Coon Creek Deer Tracking

Daisy getting it done this past weekend while Bo catches up on some much needed rest. As we head into the extended season in Macomb and Oakland Counties both of my Bloodhounds are available to track.

Luke and Bo putting bucks in trucks. It’s interesting how life changes as our children grow into men. When Luke was young we would spend the fall hunting deer in Charlevoix. Didn’t matter if we were successful or not but just enjoying my dear friend’s farm, the changing of the season and the beauty of the land kept us spending time together. Now at 18 years old, a senior in High School, a wonderful girlfriend and a part time job, our time together is limited. This is the progression of life that I experienced with my oldest son who is now married to my beloved daughter in law. The point is that tracking deer as a team has taken us down an unexpected path in life, in which we continue to spend time together. That I am grateful for. He and Bo are now tracking on their own this year as a part of C**n Creek Deer Tracking. I’m real proud how hard Luke has worked with Bo this past year and I’m looking forward to watching them grow.

1.36 miles on this 24 hour old intestinal shot. The doe did a big circle as they often do. I marked belly hair on my tracking app using the tree blind icon since there isn’t a belly hair icon. 😂 Daisy did a good job working through this track. She wanted to take me across a lake at one point but it’s too cold today for her to get wet. So we walked around the lake and she picked up on the track on the other side where the doe exited the lake without hesitation. We tracked a good distance after that until her noise left the ground and went into the air. I advised the hunter that we either jumped this deer because she was pulling her lead like I had a blue marlin on the line or we are about to walk up to a dead deer. Well a couple yards later and we were standing over the old Doe. I am really enjoying her problem solving. This doe walked around for a while before she laid down making the track complicated, at least for me. We kept finding white belly hair to confirm Daisy was on track though but no blood. Looking back it was another enjoyable day with my dog in the outdoors. Can’t imagine anything better to do on a snowy Sunday.

42 hour old liver shot for Daisy. Her new second best. Buck shot Wednesday at 5:00 pm. We came in and tracked the buck at 11:00 am today (Friday). Took Daisy less than 10 minutes to cover the 250 yard track with no blood. Hunter resides in Brockway (1 hour drive) and found us on the internet. His blood track after the shot ended in less than 10 yards. The photos of the blood suggested a liver hit. I reassured the hunter that’s a dead deer and please give the buck time to expire before tracking or he may push that buck and never see him again. The hunter was willing to wait the suggested 24 hours initially but Thanksgiving dinner delayed the track out to the following day. He remained patient until we arrived 42 hours later. What a joy it was to experience Daisy Mae’s slow and methodical track and the hunters reaction when I said come get your buck. The hunter confessed, that he’s never used a dog in his 50 years of hunting, and he didn’t think daisy would find his buck. I hope Daisy knows how much joy and pride she provides me. Truly a blessing.

“The one minute clean up buck”. Daisy and I arrived 22 hours after this buck was shot. The hunter and another dog/deer tracking team not in the Michigan Deer Tracking Network started their track the previous night 6 hours after the shot. They tracked this buck for 2 miles for almost 4 hours in the middle of the night. For what ever reasons unknown to me they were unable to seal the deal with this dog. The following day the hunter called for Daisy’s assistance. The photos of the blood convinced me the buck was shot in the liver and it was most likely dead. I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward having to unravel the previous nights tracking efforts. The hunter took me and Daisy to the hit sight and said the buck went to the East as he pointed in the same direction. That’s the direction the dog took them the previous night. Daisy did her usual circle at the hit sight and then took her track line BUT she went to the west. The hunter said Glenn, the buck went the other direction. I replied, that’s fine but I’m gunna follow my dog, so follow me. Daisy took a track line west, she was pulling me like a bloodhound express. She crossed a pretty deep creek, then took a couple steps to the south and just like that we were on top of the buck. This track literally lasted one minute. I yelled to the hunter to come get his buck. He didn’t believe me at first, because the track ended so quickly, so I had to insist he cross the creek. When he arrived he couldn’t believe his eyes. Laying curled up in some thick vines under an old oak tree with dead fall surrounding it, laid his buck. I wouldn’t complain if all our tracks ended so quickly. Congrats Johnny on a great buck and thanks for trusting Daisy and I to bring a conclusion to your bow hunting journey.

*** Drawing results*** Raymond Long was the winner of the hat drawing. Thank you veterans for all that you have done for our great country.

To honor our veterans I would like to give one lucky veteran a C**n Creek Deer Tracking hat for free. I enjoyed my service in the US Army. The memories and friendships are with me daily. So tag a veteran in the comments section and or enter yourself by commenting what military branch you served in and most importantly follow this page. Then on 11/11/23 at 6:00 pm I will randomly draw a name from a bucket and one lucky veteran will receive this hat, shipped to him or her it at no charge. God Bless all you veterans!

