BLOODHOUND MAN TRACKERS.ORG
Please support our mission in search of the lost and missing
About Bloodhound Mantrackers
About Us
Bloodhound Man-Trackers was the answer to the decline in use of properly trained, proven bloodhounds for use in law enforcement. Frank Hurst, Al Nelson and Brian Eberle formed the group in an effort to keep amazing Bloodhounds as a resource for those agencies that no longer had or could afford to have a team for use. Frank and Al were both law enforcement K9 handlers, and were in the process of retiring-which led to the problem of no longer having proven bloodhounds around in law enforcement. Frank presented his idea to Al and Brian about having a group that could still provide bloodhounds for use. The idea took root and soon the group started to realize that the idea could become reality.
The end goal was simple, have proven bloodhounds for law enforcement use to help find the lost and missing, bring criminals to justice, and ultimately provide closure for families that lost loved ones.
Since our official formation and recognition as a 501c3 non-profit in 2014, over the years through private donations, the kindness of people, and dedication of many, Bloodhound Man-Trackers has been able to assist dozens of agencies on hundreds of calls. We will continue to help and answer the call thanks to our supporters, handlers, and family
Vision
We are the link between excellent trained and proven K-9 Bloodhound Teams which can be utilized by Law Enforcement Agencies for Man Tracking and Human Decomposition work to help find the lost and missing, and to help bring criminals to justice.
Values
Bloodhound Man Trackers acknowledges the unsurpassed abilities of a Bloodhound for Tracking & Human Decomposition detection work.
Bloodhound Man Trackers highly regards properly trained Bloodhound K9 Teams.
Bloodhound Man Trackers respects the job of all who serve in any Law Enforcement capacity.
Bloodhound Man Trackers values all Human and Canine lives.
Mission
Bloodhound Man Trackers is organized and dedicated to:
Properly train bloodhound K9 teams for law enforcement.
Working cohesively (as a team and extension) of all the law enforcement agencies we assist;
Operating with the highest moral standard for all lives (human and canine).
Promoting bloodhounds to be used more frequently and to the best of their ability;
Providing all law enforcement agencies with a ready option of a trained, proven bloodhound team.
Training a Bloodhound... to Sniff & Trail
So how do you train a bloodhound to trail?
Simply put, you really don't need to (it's rather like a retriever retrieving). You are encouraging them to do what they naturally do; and that is Bloodhounds naturally love to "smell" and that makes them want to follow the smell & the scent that is left behind.
Choose a healthy & sound bloodhound puppy that is a confident & nosey puppy.
Nose to the ground is what you want, but watch your pup move as you need more than a bloodhound head for a working K9.
Starting a Bloodhound Puppy to Follow It's Nose
Most K9 Bloodhound Handlers will want to get and start their bloodhound puppy as soon as their bloodhound breeder will allow (generally about 8 weeks old).
Before you start training with your bloodhound puppy, first & foremost the puppy needs to become familiar with the working equipment (harness, collar, lead, etc.).
Now on to "Bloodhound Puppy Trails"
Have a runner holding a scent article (something for the dog to sniff) and getting the puppy excited (waving the scent article around and calling the puppy's name)...
While that is happening the K9 Handler is holding the puppy but encouraging the pup (sort of firing the puppy up with excitement)...
Now the runner drops the scent article & runs a straight line (15-20 yds)...
Then the K9 Bloodhound Handler will take the bloodhound puppy to the scent article and give his command to trail...
Right after that the runner will call and encourage the puppy to come...
Once the puppy reaches the runner the puppy is praised, rewarded and played with as this should be a fun game that they want to go over & over.
Continue until the pup gets the "Particulars"
CONTINUE with the above until your bloodhound puppy associates the scent(sniffing game) with the command (to trail), and until your puppy understands the reward is for finding the particular person of that particular scent!
Add more & more "Challenges & Differences"
CONTINUE training and trailing (at least weekly), adding different challenges such as Different Runners, Different Locations, Different Terrain, Longer Trails, Aged Trails, Trails With Turns, Trails in Different Weather, etc.
