend to their other breeding background. They kind of flake out when it comes to deer tracking. But, that is not ALL labs. Some are great at it. My lab is a good duck dog, but not a born tracker.

Dachshunds are excellent blood trackers. They were bred for their noses and shortened legs so they could not outrun their human counterparts. Being low to the ground, they pick up the scent as easy as most other blood trackers.

My next dog will be a Blue Lacy (featured on the right hand side of the website I just linked for you). This is perhaps one of the best all around hunting dogs I have ever researched. I am pumped to get one of these. I will go for a smaller member of the breed (around 25 lbs). They are believed to be crossed between coyote, whippet, blood hound and other. All around excellent noses and fearless. But great family pets too.

They do love to fight: Coyotes. Here is one of my favorite pics.


Sorry to bombard you with info. You asked!

Thanks Infidel.

I'm really pumped about training a blood tracking dog.

But, with three kids, we can only put up with one dog at a time in the house.

My old lab gets the run of things for now. She's a great dog.

Other breeds to consider:

Black Mouth Cur
Mountain Cur
Coonhound
Ridgeback
Vizla (all purpose)

You need to decide the type of dog you want. Backyard pet, indoor pet/family dog, country dog, kennel dog. Check your needs with the tendencies of the breed you are considering and go from there.

My next two choices would be:
Ridgeback
Blackmouth Cur

Those are just cool arse dogs. Can be loyal to one master and pushy with strangers though.

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I have some books about tracking wounded humans just collecting dust if you want them

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LOL!
You a "most dangerous game" kind of fella?

I have a treeing feist that I'm thinking about turning into a blood dog.

BP, I've been doing it since I was a little kid and at one time would blood trail 5-8 deer a weekend. Learned a lot of tricks and have seen a LOT of blood. Best info I can give you is don't quit on a trail no matter how little blood there is.

My brother and I trailed a deer for a friend of mine a couple of years ago. It was his first bow kill and he shot it through the throat. It was the strangest blood trail I have ever seen, but we found her. I also followed one years ago that a guy said he hit in the shoulder. I told him the blood wasn't right and asked if he may have gut shot him. He insisted it was a solid shoulder hit and the deer cut a flip, got up and ran off. About 50 yards into a suspicious trail I found a tooth. That stand is still called the jaw breaker.

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That stand is still called the jaw breaker.

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I love the history of old camps and how things get named.

Me and my dad have a very good blood dog right now. He's half bloodhound half lab. If it's dead, he will find it.

As somebody said, the best thing is to put em on as many deer as possible as young as possible. As soon as you get em, it's time to start making blood trails in the yard for them. Save the liver and heart from every deer you kill, make a trail, and leave a prize at the end (half the heart or something). Any dog with a good nose and a little sense can be made into a blood dog. Dogs that are used for baying hogs are particularly well suited, because if they find a cripple, they will bay it. A big dog like a ridgeback is also good because they will just flat out kill a cripple before you ever get to it.

Get a puppy, make it some trails, and let it know what the game is. Learn to read your dog. I can look at mine and tell what the situation is by his actions; dead deer, crippled deer that's close, crippled deer that ran out of the state, or flat out miss. A good blood dog makes deer season alot more fun and rewarding. Good luck.

thanks for the great information guys, especially WAR TIGER. I ordered a book and I'm going to see how it goes.