Another memorable track by Daisy Mae. This hunter put a hit on a Michigan swamp buck and immediately sensed that he needs to back out of his tree stand and discuss the shot with a deer tracker before tracking. When he texted me a photo of his arrow we decided to give this buck some time. We arrived 28 hours after the deer was shot. Daisy Mae marched us 3/4 of a mile in 2 feet of swamp water and recovered this deer. The hunter stated that he would never have found this buck on his own and I agree. Fortunately for us, he did everything right after the shot. He waited two hours in his tree stand. Then quietly took photos of the blood on the ground and on his arrow. Then he walked the opposite direction of where the deer ran back to his house so he wouldn’t jump the buck. That’s when he called C**n Creek Deer Tracking to discuss the hunt. I looked at the pictures and recommended that we wait at least a 24 hours before we begin the track. The hunter is experienced and agreed. Daisy has crossed rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds and found deer but 3/4 of a mile in this deep swamp 28 hours after the shot was another track that I will never forget. I have complete unwavering faith in this girl. I included a short video of Daisy celebrating with the hunter. Congratulations to the hunter and thank you for trusting us with your buck!

Your actions after the shot determine your success to recover your buck. Meet Daisy’s new friend Nick. He put a nice shot on this buck yesterday afternoon. He tracked the buck for a good distance until he lost blood. As an experienced hunter Nick backed out and waited to pick up the track the following day. Nick called for a dog before the track. Scott Lefevre from the Livingston County Deer Trackers referred this track to me and Daisy Mae. Daisy picked up the track without any assistance and led us to a couple wound beds and then the buck. Had Nick not backed out last night after he lost blood he may have pushed this buck, who would have surely ran away as far as possible, reducing the chances of recovery. Nicks arrow hit one lung upon entrance and exited through the intestines. As you can see your actions after the shot can effect your chances of recovery. Congrats Nick on a fine buck and thanks for having us. Thank you Scott Lefevre for the referral.

Bo and Luke (Dukes of C**n Creek) with a perfect follow up track on this 17 hour old liver and one lung shot in constant rain. Bo took a perfect track line and closed the deal.

Shot a buck in the rain?
Daisy and her new friend Aaron with a great Michigan 10 point. Aaron shot this buck yesterday afternoon in the rain. He knew he had a solid hit on the buck but couldn’t find any blood to track it. Aaron recovered his arrow and backed out without disturbing the buck and called me last night. After discussing his shot placement and assessing the arrow I saw evidence of a one lung and liver shot on his arrow. I saw on the arrow fletching what appeared to be lung blood on the right vane. The left vain had what appeared to be liver blood and a bit of liver blood on the right vane also. (Hunters check out the arrow and see the value of what a tracker sometimes can tell you just from the arrow alone).
We agreed to allow the buck to lay overnight. Daisy and I came in the following morning at the 14 hour mark. It had rained all night and was raining when we arrived. Daisy didn’t need to be shown the hit sight as she picked up the track line on her own as we approached the hit sight. This is common for Daisy. As soon as Daisy committed to a track line Aaron knew that was the location where the buck ran from the bean field into the hardwoods and said “that’s amazing”. Daisy ran down this track quickly and recovered the buck. We never saw any blood and no blood in the wound bed. After field dressing the deer it was confirmed one lung was hit and the liver was hit. As an experienced hunter Aaron did everything correct after the shot. He would have surely bumped that buck had he continued tracking last night and the buck would have run to the next County. Most often liver and gut shot deer lay within 150 yards of the hit sight unless they get tracked to soon. We are always available when the blood ends. Thanks for trusting us with your buck Aaron. We enjoyed tracking for you! Check out the video as Daisy Mae works her bloodhound magic.

Daisy’s new friend Bill put a nice shot on this buck from 17 yards in a tree stand. Bill waited an hour and checked the hit sight. He didn’t find his arrow and zero signs of blood at the hit sight. Bill is an experienced hunter so he knew to back out and call C**n Creek Deer Tracking to discuss the situation. Bill was confident he hit the buck good but wanted to take the right approach so we decided that it would be best to give the buck some time. Daisy Mae and I came in 17 hours after the buck was shot. We didn’t locate any blood as Daisy marched right to the buck. Post shot analysis was that the exit wound was clogged by fat, skin and what ever else. Great example of how a hunter can set a dog up for a successful track. If your shot doesn’t feel good or you don’t see an obvious blood trail the best chance of recovery is to back out, don’t track and push the deer or spread the pheromones in the woods tracking your self and with others. Give a dog a clean track line and watch the magic happen. Thanks for having us Bill!

