My youngest son has been bow hunting for a couple of years now and has been quite successful with 2 kill last year. The weather here has been unseasonably warm and rainy since bow season opened, and he hasn't been hunting but a couple of times. While I was at church yesterday evening for a meeting, he and my brother were hunting at my parent's place, and he called me about 7pm to tell me that he had shot a doe. I told him to leave her alone and go get Annie (my deer trailing Lab), but he wanted me to come and handle her. It took me about 15 minutes to get home, load up Annie, and get to my parent's place, and by that time it was dark. My brother and son were at the spot where the arrow broke off, but there was no blood trail. Annie sniffed around and took off into the brush. My brother has never seen my dog work and made the statement that "he would kiss my butt if Annie found the deer", and I told him to pucker up.

I walked out into the brush with Annie as she worked the trail, and at this point, she backtracked to where the arrow was and took off again. She passed me and headed off to my left. Annie doesn't bark when she is on a trail or even when she finds one, and I stopped to listen for her. The woods were quiet, and I called out to my son that she had found his deer. When I walked up, Annie was so excited, and I was so proud. My son had hit her high and at a bad angle therefore no blood, but she had still only gone about 75 yards.

Congrats to your son -- and to Annie for a job well done on the tracking!

Congrats to your son, and Annie!!!
Job well done.