Scare of my life.....

[Killer Instinct]

Took both dogs out for a recreational day (not hunting) and just about had heart failure - I lost Emma (7 1/2 mos) in the woods. Spent 45 minutes looking for her & had to call for reinforcements (search party) of several people in order to finally locate her (figured she lost her way while chasing a rabbit).... I literally fell to my knees giving Thanks to God ... the sun was going down & with snow on the ground, the temp. was dropping fast....

Has this ever happened to you?

[Chief_dog]

A good friend and I were hunting from the pickup and both lost derby dogs tonight when they outran the range on our trackers. We found mine first, about an hour and a half later. Then we found his about 3 miles in another direction an hour after that. Not sure what got into them. (I imagine they got into some deer.) I was a little concerned for a while when we couldn't pick up either dog on our trackers. So much for 12 mile range on flat terrain.

I've lost several dogs overnight over the years. I only lost one that I never found. I ended up buying a tracker several years ago, and it sure allows me to relax knowing I'll find the dog sooner or later.

[muckmuck]

Wow! What a scare, thank God you got her back! I was out at our clubs field trial grounds setting up tents and such for the event 2 years ago when I noticed my pup who was 2 at the time had wandered to the other side of the draw, I whistled and headed over on the quad, by the time I got there she was gone! After the first hour I called the wife in tears and didnt know what I was going to do, with a kid you never give up but when does reality kick in with a dog? My son and I kept looking and my wife had all of our friends start loading up there quads and head that way. About three hours after she disappeared I was riding back by camp and got pissed because all of the club members were in camp instead of looking for my dog! I charged in ready to rip some "bleep" but luckily my son got to me before I opened my stupid mouth and told me that she had just come limping in on her own, and everyone was down babying the heck outta her. I still think of that day everytime that Country song about "find out who your friends are" plays on the radio cause I had some good ones that day, both here and above!

Max

[Sharon]

It's an awful feeling isn't it.
Unfortunately I never saw my dog again. Still breaks my heart.
I was told someone picked her up in a car and she was gone - lots of ID including a microchip.

[birdogg42]

You are lucky. I got back from deer hunting in Kentucky today. Got home to find my four year old pointer, (my best dog mind you) dead as a hammer in his house. He was healthy as a horse when i left. I am taking some big wigs from MO conservation hunting tommorow. I am pretty bumed out. Not trying to hijack your thread. Just had to vent. Sorry.

[Sharon]

I am really sorry to hear that. To have no warning is very painful.

[Wa Chukar Hunter]

Buy a Tracker or a Garmin - they are very effective.

[Killer Instinct]

Thanks for the advise on what to buy - I'll have to invest in something as I sure don't want to have another scare like that ever again.....

[ACooper]

Had a pointer three years or so ago he really liked to get out and move. I was hunting packsadle and cut him lose he hunted well for awhile then I guess decided to take his own direction. Looked for several hours, ended up stopping by the biologist house that lives out on the WMA. Told him what happened described the dog, left my phone #. Got a call 8 days later that the dog had shown up that morning. I drove back out picked him up about 15 pounds lighter than when we left. Feed him back up took him hunting again he ran off again found him several days later, got rid of the dog.

[Don]

Dogs usually find their way back if you wait. Kate didn't once though. A guy saw her running and picked her up. Said he though she was lost. He picked her up not far from where I'd lost her but lots of hills and I didn't see him. Found her because he went into the store where the wife worked and was telling her about the dog he'd found. That was over a week later!

Worst scare though was on my way back here from Fairbanks. I stopped in a small wayside and took Otis out. He got onto something and took off on me. Still didn't have him about 30 min later and got to worrying that he'd been had by a wolf, I saw two of them on that trip up. He finally showed up all worn out and unconcerned! Funny but when I lived up there it didn't bother me that it might happen. Greenhorn!

[highcotton]

Don that's really a good avatar picture. Is that Squirt or Bodie?