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Trackers offering assistance to hunters needing help finding game in St. Lawrence County

Posted 9/8/22

Hunting season is almost here and help is on the way for St. Lawrence County hunters who need to track their game. Bear season opens Sept, 17, with early archery for deer opening on the Sept. 27. …

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Trackers offering assistance to hunters needing help finding game in St. Lawrence County

Posted

Hunting season is almost here and help is on the way for St. Lawrence County hunters who need to track their game.

Bear season opens Sept, 17, with early archery for deer opening on the Sept. 27.

Local trackers are available to help hunters who are unable to locate game after the shot.

Things to do before calling in a tracking team:

• While still in your stand/blind, make a mental note or take a picture of the hit site so you’re able to find it. Look for sign and mark the hit site. This is where the tracking team will start and good info on the hit can be gathered here.

• Follow the blood trail, walking to the side of it. Even if it’s easy to follow, throw up a ribbon or toilet paper every so often. You’d be amazed at how many times the hunter is unable to locate blood when they come back, even just a couple hours later.

• When you are unable to find any more sign, mark last blood and back out.

• Do not grid search

• Even though they’ve been good about walking to the side of the trail, often the hunter has inadvertently stepped in blood or on the animal’s tracks without realizing it. If a grid search is conducted, false trails will be put down, making the job a lot harder for the dog than it needs to be.

• Obtain permission for the tracking team to enter neighboring properties. Be sure and tell the land owner the tracking team is licensed by the state. Also, invite them to join us, often this will help ease their mind and they’ll allow us to enter their property.

• During daylight, the hunter should carry the weapon of the season in case the animal is still alive when found. The tracker is armed and allowed to finish the job, but the DEC prefers the hunter do it during daylight. At night, the tracker is allowed to carry a weapon to dispatch wounded game.

Trackers typical wait times: Leg or shoulder hits - start tracking immediately; liver - 6 hours; and gutshot - 12 hours

Don’t hesitate to call. This is a free service, but a tip for gas is appreciated.

Trackers include:

• Tom Rausch/Luna and Kunox Louisville (315) 854-2044

• Matt Miller/Greta Lisbon (315) 585-9834

• Pat Lowery/Gooch Morristown (315) 322-8662

• Ben Clark/Jasper Copenhagen (315) 405-5640

• Kyle Reynolds/Denali Malone (518) 651-6261

• Jordan Bezio/Marshall Jay (518) 420-8112

Tim Suiter/Piper Turin (315) 542-5598

For more trackers in NY, visit UnitedBloodTrackers.org. Use the “Find A Tracker” tab.