02/12/2023
This buck had been shot the evening before at roughly 100-120 yards slightly qauarted away with a 30-06. The buck dropped in his tracks however as minutes pass he saw the deer get up and struggle out of the food plot. The deer would have met his demise in the field but the hunters gun had jammed the first shot! The hunter called in a tracking team and they tracked the deer down to a creek where the dog lost the track. Knowing it may take a bay dog with more experience, we got the green light to shake the bushes! We arrive to the food plot where I assessed the blood and start the questioning that takes place at every track. I concluded in my head that based on the info from how the other dog had taken the track that the deer may be still be alive. I leave the hunter and a good friend standing at the hitsite as I return to the truck to put Griz out. Griz hits the dirt and takes the track the exact way the last tracker had went and stopped at the same creek. At this point I can tell Griz is having a hard time but only for a few short minutes. He returns to the hit site resetting himself to start again. This time he followed the same track for about 50 yards before making a sharp right turn and heading into a swamp. Im watching how fast he was moving on this path compared to the original path telling me that the business is about to get started!! I turn to the hunter and begin to explain “if you hear him bark, he’s looking at your deer and he’s alive” no sooner than the words left my mouth Griz let out some business barks mixed with low tone aggressive growls that we could hear from over 350yards away. I take only a couple more seconds to explain what we were hearing was griz putting teeth in that deer to make him turn around and stop. I beat the bushes as fast as I could until I closed ground around the 40 yard mark. I can see the hind end of Griz baying but can’t see the deer, so I start shifting left and right around the trees and brush to get a shot. Our eyes meet and the buck knew he couldn’t stick around to find out what was about to happen and breaks. If you know my griz, you know he’s not a quitter!!! This time Griz had enough of the run around so he came up with his own plan! As the deer was doing his best to escape, Griz saw his opportunity and seized it!!!! He reached up and grabbed the deer by his family jewels which naturally stopped him dead in his tracks and caused a quarrel. I navigate through this thick nasty swamp to reach 30 yards from the second bay where I still can’t see anything but Griz and he’s hammering down! I shuffle to the left, find a clear line of fire, and seize my own opportunity! The chaos settled and I started my exam of the bodily injury of the deer. His hind quarters where blue and missing hair and his jewels were barely hanging on from where Griz was putting the business to him. What a wild ride with some great people! We thank everyone that allows us the opportunity!!! More soon to come!!!