Training is a big nose game for the dog, so keep it fun, exciting & challenging!
help our cause
Your support and contributions will enable our bloodhound teams to find the lost and missing. Your generous donation will fund our mission. Bloodhound Man-Trackers survives upon donations alone no agency we assist ever pays for our service.
Bloodhound Mantrackers Inc. Partnering with law enforcement
A VERY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE
Bloodhounds are PROVEN (they are not certified).
A very important difference.
PROVEN:
A Bloodhound is "Proven" by training records, the cases worked, with a confirmed track or find.
"Proven" means the dog does the skill over & over again (not just on one day for a certificate).
See Colorado State Law for Bloodhound Testimony.
CERTIFIED:
A dog is tested, usually once a year in a skill.
The dog may or may not be able to do this skill again in real conditions in the real world.
Certification is done for all other (non-bloodhound) breeds.
Colorado Bloodhound Law
Supreme Court State of Colorado
Brooks - v- Colorado No 97SC758
BLOODHOUND:
Bloodhound is of a breed characterized by acute power of scent.
The Bloodhound must be a purebred.
The dog has been trained to follow a track by scent.
The dog was found by experience to be reliable in pursuing human tracks.
The dog is given the scent of the person to be tracked.
Tracking efforts took place within a reasonable time given the abilities of the animal.MEET OUR TEAMS
AL NELSON
FRANK HURST
AL Nelson - Handler-Master Trainer
Al Nelson served over 39 years with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office and has since retired. His extensive expertise as a Bloodhound Handler & Man-Tracker is now available via Bloodhound Man Trackers, Inc. (where he also ser ves as a Board Member).
His skills in training & handling bloodhounds are unmatched, as he himself trained with the great bloodhound man tracking legends such as Bill Tolhurst, Jerry Yelk, Garland Gilman and Glen Rimby.
Al shares his knowledge with other Bloodhound Handlers to ensure the knowledge is passed down, carried forward, and that Bloodhounds continue to do the unique unsurpassed job of Man-Trailing.
Nelson has assisted a great number of local, state and federal agencies including working many high profile cases. Al has testified numerous times as an Expert Witness.
He is modest in discussing his talents, and does what he does to serve others and for the love of bloodhounds.
Bloodhound K9 Team for:
- Bloodhound Man Trackers
- NecroSearch International
- Jefferson County Sheriff
(39 yrs of service, now retired)
Case Work Experience:
Homicides
Cold Cases
Burglaries
Missing Persons
Fleeing Felons
SWAT/SRT
Warrants
Runaways
Vehicle Theft
Abduction
Narcotics Search
Arson
at risk adults and children
FRANK HURST
FRANK HURST
FRANK HURST - Handler -Trainer and President
Frank Hurst is the President and co-founders of Bloodhound Man Trackers, Inc. Frank has been involved in the public service field for several decades with both the police and fire service. Frank's passion for helping others is what fueled the creation of Bloodhound Man-Trackers. Frank's mission has always been to help others, no matter their ability to pay for a service or not. Frank has assisted dozens of law enforcement agencies across the USA and has numerous training and teaching hours in bloodhound trailing and human decomposition work. Frank is proud to be a member of NecroSearch International as a Decomposing Human Scent K9 Handler and a resource for NCMEC (the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children). Frank has testified several times as an expert witness with his K9 partners.
