If you shoot a deer in Maine this hunting season and can’t locate it, whether it wandered a short distance or ran several miles after being shot, a network of licensed dog trackers can help you recover your game quickly, safely and legally.
Each year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife licenses trained handlers who use leashed dogs to track wounded or dead deer. These trackers operate across the state and often volunteer their time to help hunters recover animals that might otherwise be lost.
One of the most experienced trackers is Suzanne Hamilton of South Montville. She has been tracking since 2002, serves as president of the nationwide organization United Blood Trackers and has completed nearly 800 recoveries. Hamilton covers much of the midcoast, including Waldo and parts of Kennebec counties. She travels for the expanded deer season as well as for bear and moose, and she can be reached at 207‑249‑8078.
Downeast, another well-known tracker is Lindsay Ware of Ellsworth, who can be reached at 207-812-1366. Ware and her tracking dogs have helped recover many deer in Hancock and Washington counties and often respond the same day.
Joanne Greer covers the Bath area (603‑479‑7953), while further south inland, Scot Clontz (207‑831‑0872) covers the Lewiston region.
In central Maine, Ryan Cote tracks the Fairfield, Waterville and Skowhegan area (207‑313‑0202), while Tyler Turffs covers central Maine, including Windsor, and the Jackman area in western Maine (207‑214‑3867). Brian Hatch covers Penobscot County, rounding out central and northern coverage (207‑745‑3543).
In southern Maine on the border with New Hampshire, the couple Bethany Slack and Joey Badger work throughout the region, assisting hunters with deer recovery. Bethany can be reached at 603‑667‑7195, and Joey can be reached at 207‑608‑0870. Both are licensed to track in Maine and New Hampshire.
Many of these listed trackers have completed apprenticeship training underneath Hamilton. She notes that hunting is a big undertaking. “The preparation that goes into it until the shot is taken is absolutely enormous,” she said. “But when something goes wrong, the field behind the shot is just as enormous.”
Hamilton emphasizes that tracking a deer is more complicated than it might seem.
“There’s so much to ensure the recovery of wounded large game, than just taking a dog and running after it,” she said. “There’s so much to consider and handle carefully.”
Licensed dog trackers can help hunters recover deer after a successful shot in Maine’s woods. Credit: Courtesy of Susanne Hamilton
Licensed dog trackers Lindsay Ware and Susanne Hamilton recovered a white-tailed doe. Credit: Courtesy of Susanne Hamilton
United Blood Trackers president Susanne Hamilton and her current tracking dog, Fritzi. Credit: Courtesy of Susanne Hamilton
Inexperienced trackers may push a gut shot deer, tracking it too soon. It’s also very unsafe to run around with a loaded weapon, she said.
If you think your deer is still alive, contact a licensed tracker as soon as possible. Time, temperature and rain can all affect a dog’s ability to follow a blood trail. Be ready to describe where and when you shot the deer, the direction it ran and what kind of sign you found, such as blood, hair or tracks.
