I've been meaning to post this for a while.

Maybe a few remember my work to change Idaho hunting law to allow the use of blood tracking dogs on big game. That was some years ago and as reported before, after a two-year process, I was successful in that effort.

Instrumental to that effort was assistance provided by 93Mouse and I'd like to take a special moment to thank him very much!

I am always awed by his experience there in Slovenia, and I get nothing like his experience here, but I have a couple incidents I'd like to report which will serve to demonstrate my gratitude for his help.

First is a buck we found which my son shot in the season of 2017. It was hit well, but he lost it in the timber and I and my dog were able to find it. I was lame at the time, having torn my right calf while hunting but was still able to get the dog on the trail and she did great!

Next is a really special one. My wife only started hunting about three years ago. This buck she hit very well. In fact, it only went about 125+ yards, but we never would have found it. She watched the buck take off and then she lost it in the dense firs but heard it go down and crash up a draw. She called the shot, knew it was good, and heard the animal go down but swore she heard the crash up the draw where the buck was headed when she lost sight of it. She looked and looked, but found nothing. She got me and we found no indication of a hit, no blood, nothing, but the dog had other ideas!

In fact, what had happened was the buck ran only about 15 yards or so till my wife lost sight of it and then immediately switch directions and ran 180 degrees the opposite direction. There is NO WAY we would ever have looked in that direction and then...it dropped in a dense thicket. Probably due to the lay of the ground, the direction my wife THOUGHT she heard it go down was in fact the opposite of the direction it DID go down!

Two happy hunters!

Me proud as punch!

Somebody wouldn't budge from guarding her treasure!

Finally, a very grateful Waidmannsheil and thanks to 93Mouse. I have no idea how many head of game have been recovered due to the law change, but I couldn't have done it without you, and I know we sure do appreciate your help!

And to you, Nitro, a special thanks as well for running this show here. It's the best and you made it that way!