I'm not currently hunting VA, but if the laws have not changed, I can give you some advice on tracking in your neck. I was heavily involved with getting new and young hunters, many with archery tackle, involved in the sport. Though he is retired now, I trained and kept a companion tracking dog. He could track and find anything. He travelled all over the map with me, to include hunting in VA. At the time, in VA, as long as you grounded your hunting weapon, it was legal. I had rescued the son of the director, so he was helpful to me then, and my legal guidance came directly from his office. Otherwise, if you did not ground the weapon, then technically you were continuing the hunt, and then the regs would apply reference hunting dogs. My dog easily recovered quite a number of game animals killed in very rugged terrain.
Something to consider, when in rugged mountains, where a deer can get lost quick.