Daisy loves to kiss her hunters. Thanks for the opportunity to track Jacob.

Didn’t get an opportunity to take many tracks this first week of bow season. However, It’s always a pleasure to help our hunters recover their deer. The blood on the ground and the arrow itself suggested muscle blood. The hunter himself described a possible high back hit. This was a great reminder that you truly never know unless you go.

19 hours after this young hunter shot a deer Daisy got to help the young lady find her doe. Daisy put on a nice show for the family. It took a lot of time and effort but her hard work paid off. There was no blood past the first 40 yards from the hit sight. We found her balled up in a thicket a 1/2 mile or so away. We all agreed no person would have likely found her if not for Daisy. Just goes to show how valuable a dog can be even after so much time. It’s always a pleasure helping the kids.

Youth hunt is this weekend. My bloodhounds “Daisy Mae” and “Bo” have been training hard all summer and ready to find your deer. We are based in Macomb County but we travel outside Macomb County providing your local tracker is unavailable to help you. No fee for the kids during the youth hunt however, tips are greatly appreciated. I wish your kids a successful hunt and more importantly a lasting experience and memories with their parents, friends and family. Glenn 586-718-5258

*** click link to listen to this podcast *
Got to sit down and discuss deer tracking with my bloodhound Daisy Mae and hunting Michigan, Kentucky and Alaska with Jason Pregizer on his podcast. Jason puts on a great podcast and is an excellent host. Check him out. Thanks for having me Jason, it was great fun.

New Episode! In this episode C**n Creek Deer Tracking talks with me about all things deer tracking. From transitioning from law enforcement to deer tracking, training dogs, and what to expect if you're a hunter and need to call in a tracking dog.

https://thegetupshow.podbean.com/e/ep-38-on-the-right-track-ft-glenn-french/

#2 for Bo & Luke on this last day of the extended metro season. Another known kill track. Bo had to put in some work because a little tracking was required to recover this deer. Time to get training for next season. Thanks for having us out Jacob.

Bo tracked his first deer Friday night. The hunter put a nice double lung shot on the deer and he backed out and called us for a known kill track. This was a real easy track that didn’t need a dog to trail however, the hunter knew we were looking for such a track. Bo did a decent job tracking the deer to its final resting spot. We didn’t know it at the time but Bo was putting his nose in the snow where the bolt was buried in the snow and ground. After the track we looked for the bolt and at some point I remembered him burying his face in the snow by the dead fall. I dug in that spot and eventually located the lighted knock. The rest of the bolt was buried in the ground and under a foot of snow. Once he locked onto the scent line he did a nice job locating the deer. Luke was out with his buddies when we got the call so we met on the way to the property. Luke was wearing my ScentLok jacket. This jacket is special to me. As you can see it has that 90’s design. The owner of ScentLok gave me this jacket some years ago. It was his fathers jacket. He couldn’t fit into his fathers jacket so it was collecting dust hanging in the closet. When he asked me to accept the jacket (since it was my size) so his fathers legacy, in a very small way, could live on I was honored. Now, many years later, when I see my son wearing this jacket on a Friday night hanging out with his teenage friends it warms my heart knowing the legacy lives on. Thank you Jacob for taking time to allow Bo & Luke to track your deer. Congrats

Late season Metro Detroit hunters in Macomb and Oakland Counties I am looking for a training track for “Bo” our latest addition to C**n Creek Deer Tracking. If you shoot a deer and sure it’s a kill shot or see it drop in sight please call me and we will head to your location. Buck or doe. If your willing to help us out with “Bo” I will give you a free C**n Creek Sweatshirt or hat or we will pay it forward on a future legit track for you or a family member. All I ask is when you make the shot text or call me and back out and wait for our arrival. I will have my experienced bloodhound “Daisy Mae” with us in case it turns into a real track. Please feel free to share this with friends and family.
I appreciate you.
~ Glenn
586-718-5258

Meet “Bo” the latest addition to our family and C**n Creek Deer Tracking !

Bo is the younger brother of Daisy Mae. They have the same parents. Bo needed a new home due to uncontrollable circumstances with his previous family. Thanks Wally Tucker and Carmen Tucker of Tuckers Bloodhound Pride for bringing this rehoming situation to our attention.

If all goes well Luke French will be tracking deer with Bo next fall. We have a lot of work to do but I am excited to get started.