Thousands of hours K9 Handling Hours
Over 200 Bloodhound Deployments and Cases
Over 20 Years Bloodhound Tracking & Trailing
Over 20 years in Decomposition Work
Over a decade of Narcotics Work
Assisted Over 50 other Law Enforcement Agencies in 12 different states
K9 Team for:
- Bloodhound Man Trackers
- Elizabeth Police Department
- NecroSearch International
- NCMEC(National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)
Case Work Experience:
Homicides
Cold Cases
Burglaries
Missing Persons
Fleeing Felons
SWAT/SRT
Warrants
Runaways
Vehicle Theft
Abduction
Narcotics Search
Arson
at risk adults and children
BRIAN EBERLE
BRIAN EBERLE - Handler and Vice President
Brian Eberle is a Co-Founder and the Vice President of Bloodhound Man Trackers, Inc. He began working his first bloodhound in 2008. Brian has assisted over a dozen law enforcement agencies on dozens of cases and has numerous training hours in bloodhound trailing and human decomposition work. Brian has instructed on the topic of scent/detection K9s for Colorado Homicide Association, Colorado Regional POST academy, the Lakewood Police Department Crime Scene Investigations Course, and the Rocky Mountain Division of International Association for Identification. Brian is proud to be a member of NecroSearch International as a Decomposing Human Scent K9 Handler, a resource for NCMEC (the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), Accelerant Detection K9 handler for West Metro Fire, and was a Canine Search Specialist for FEMA's Colorado Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team. Brian has testified as an expert witness several times with his K9s.
K9 Team for:
- Bloodhound Man Trackers
- NecroSearch International
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Colorado Task Force 1
Colorado Division of Fire
- West Metro Fire
Case Work Experience:
Homicides
Missing Persons
Fleeing Felons
SWAT/SRT
Runaways
Cold Case
Arson
STEVE GUESS
Sgt. Steve Guess and his K-9 partner K-9 Copper
MIKE PALACIOS
Officer Michael Palacios and his partners K-9 Hank and K-9 Harley
SHANE SPERRY
Officer Shane Sperry and his partners K-9 Sage and K-9 Frank
in honor of those who have left us t0 s00n
Bob Wilson
We remember Officer Bob Wilson a founding board member of Bloodhound Man-Trackers, friend and mentor we miss you. A humble person who served his community and state of Colorado for over 40 years. He and his K-9 partners kept Presidents and other hears of state safe when they would visit Colorado. Quietly working behind the scenes of college and professional sporting events keeping spectators and athletes safe from harm. Bob gave so much and never ask for anything in return. He taught and mentored any K-9 who would seek his vast knowledge on training working K-9 for free. Thank you for passing your vast knowledge to our BMT handlers and thank you for your selfless service to others. But most of all thank you for being my friend. we miss you Bob you will always remain in our hearts.
George Berry
George, we miss you dearly, we lost not only a dedicated kindhearted member but a truly wonderful friend. We can never thank you enough for all you did for our organization through the years. Your wisdom, kind heart, your love for all the slobbery bloodhounds and our mission. You were the best track layer ever and never missed a training. You always had a smile on your face and kind words of wisdom for each of us. We miss you dearly. George, you are our hero! You were always the calming inspiration in our life. We had so many adventures together as we traveled throughout the state of Colorado to help bring closure to a family of a missing loved one or search for at risk senior or child. You gave of your time so freely to travel to other states for days at a time assisting agencies with their missing persons cases. You had a heart of gold, you were always willing to help anyone in need.
You gave to your nation in the United States Air Force your community as a fire fighter and fire investigator with the Elizabeth Fire Protection District, the Elbert County Sheriff's Office, Kiowa Fire Department and the most amazing volunteer for Bloodhound Man-Trackers. Blood Hound Mantrackers is truly honored to have had you as a member and a friend.
Support Bloodhound Mantrackers Inc.'s Mission
Bloodhound History
Bloodhound History
Ancient Bloodhound History
1000-2000 BC - There is a plaque from Ancient Babylon which some say is a type of a bloodhound.
630-699 BC -There is an illustration in the Nineveh Palace of an ancient dog that history refers to as a bloodhound/mastiff.
55 BC - The Romans arriving in Britain spoke of finding great scent ho
European Bloodhound History
727 AD - Beginning with St. Hubert, the French Monastery bred hounds with great noses, courage, endurance, & throatiness. Most of these dogs were black with some red/fawn accents. St. Hubert is thought by many to be the beginning of the true bloodhound.
