By David Selman - Tracker-Outdoors.com
Ethical hunters should always do their best to deliver a clean lethal
shot that ends the life of game quickly. We should "pass up" shots that
are less than sure. There are occasions however when our best
intentions require us to track game. Out of respect for the wildlife we
hunt, we should make every effort possible to find the game we have
shot. From the moment we raise our hunting weapon of choice the
tracking process begins. When the arrow is released or the trigger is
pulled pay close attention to every detail. Watch the deer carefully
after the shot and study it's reactions, a grazing shot, rib shot,
heart or lung shot can make the deer jump and run off at full speed. A
gut shot deer often holds it's tail down and hunches it's back as it
leaves the scene. A deer that has been shot in the gut or paunch is
usually the most difficult to recover. Wait 2-3 hours before trailing a
deer you believe was gut shot. Always follow up on any deer you take a
shot at. Never make the assumption that you missed completely.
Here are some tips:
Notice the direction the deer or other game was traveling when you shot.
Notice where the game is standing when you shoot.
Look carefully for the exact area of the entrance wound or for a
protruding shaft of an arrow after the shot.
If the game runs after the shot, note the spot the deer was standing
and the direction of travel as it ran.
If you know you hit the deer and it runs off, wait at least 30 minutes
before trailing.
Before you begin trailing, mark the location from which you shot.
Always walk in the direction your bullet or arrow traveled, checking
for nicks in vegetation or any other signs that your shot was possibly
deflected.
Carefully inspect the area that the deer was standing when the shot was
made.
Look for blood and hair at the scene. Lots of hair usually means a
grazing shot , while a little hair means a body shot.
If there is mostly brown hair the shot was high, mostly white, the shot
was low.
If there are bone fragments at the scene there is a possibility of a
leg hit.
Mark this area and don't disturb it, you may have to return later.
When you find the blood trail always walk beside it, not on it, do not
destroy the clues.
If you lose the blood trail , go to the spot the last blood was found
an mark it.
Look for any other sign that may indicate the direction of travel of
the deer (i.e. up turned leaves, broken vegetation).
Search in a circular pattern around the last spot of blood you found.
If you still cannot locate the game, go get help. Every effort must be
made to retrieve a wounded animal before resuming the hunt.
You cannot predict the behavior of a wounded deer. Once you start
trailing, move quickly to avoid giving blood time to dry and become
harder to find. Always be ready to shoot, never assume the animal is
dead.
Blood Sign
Heart, lung or large blood vessel hit:
Fine droplets sprayed on both sides of the trail for 75 to 100 yards,
sometimes several feet up on trees and vegetation. Usually a clean kill
and the deer should not travel far.
Gut shot
Food particles and putrid smelling blood. Blood trail is difficult to
find at the location the shot was made. Bloody spots appear in about
the first 50-75 yards and steadily decrease. Do not follow this deer
too closely. Allow 2-3 hours before trailing. The deer will bleed to
death when it beds down if you don't chase it.
Leg, back muscle, neck, or body cavity hit
Large spots of blood at the spot where the animal was hit, turning to
continuous drops that diminish after about 150 yards. Bleeding
continues while the animal is moving but stops when the animal lies
down.
Good Hunting,
Tracker Outdoors
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