A tough act to follow

A wounded roe proves unusually tricky to track down, but deer dog Jazz gives it his all

- RUDI VAN KETS

Though the end of the roe season is nearing, my Bavarian mountain hound Jazz and I are still making a massive effort to help retrieve all wounded deer. Over the years, it has almost become second nature to have everything ready for when my mobile rings. This year was no different, but there was just one problem.

Busy gardening, I left my mobile in the house, where it was ringing repeatedly. While I was toiling in the flower beds, my phone had received several urgent calls about a stricken roe deer. But after a few hours, I rewarded myself with a coffee break and glanced at my phone to see if anyone had tried to reach me. Five missed calls and a text. Oops. I phoned back immediately.

Relieved voice

After barely two rings, a relieved voice answered. Instantly, the situation became clear. Jazz and I were needed. A roe deer had been shot, but it was wounded and needed locating, just like the countless other times we had been summoned. But on this occasion, it wouldn’t be so easy.

The situation was perfect for training a young dog, so I decided to call Wouter, who lives nearby. Wouter is training a young Bavarian mountain hound, who is improving rapidly. This would be the perfect scenario for Wouter and his dog to gain some real experience.

We arrived just afternoon. The landowner proceeded to tell us the story of the night before. A colleague had shot a deer, but it had jumped into the nearby foliage. Confident of his aim, the hunter went to the likely shooting site. Retracing the deer’s escape, he found a few splashes of blood. His shot had not missed.