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For the Hunter

If you, as a hunter, believe you have wounded an animal and you are unable to locate that animal, with or without a search, the services of blood tracking dog/handler teams are available to you.

Your request for these services should be made through a Game Management Official. Only in rare cases will a blood tracking handler accept a direct request for tracking services.

If you wound an animal, it is essential that you, as the hunter, make every effort to determine the following:

• Where the animal was hit (lungs, leg, back, etc.) and from what angle.  If shot with an arrow, how much penetration was observed. This can be essential in determining when to begin tracking the animal. If an arrow is recovered, please retain it as found. Do not wipe it off or clean it.

• Where you were standing when the shot was made. It is helpful to mark with surveyor’s tape or an easily visible object on the ground or nearby vegetation.

• Where the animal was standing when the shot was made, using the same technique.

• How the animal reacted when shot (no reaction, bolted and ran, trotted away, fell and stood up again before running) and whether it visibly limped.

• What signs, if any, you found, such as blood, hair, flesh, or pieces of an internal organ at the spot where the animal was standing when it was shot.

• The time of day when the shot was made.

• The direction the animal went when it left the area.

• A reasonably accessible rendezvous point from which you can meet the handler/dog team and the Conservation Officer, and from which are certain you can return to the point where the shot was made. If you walk over a few yards to reach a road or trail, please mark your exit path with a visible material at frequent intervals.

Upon arrival at the rendezvous point, the dog handler will interview you prior to commencing the search. There is rarely any reason for urgency in beginning the track. In fact, quite often, waiting for several hours is the preferred approach for certain types of wounds. Please be patient as you wait for the Game Management Official to arrive, and for the handler and dog to arrive, interview the hunter, organize the search, and conduct the search.

It is common for a hunter that has wounded an animal to spend considerable time searching the area, particularly when cover is dense and the animal could only be seen for a few yards. In the process of conducting a self-search, the area is often disturbed and animal blood or hair may be scattered by the hunter’s boots. While this may delay, to some extent, the dog’s ability to determine the animal’s actual exit track, the dogs are trained to “sort it out”. So try to minimize the effects of walking around the area, but don’t be overly concerned. Please try to avoid scattering any clearly visible blood or hair.

Blood tracking dogs work on a long lead (30-50 feet), never off lead. At night, the handler will use a light. The pace of the track depends upon the dog. Some work slowly and methodically and others will track blood as fast as the handler can run. The dog and handler must be allowed to proceed ahead of any other members of the search group. The handler may periodically “down” the dog on the track to rest, investigate blood signs, provide water, or to allow others to catch up.

Because a large, wounded animal can be dangerous, at least one member of the search team will be armed. It is the Game Management Official’s sole authority to determine who will be armed, what weapons are permitted, and how a live animal will be dispatched once located.

Once the animal is located, the job of the blood tracking dog/handler team is complete. The handler may request a few photos or other information needed for reporting purposes.

It is the hunter’s responsibility to deal with field dressing and recovery of the animal, tagging and reporting, just as if hunting alone.

The entire animal is retained by the hunter once located.

Under no circumstances may a hunter take an animal of any species that is encountered during the course of blood tracking unless it is clearly the individual animal being tracked or in self-defense. To do so would violate Alaska Game Law regarding the use of a dog for hunting.

Exceptions under Alaska’s “Defense of Life and Property” rules may apply.

Information regarding the services of Alaska Game Search may be directed to:

Roger K. Hull

10140 Kasilof Blvd

Anchorage, AK 99507

rogerhull@gci.net

907-346-6279(h)

907-223-8000(c)

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