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Major Deer Tracking

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Howell, MI
Major Deer Tracking

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Deer tracking services based out of Howell,MI. We cover Livingston, Ingham, Oakland, Shiawassee, Washtenaw, Wayne and Jackson county.

We are certified through the ABTA and UBT. Registered with the Michigan DNR
248-310-2829

11/01/2026

🎃 The Halloween Buck 🎃

Previous client Justin reached out to me right from the stand and sent me a video of the shot. Unfortunately, a twig got in the way and deflected his arrow, resulting in a low hit to the neck.

I told Justin to see if he could sneak in and get a second arrow into the buck. Thankfully, he was able to do exactly that before backing out and giving the deer some time.

When we finally got on the track, the hounds were basically handed a red carpet. 🐾

This one was an easy track, but at least Justin had the peace of mind knowing that, one way or another, his deer was going to be found.

No time spent in the woods behind a hound is ever wasted.

For this track, Zirc decided to let Raven take the reins. She went to work and had us standing over the deer within a matter of minutes while the three of us casually followed behind. 😂

Congratulations on your buck, buddy! You’ve definitely got one heck of a Halloween hunting story to tell with this one. 🦌🎃

10/31/2026

David’s Buck

David’s dad, Scott, called me this morning saying his son had shot a buck the night before and they needed some help. We went over the details, and everything sounded like we had a dead deer on our hands.

Apparently, the buck didn’t get the memo.

As soon as we started the track, Zirc took off like someone had just yelled, “GO FIND THE DEER!” 😂

He blew right past where they had backed out and immediately found himself dealing with scent challenge number one. After working through it, he got back on the line and kept grinding.

Then came another scent challenge.

And another.

And another.

At this point, I’m pretty sure this buck had decided he was participating in the Michigan State Championship of Hide-and-Seek.

Zirc kept working, nose popping and grabbing little pieces of odor as we worked our way through the woods. Eventually, we made a giant loop and ended up back toward the original set of woods.

If you spend enough time behind a dog, you start learning their tendencies. You learn when they’re locked in, when they’re sorting, and when they’re just this close to getting it figured out.

Zirc was working hard and picking up pieces of odor, and I could tell we were just off the line. I started walking in the general direction he was working to help push him back toward it.

I pushed him up the hill, crested the top…

…and there he was.

FOUND HIM!

Apparently the buck finally realized that hiding from a bloodhound is a terrible long-term strategy. 😂

One bed around 900 yards into the track, with the total track coming in at roughly 1,300 yards.

This one involved a deer who was committed to the hide-and-seek game, a handler who refused to quit, and one very determined hound who really enjoys winning at hide-and-seek.

Big congratulations to young David on his first 8-point buck! 🦌

What a way to get your first one—and what a story to go with it!

Great job, David! And Zirc…🐾

Youth tracks just have a way of warming the heart

10/30/2026

Zirc got a super easy one today. This was a referral from a previous client. Wound up being a kidney shot. Buck only went 40 yards and folded up.
Congrats to the hunter on this super cool Michigan buck. He’s got some neat character to him.

10/30/2026

Matt’s First Buck

Repeat clients are always great to work with. They’ve seen the dogs work, they trust the handler, and most importantly, they generally trust the advice we give them when it comes to making the right decisions for a recovery.

Matt is a repeat client through his girlfriend, Lilly, who has used us in the past.

Lilly sent me a video of the shot, and initially, it looked like this one could be a tough call. The arrow appeared to have struck low in the chest, likely contacting the sternum before becoming lodged as the deer ran off. These are the kinds of hits that can sometimes result in a deer expiring very quickly—or sometimes not at all—so we knew we needed to let Zirc tell us what was really going on.

Thankfully, Zirc made quick work of it.

He worked the track out roughly 350 yards before we found Matt’s buck. Once we got our hands on the Buck, it helped tell the rest of the story. The arrow had worked its way into the gut before eventually falling out.

A 12-minute track and a recovered deer is always a pretty good way to end the day!

Congratulations on your first buck, Matt! 🦌

Thank you for putting your trust in us and allowing Zirc and I to be a part of the recovery. We couldn’t be happier to help bring your first buck home!

10/27/2026

Wes’s First Buck 🦌

This morning, I was out in the woods doing a little hunting myself when I got a text from Dave. He explained that his son, Wes, had shot his first buck at last light the evening before, and they believed it was a gut shot. They found gut matter, made the smart decision to back out, and gave the deer time.

We went over the details and set up a time to track.

As it turns out, Dave had actually stopped me at Costco one day, got my number, and told me he’d keep it in case he ever needed a tracker. Unfortunately for Dave, today was the day he needed it!

I took both Zirc and Raven with me. The property was close to home, and I knew it was a safe situation to work them together. This turned into one of those slow, methodical tracks that required patience and some really good dog work.

We eventually reached a property where we needed permission to continue. Dave literally jogged up to the house to meet the homeowner and get permission for us to cross.

