A few years back I was stalking down through a woods when I spotted a group of Fallow coming up the bank towards me. They spotted me at the same time that I saw them but I managed to lower myself down into the long grass and they couldn't make out what they had seen. They stood and looked in my direction for a few minutes but were still unsure of what they had seen, obviously the wind was in my favour. There was a high seat about 10 yards in front of me which is what I was heading for when I saw them. I managed to crawl forward and climbed into the high seat without being seen as the ladder was on my side of the tree. The fallow were still on alert but hadn,t been spooked any further. I observed them through the binos and selected a doe that was positioned favourably, the shot was taken (about 70 to 80 yards) and the group burst away to the right.
I was certain in my mind that the shot was good but couldn't see the doe on the ground. After a few minutes I climbed down from the high seat and advanced to the spot where the doe had been standing, no sign. No sign of the doe whatsoever, no paint, no pins, only scuffed earth and hundreds of hoof prints mostly going right. I simply couldn't believe that I had missed. I searched the area for a radius of about 20 yards, still nothing. I then started to doubt the rifle, perhaps I had knocked the scope but it had always been so reliable in the past. I decided to check the scope by placing a small log in the position that I thought the doe had been standing and shot at it from the high seat. The shot hit the log exactly where I aimed, so it probably wasn't the scope. That's it back to fetch the dog.
I walked my GWP back into the woods and as usual he walked ahead of me telling me exactly where I had walked previously that morning, and where deer had crossed the route at some time previously. At the spot where I first saw the deer I cast him out and in typical pointer fashion he galloped forward covering about 20 yards either side of me with his head in the air sniffing airborne scent. I have always had labradors in the past and it amazes me how the two breeds track entirely differently. Labradors always have their noses pressed to the ground, whereas pointers will often just sniff the air with their heads held high. When he reached the point where the deer had stood he immediately went left not right the direction that the rest of the herd had departed. My first thought was "He's taking the mick, I'm going to kick his arse". But the dog knew best and ran straight to the doe about 50 yards away lying dead in a small stream bed. Needless to say the dog had the liver as a reward. The shot had been good but for some reason had not left any obvious signs, well not to us mere humans anyway.
You have to learn to trust the dog and understand what he is saying, because they can communicate with you. It's really a matter of time and giving him the opportunity to learn. I also believe that the dog has to have it in him, you can't train a dog that hasn't got the right instincts.
