Deer tracking dogs are 100% legal to use in the recovery of a deer in Ohio. Whether you make a good shot on a deer or think it’s marginal, using a tracking dog will always increase the odds of finding your deer. If you know you’re going to use a tracking dog to recover your deer, it is important not to start tracking it yourself. That is what the dog is for. The same thing goes if you make a marginal shot. Don’t go tracking the deer yourself, lose blood or jump the deer, then call in a tracking dog. When in doubt, back out and call a dog in.
Do I Have to Pay Someone to Bring in a Tracking Dog For My Deer?
The cost will depend on the skill level of the dog. Some experienced dogs will bring in a fee for showing up and an additional fee for a successful recovery. This fee could be in the range of $100-200+.
A person bringing their dog in training may only charge you a small fee to cover the gas just to get their dog some experience and better their skills. It is always thoughtful to give the owner a fee or tip no matter what just for their time.
A person with a beginner dog will prefer you to have made a good shot on the deer so their dog sees a prize at the end of the track. Most trainers with beginner dogs will ask you to call them even if you see your deer fall. The more tracks their dog gets on, the faster they will learn. A trainer with a beginner dog may charge a small fee for a successful track job, maybe a beer or just a handshake. If you are happy with their dog, keep them in mind for future tracks.
How Do I Find a Deer Tracking Dog?
There are numerous Facebook groups out there with people advertising their dog’s tracking skills. I have seen them in many hunting groups along with dedicated pages just for tracking purposes. Below is a solid list of deer-tracking dogs along with the counties they will travel to.
UBT = United Blood Trackers Certified
WGT= White German Tundra Certified
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Experienced Dogs
| NAME | COUNTIES | PHONE NUMBER |
| Kevin Kaltenbach | Huron & Erie Only | 419-706-6486 |
| Jason Voorhees (UBT) | Seneca & NW Ohio | 419-619-2165 |
| Jake Shambre (UBT) | Richland, Ashland, Knox, Morrow, Wayne, Coshocton | 419-303-3667 |
| Cameron Garner | Trumbull, Ashtabula, Mahoning | 330-406-8668 |
| Stacy Bayus | Ashtabula | 814-490-9288 |
| Brooke Lanning | Medina & Surrounding | 330-690-6454 |
| Kaily Schuette | Morrow, Knox, Delaware, Marion | 740-513-7980 |
| Patricia Rothhaar | Marion, Crawford, Richland, Wyandot, Seneca | 419-563-6993/6958 |
| Walter Allen | Monroe, Noble, Morgan, Washington, Athens, Meigs | 304-588-1811 |
| Al Sherman (UBT) | Clermont, Butler, Preble, Warren, Hamilton | 812-717-0301 |
| Robert Miller | Entire State | 810-240-4891 |
| Jason Sproul | NW Ohio, Part Time SE Ohio | 734-620-7374 |
| Mike Brown | Entire State | 517-795-8188 |
| Justin Allen | Monroe, Noble, Morgan, Washington, Athens, Meigs | 304-580-1613 |
| Dave Bell | Butler & Surrounding Counties | 513-526-3806 |
| Jared Glover | Harrison & Surrounding Counties | 740-381-1368 |
| Bailee Battista | Greene, Montgomery, Miami | 802-487-4703 |
| Toby Burdette (UBT) | Entire State | 740-281-6435 |
| Jake Bowman | NW Ohio | 937-620-5061 |
| Shon Butler (WGT) | Southern Ohio | 304-439-1659 |
| Cody Fosbrink (UBT) | Southern Ohio | 937-725-2071 |
| Brandon Douglas | Miami & Surrounding Counties | 937-216-3367 |
| Joshua McKinney | Adams | 717-269-3772 |
| Forest Kerns | Lawrence | 740-739-7934 |
| Kalynn Cooper | Morrow, Knox, Richland, Delaware | 567-231-9707 |
| Jake Caseman (UBT) | Richland | 567-274-5298 |
| Chad Graef (WGT) | Montgomery & Surrounding Counties | 937-474-2872 |
| Rob Davidson (UBT) | Erie, Huron, Sandusky | 419-557-1064 |
| Joseph Tenney (UBT) | Portage & surrounding Counties | 330-787-1467 |
| Alex Vogal | Mercer & Surrounding Counties | 419-268-8167 |
Dogs In Training
| NAME | COUNTIES | PHONE NUMBER |
| Rob Cantrell | Medina, Lorain, Wayne | 330-416-5867 |
| Jack Zimmerly (UBT) | Holmes & Surrounding Counties | 330-763-1042 |
| Sean Wagler | Portage, Stark, Summit | 330-201-1656 |
| Jeff Carver | Ashland | 419-651-8228 |
| Ashley Johnson | Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia | 740-534-2393 |
| Chris Hampton (UBT) | SW Ohio, NW Kentucky, SE Indiana | 740-357-4353 |
| Seth Mason (UBT) | Licking, Entire State | 740-404-0062 |
| Dave Proffit (UBT) | Licking & Surrounding Counties | 740-616-1078 |
| Frank Varian (UBT) | Franklin, Delaware, Union, Madison, Pickaway | 614-439-2506 |
| Robert Sherrill (UBT) | Richland, Entire State | 740-485-1144 |
| Dave Foyer (UBT,WGT) | Trumbull, NE Ohio | 814-688-5949 |
| Billy Creamer (UBT) | Franklin & Surrounding Counties | 614-419-6620 |
| Scott Mook (UBT) | Trumbull & PA line | 814-671-4775 |
| Todd Stewart (UBT) | Columbiana & Surrounding Counties | 412-398-0929 |
Beginner Dogs
| NAME | COUNTIES | PHONE NUMBER |
| Kahia Storey (UBT) | Wood, Henry, Lucas, Fulton | 419-705-8782 |
| David Byers | Coshocton & Surrounding Counties | 484-300-1688 |
| Kevin Wertz | Seneca, Wyandot, Hancock, Crawford | 419-701-8131 |
| Jared Lindsey | Shelby | 937-638-6848 |
| Jamie Huffman | NE Ohio | 304-982-0586 |
| Grady Clingerman | NW Ohio | 260-229-2715 |
| Nicholas Sprague | SW Ohio | 207-679-7023 |
| Brian Hall | Medina, Lorain, Cuyahoga, SUmmit, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Harrison | 216-956-4407 |
| Justice Slane | Sandusky & Surrounding Counties | 419-603-8222 |
| AJ Miller (UBT) | Licking & Surrounding Counties | 740-644-8740 |
| Rick Roshon (UBT) | Licking, Entire State | 614-795-3695 |
| Nick Stover (UBT) | Champaign & Surrounding Counties | 937-896-2024 |
| John Nichols (UBT) | Washington & Surrounding Counties | 740-336-4395 |
Related: How Many Deer Can You Shoot In Ohio?