While we waited, the hounds were flopped out enjoying some downtime, and Wes was getting some good laughs watching them.

Then the text came through: We’re good to go.

Off we went.

The hounds quickly started taking the track toward the road, so we called them back and switched to working them on lead. We continued working the track and eventually found where this buck had bedded down roughly 25 yards off the road.

And there he was.

The smiles on Wes and Dave’s faces are something that simply can’t be replaced.

I absolutely love finding deer. Every recovery means something. But finding a young hunter’s first buck is different. The excitement, the relief, the pride, and the emotions that come with that moment are something you just can’t put a price on.

That’s what this is all about.

Congratulations, Wes, on an awesome first buck! Keep hunting, little buddy. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. 🦌🐾

10/27/2026

Hound dogs living their best life.

10/26/2026

Jacob’s Buck🦌

Jacob’s track was referred to me by a fellow tracker in the Thumb. Thank you, Zak Sutter for trusting me with your client and giving me the opportunity to help Jacob.

Before we arrived, Jacob sent me a video showing the buck’s reaction after the shot. After watching it, we discussed the possibility of a hit behind the diaphragm. In the video, the buck was standing there with his tail tucked before eventually bedding down in a cornfield. Once we arrived, Zirc immediately went to work while I took a look at the blood. The first sign looked promising, but then I found a roughly 6-inch diameter pool of what appeared to be muscle blood. That definitely raised some questions considering what we believed the shot placement to be.

But Zirc was already committed, so we followed. Into the woods we went, weaving around trees and simply following wherever this hound decided to take us. His tail was up, his nose was clicking loudly, and his body language was full of energy. Classic happy Zirc.

After a quick 200–300 yard stint, we found ourselves standing at the top of a hill overlooking a low area with two different bowls. As we watched Zirc work his magic, he suddenly stopped.

Then I saw it.

That helicopter tail started spinning, followed by that big bloodhound smile that seemed to say, “Dad, get over here!”

And there he was.

This was an easy one that Jacob very likely would have recovered on his own. He did everything right by playing it smart, backing out, and not jumping the deer. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do after a questionable hit is simply give that deer time and call for help.

Great work, Jacob, and congratulations again on a great Michigan buck!

And thank you again, Zak, for trusting me with your client. I truly appreciate it.

10/25/2026

That proud hound look. 🤣Story coming later. Nothing lined up for this evening yet, I’ll be hitting the woods in hopes of catching a nanny doe.

10/25/2026

Jeff’s Buck

Anyone who has ever followed behind a hound on a good scent trail knows how invigorating it can be to watch one work it out. Not every track is beautiful. The scent has to be there, and countless factors can affect how a trail lays down and how a dog is able to work it.
This track was one of those tracks we as handlers wish we could see every time.

For this one, we ran Zirc and Raven together, and I had Jeff take us directly to some blood. Both dogs immediately took off. Weaving in and out of the trees and thick cover, we followed the hounds as they burned up the trail. Jeff was clearly impressed with just how quickly these dogs can move when they’re locked into a good scent, mentioning it several times along the way.

The real fun started when we reached last blood.
Both dogs continued in the same general direction, but they would occasionally split up, work through different turns, and then reconnect once one of them figured out what the other had missed. As we transitioned from the woods to the edge of a CRP field, I noticed Zirc toss his head up a few times. I let him continue working while I swept Raven down the field edge looking for where the buck had entered. We came up empty. On my way back, I checked my Garmin and spotted Zirc out ahead of us in the field.

I dropped Raven’s lead, and she immediately ran straight to him.

And just like that, the competition was back on.

The two of them worked across the field toward the east side, heading south, before both dogs hit a scent pool. Raven found the exit first, and about 30 yards later, she had Jeff’s buck recovered.

Running these two together was an absolute blast, and it’s something I’m going to be working with more often. It’s definitely a skill I need to continue developing, especially when it comes to keeping Raven on lead, but watching them work together—and occasionally compete with each other—is pretty incredible.

Raven was so proud of herself for finding that deer first that, for the first time ever, she cared more about the deer than she did about my praise and treats. 😂

Congratulations, Jeff, on an awesome buck!

The three of us got to watch an absolute show put on by these hounds. Not every track looks this good, but when everything comes together, it sure is something special to watch.

10/25/2026

Ryan’s Buck

Ryan reached out to me last night after a nice evening sit with his friends. He’s went over all of the details, sent some photos over and we quickly had the track scheduled.
I have been itching to let the hounds work together and today we did just that. My wife was able to join today so I ran Raven on lead while she used her Garmin to keep a close eye on Zirc. Upon starting this track it was pretty obvious that both dogs were locked in. They quickly took us from this hit site to last blood, across the road and down into a marsh where the deer laid to rest.

800 yards in 10 minutes. Great hound work. Awesome Michigan deer. Congrats again Ryan.

Address

Howell, MI
48855

Telephone

+12483102829

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