In his review for The New York Times, Vincent Canby said, 'Nothing in 'Death Hunt' makes a great deal of sense, though the scenery is rugged and the snowscapes beautiful.' Although he believed the script was 'full of unintentionally funny moments,' he did find merit in Bronson and Marvin's performances, calling both 'such old hands at this sort of movie that each can create a character with ease, out of thin, cold air.' Other reviews weren't much better for the film, which earned a 17% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Millen chases Johnson through the harsh wilderness, where his survival skills are put to the test.

But the dog's owner, Hazel (Ed Lauter), and his posse attack Johnson for taking their animal, and when one of Hazel's men is killed in the brawl, Johnson has to go on the run from the Canadian Mounties, led by Sgt. One day he breaks up an organized dog fight and nurses a wounded German Shepherd back to health.

Bronson plays Johnson, an isolated American trapper living in the Yukon territory in 1931.