17 hours after Daisy’s new friend Randy shot this fine Michigan buck she put on another fine tracking display. This hunter is a trackers dream. He shot the buck, saw white hair at the hit site and backed out as quiet as he could and called C**n Creek Deer Tracking to discuss his options. Knowing he possibly had stomach, liver or an intestinal exit wound shooting a 450 Bushmaster from an elevated stand he clearly hit something vital that would require time. Given the circumstances I initially wanted to wait for 21 hour mark to begin the track. However, life sometimes changes our plans. We hit this track a bit early at the 17 hour mark and Daisy did what she does best. Follows her nose. Just about at the 300 yard mark we jumped the buck and we were close when we jumped him. We backed out and discussed our options. We almost chose to wait six more hours to come back and pick up the track again. However, I suggested we walk around and check the cut bean field and then make a descion. So we backed out, did a half circle so the buck wouldn’t hear us or wind us to the field edge. We discussed a possible way to have me and Daisy push him out of the fragmites while tracking from the original track line and the hunter would stand at the fields edge for a follow up shot. Although I explained to the hunter my preference was to come back knowing this deer will expire soon. However, the hunter needed to be at a pre planned event soon. As we discussed this we we’re looking south while strategizing the possible plan of attack to push the deer for a follow up shot. keep in mind this conversation was actually pretty short and quick but the entire time Daisy is going Cujo behind me pulling on me like she’s gunna take my arm off. I told the Hunter to stand by a minute and let me humor Daisy because something has her attention. It wasn’t but 50 yards later Daisy’s chewing hind quarter and shaking ass in a plume of deer hair. She must have been getting pi**ed off listening to us old dudes talking about a ridiculous plan that was keeping her from her Chicken Nuggets. Hind sight revealed the buck exited the fragmites into the cut bean field, ran into the field, turned N/B into some thickets and died. Unbeknownst to us at the time me and Randy were clearly standing in the deers tracks while scheming our follow up shot. Daisy was doing all she could by jumping, pulling and baying to get me to follow her. I am her weakest link. 😎

Congrats on a great buck Randy! Also, thank you for trusting me and Daisy and sharing your hunting journey with us.

Sunday funday for Daisy and myself. We got to track on a beautiful piece of land. 1.4 miles later, and not as the crow flies, Daisy tracked to this 8 point, shot yesterday. We got to watch a majestic Golden eagle fly over the river probably migrating. Absolutely perfect December day.

An unbelievable personal best for Daisy Mae.

5 days after this buck was shot by the hunter, Daisy Mae came in and picked up the track line in short order and methodically tracked right to her prey.

If I wasn’t there, if I wasn’t holding her 30’ lead at the time, if the hunter and two other family members weren’t there to witness this track, it may be too hard to believe.

This buck was shot on a Monday afternoon hunt at 4:30 pm and the camera shy hunter called C**n Creek Deer Tracking on the following Saturday morning to come and do a track. We started this track at 4:00 pm some 120 hours after the shot. 5 full days.

Daisy put her nose to the ground in the food plot where the deer was standing when it was shot. She worked that hit site hard. I could hear her nasal cavity smacking louder than ever before. She was working hard putting those 300 million olfactory cells to work to identify the pheromones that were still inbedeed in the food plot.

I have read that Bloodhound’s, under perfect scenting conditions, can track scent up to 300 hours old. I have tracking mentors with Bloodhounds that have reached the 4 and 5 day old track but I’ve never got to experience it in person until now. Daisy has a handful of tracks over 30 hours and her best at the time was a track that was 36 hours old.

As Daisy was practically pushing ground with her nose, the hunter asked what is she doing? At that moment shoot took a track line with her nose to the ground slowly tracking with intention northward. So, I responded to the hunter, she’s tracking, follow me. I asked the hunter where the deer entered the woods and he said Daisy is on it.

Daisy tracked north for about a hundred yards in a thicket and then took a 90 degree left turn west for a short distance onto a deer runway. She then took another 90 degree turn right northbound onto a well established deer runway for less than 70 yards. We were now paralleling a river northward. Without hesitation Daisy turns left 90 degrees and enters the river water.

Daisy crosses the river traveling westward and when she comes to the river bank her nose didn’t miss a beat. She climbed out of the water, onto the bank and kept her nose to the ground following a well established deer trail from the river. As Daisy crested the somewhat steep embankment her head snapped up into the air. She jumped onto the bank and pulled me from the river. At that moment I knew what was about to happen. With her head now in the air and no longer to the ground it was clear to me she had entered a scent pool of a dead deer. She charged less than a 100 yards to her prey that had laid dead for five full days.

With great excitement I praised my hound. She tore into the deer ripping hide and hair with enthusiasm. Daisy displayed dominance over this buck as the hunter approached. So we had to give her a minute with her prey. She at least earned that. The track ultimately was less then 500 yards.

