05/31/2026
Thereās times that Iām motivated to keep working and running dogs to find a childās first deer. Thereās times that Iām motivated to keep going because I want to watch my dog test itself. Thereās times I just want to throw in the towel because I want be at home in bed and sleep more than a couple hours a night durning the fall. Thereās times I want to throw in the towel after dealing with an unpleasant hunter for pocket change. What really motivates me the most is simply all of these people from this weekend. Because a lot of them would not just simply let me quit, sleep all night in peace and let me enjoy my phone not ringing off the hook.
This weekend we held the Illinois Deer Trackerās Network 3rd annual Trackers Haven. What a time it was. No matter the experience level or time spent tracking, we all came home with a new piece of information we learned. We had many handlers come from all over the country to attend our event and it was very honoring to see them come support the Network.
We were blessed to engorge in some of the best food made by the Beachy family! If you went hungry at any given point, it was your own fault! The Beachyās went above and beyond to cater and host all of us.
The āevent momā or also known as Marissa Rosentreter, thank you. The time, effort, and dedication you put in does not go unnoticed! From planning, to venting, map reading/directions or simply being the glue that holds every single one of us together, thank you!
Thank you to our judges and apprentice judges for your countless hours of work into making each and every one of our test happen this weekend.
Congratulations to everyone that tested and passed their tests including 3 good friends Dylan Johnson, Marissa Rosentreter and Jimmy Cooper! Also, congratulations Matt Geralds though the outcome of the test was not what we all hoped for it his takes a brave soul to stand up infront of a crowd of people to try and run a UTB 3 which is a huge mental nightmare for a handler. My hats off to you for that!
There were a lot of Doc/Jewel 1.0 and 2.0 crosses that attended and we were lucky enough to get a picture with all of them that were there!
Saturday evening we had our dinner that was followed by raffles and a live auction. Like years before, a set of Buckbarde tracking shoes were auctioned off. However, it was hard to watch knowing it was the last set to be sold or auctioned. The shoes are made by Raymond Holohan. Ray is a man that is looked up and respected by many of us. He is full of s***k and knowledge. Normally, they would be auctioned off and Ray would sign them and send them on their way with their new owners. However, being this was the last pair we came up with an idea. Many of us made donations to a pot and got everyoneās signatures on the shoes. When the auction time rolled around we knew what was in the pot and we went to bidding. This set of shoes sold for a record. When they sold Ray was asked to come up infront of everyone and we asked instead of signing the shoes that he took shoes we all signed home with him. If that didnāt start the water works for all of us in the roomā¦
Like Matt Duffy mentioned, I never would have imagined the friendships and fellowship I would have gained through this network! Matt, I also fully expect to see both Boots and Danner in your lap when you come pulling up in the blue chevy next year!
Kacie and I had a blast this weekend and canāt wait for next year!
Lastly, Mark, if youāre still readingā¦. Nice hair!
