Major Deer Tracking

This is a 26-hour-old track Raven and I ran a few days ago, and we had a lot of fun with this one.

Strong storms were moving in, we had rain overnight, and temperatures in the 90s made for some very challenging scenting conditions. The first third of the track looks like a mess—and truthfully, it was—but the way Raven worked it out was beautiful to watch.

Because of the thermals and wind direction, she had to deal with strong hide odor for the entire first third of the track. It wasn't until we reached the north end and started dropping in elevation that she was finally working primarily hoof odor. Watching her dig deep for that foot scent and sort through all of the hide odor was incredibly impressive.

Once she got out of the hide odor, she cleaned things up and moved the line much faster. Then, at the very end, she caught wind of the hide again, threw her nose up, and went straight to the prize.

It takes a tremendous amount of mental fortitude for a dog to stay committed to an older scent line when they can smell the end for much of the track. Raven is smart enough to know that the hide odor means the finish is close, but she's also smart enough to understand that I want her to follow the foot odor and stay true to the track.

Every day out, she continues to make incredible progress and gives me another glimpse of what she's going to become. I'm excited to see where her journey takes us.