1066 AD - St. Hubert Hounds were brought to England (often as a gift for royalty).
1066 AD - Also at this time were Talbot Hounds (white hounds).
1270-1305/07 - During the Medieval times of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, Sleuth Hounds (Bloodhounds) were often used to track & hunt people.
1859/1860 AD - England had its first dog show in 1859, and in 1860 bloodhounds were entered in the show.
American Bloodhound History
1700 -1863 - Throughout much of the American Slavery time period Bloodhounds were used to track down runaway slaves.
1888 - Three Bloodhounds were entered at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
1910 - There were about 200 Bloodhounds registered in the American Kennel Club (versus 2,379 Collies, the #1 breed at the time).
1962 - The National Police Bloodhound Association was formed (initially it was called the Eastern Police Bloodhound Association).
2005 - The American Kennel Club has 3,112 Bloodhounds registered.
2014 Bloodhound Man-Trackers was formed to provide trained proven Bloodhound teams to assist Law Enforcement
why Bloodhounds...
A Bloodhound Olfactory is Unsurpassed for Trailing and Tracking
Bloodhounds Unsurpassed Trailing & Tracking Abilities
The Best Canine Nose
We start by yielding to the Wolf as the #1 Canine Nose; but you will be no less amazed by the #2 Canine Nose of a Bloodhound!
It's All About the Scent
Scientists estimate the human body is made up of about 10 trillion total cells, and that every hour between 30,000 and 40,000 cells fall off. (Sort of like the Pig Pen character in Snoopy, only you can't see them). Think about it, that is over 1 million cells shed in 1 day. Now consider, each person's cells and scent is different; and lastly that a Bloodhound can Identify & Discern the Difference!
Tracking Versus Trailing
Tracking is following the "track" footstep to footstep.
Trailing is following the SCENT TRAIL, which is not always on the exact path due to weather and the environment.
Bloodhounds TRAIL... they follow the SCENT TRAIL.
How does the Bloodhound & their Bloodhound Nose Work?
The large nostrils allow for the scent to come in.
The long snout has more olfactory (scent receptors) than other dogs (German Shepherds have 50 million more than humans, Bloodhounds have 3,000,000 more than humans).
Their ears sweep the scent, and the excess skin on their head & neck hold the scent.
Even their drool helps to enhance the scent.
They can identify the specific scent (person) they are trailing.
They love the "Find Them Game" and most real working bloodhound would trail until their kidneys failed.
Remember they have been bred for over 200 years to TRAIL.
PLEASE NOTE: Bloodhounds must be healthy & fit. Not too large, not too frail. They need healthy hearts, strong hips & elbows, and good feet! Most working bloodhounds will be required to work from 8 months to 8 years of age, and possibly 8 hours a day
Bloodhound Man-trackers past cases Making a Difference
PAST CASES
v
2014
25 incidents, 14 agencies assisted
2015
37 Incidents, 21 agencies assisted
2016
19 Incidents, 11 agencies assisted
2017
29 Incidents, 18 agencies assisted 2018
20 Incidents, 21 agencies assisted
2019
22 Incidents, 18 agencies assisted
2020
17 Incidents, 15 agencies assisted
2021
20 incidents, 17 agencies assisted
2022
19 incidents, 13 agencies assisted
2023
26 incidents, 20 agencies assisted 2024 23 incidents, 16 agencies assisted
Law Enforcement Agencies for a Bloodhound K9 Team please call us at 303-981-9358 or 720.626.2463
CITIZENS please call your local Law Enforcement Agency or in an Emergency, Dial 911.
Our Bloodhound K9 Teams are very active and work a variety of cases, such as:
Decomposing Human Scent/Clandestine Graves
Evidence
Persons
Narcotics
Cold Cases
& More
Contact Us
Law Enforcement contact us anytime for assistance
Working cohesively with your team on cold and missing persons cases
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to to assist in the search of the lost, the missing and assist with major crimes.