I am grateful that I was one of four people on this planet that got to witness a bloodhound at her best on this cold day in December. As always we appreciate the hunter for sharing his journey with us.

3 deer for 2 hunters on adjoining property.

18 hours after the hunter shot a buck and a doe from the same blind and the neighbor shot a buck on the adjacent property Daisy arrived to find all 3 deer shot in the same woods adjoining two properties. This was a first for C**n Creek Deer Tracking and a very enjoyable morning watching my hound mature before my eyes.

Two of those deer shot from the same blind and shot a couple feet apart. I was excited too see how Daisy would perform in this situation. Daisy’s buddy Jacob put a pass through shot on a nice buck last night using his crossbow. He sent me a photo of the bolt which indicated a clear liver shot. There was sparse liver blood at the hit sight. So, I asked Jacob to sit an hour until dark and sneak out of his blind so the buck can lay over night to expire. Jacob agreed and sat in his blind waiting for the sun to set. Shortly after an unsuspecting mature doe decided to present Jacob with a shot opportunity. Jacob put a real nice shot on the doe. He sent me photos of the hit site from the doe. It was clear there was lung blood on the ground from the doe. Jacob was excited to say the least. His hunting season was cut short in early October when his lovely wife gave birth to his beautiful fourth child so he hasn’t done any hunting. His patience and commitment paid off as he was blessed with the opportunity of harvesting two deer to feed his young family. I advised Jacob not to track the doe if he doesn’t see her near the hit sight because ultimately, the buck and the doe headed the same direction from the hit sight. With limited blood on the liver shot buck it’s very important not to track or disturb him. The buck is most likely a short distance away bedded down not feeling so well and if he gets spooked by a human he may run to the next county lessening our chances of recovery. Jacob took my advice and backed out leaving both the buck and the doe in the woods. Me and Daisy arrived the following day some 16 hours after the deer were shot. We tracked the doe first. It was a short track and Jacob would have most likely tracked the doe himself and recovered her without any problems. We then put Daisy on the buck. Both blood trails are now a couple feet from each other. I was eager to see how Daisy handled the track from the initial start. I had Daisy check the blood on the bolt and she hit the trail running. The blood was ok for about 30 yards then we lost all blood. We went a couple hundred yards and she was tracking with intention. Then she made a left loop and doubled back for a couple hundred yards and then got hung up when we left the woods into a cut bean field. She searched frantically, with her nostrils smacking like sheets in the wind but she was still hung up. I knew something wasn’t right but I didn’t know then what we would learn later. So, I decided to restart Daisy. I advised Jacob that Daisy most likely missed a right turn somewhere as she is a left handed dog and I wanted to restart her at the hit sight. This time we restarted Daisy at the hit sight but now we slowed her down until the blood stopped 30 yards from the sight. Sure enough, there was a slight right turn she didn’t make on the initial pass and off she goes. Daisy is tracking again with intention pulling me along like a string of empty beer cans tied to the back of a newlyweds limo. I asked Jacob to stay at the last blood just in case and I will let Daisy do her thing. Daisy then takes me through Michigans finest thickets for about 300 yards with a couple 90 degree turns. All of a sudden her head snapped up from the ground and her nose to the wind. Before I could catch my breath she dragged me on a hard right turn through the brush to Jacob’s buck. I yelled for Jacob several times and he eventually found us. We then celebrated the two recoveries. With no blood after 30 yards on a 300 plus yard track and given he was found piled up in dense thicket, this buck most likely would not have been found by the hunter.

When we finished celebrating we found the neighbors buck. Before we started tracking we were getting dressed and heard three gun shots that came from the adjoining neighbors property. We walked out of the woods to see if the neighbor was still hunting in his cut bean field. We then discovered a fresh gut pile in the field from a deer he shot before we started tracking. This gut pile was up wind from Daisy when she made her left turn and only 50 yards away. This explains her loop to the left before I restarted her. Obviously, the neighbor couldn’t find the buck he shot last night but Daisy was happy to find it for him.

Jacob, we appreciate you sharing your hunting journey with us. Me and Daisy Mae wish you much success in the future and good health to your family!

19 hour’s after Daisy’s new friend Clint shot his buck she put on a 1.7 mile bloodhound tracking demonstration. Clint lost blood about 70 yards into the track so he backed out and called C**n Creek Deer Tracking for assistance. During the track Daisy walked us through 4 fresh scraps. He was a dead deer walking all night searching for love.
Mrs. Daisy found this buck in a thicket where he would have never been found. Thanks Clint for trusting us with your buck and sharing your hunting journey.