Tracking a Bloodtrail?
08-25-2008, 12:20 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 93
Tracking a Bloodtrail?
Just a quick few questions? What have you guys found to be the best, most efficient way to track a deer after you hit him? How long do you wait before you go after the deer? Do you use any special equip. such as the UV light, sprays, things like that?
One more quick thing. I've always wondered if a blacklight would work? I know you can buy the little handheld blacklights from different party stores, but I don't know if it would work? Any thoughts?
One more quick thing. I've always wondered if a blacklight would work? I know you can buy the little handheld blacklights from different party stores, but I don't know if it would work? Any thoughts?
08-25-2008, 12:52 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: Tracking a Bloodtrail?
With a bow, and what I consider a good hit, I always wait quietly for 30 minutes before I start down...After looking at the arrow and seeing what is on it then I determine if I should follow or back off...
You must have a good light, and some tracking paper...For years I used a Coleman lantern...A few years back, I noticed that the LED from my headlight was making the blood shine so I started looking for a good LED hand held light that was brighter than my headlight...The one that I found that works best for me is sold at Lowes Hardware, it's made by Coast and sells for about $46 bucks...It has a focusing beam and uses 3-AAA batteries, instead of some others that use higher priced batteries...I used this light last year to track 20 deer or so and it works great...I had used a 3-D Maglight with the regular light bulb and also tried the 2-D MagLight LED, which was too bright...I've also used a couple of "blood" tracking lights that buddies had bought and they just aren't bright enough for my use...
I always carry a head light, the Coast, a AA Maglight and a LED flasher that I picked up at Gander Mountain...I start at the point of impact and slowly head to where I last saw the deer, dropping paper as I find blood...Once I find the deer, I hang the LED on a limb and if it is a long track, I'll hang the AA Maglight with the focusing beam unscrewed on the blood trail as well (I put a paper clip on the MagLight to hook over a limb)...This way, if I'm dragging, I can head to the MagLight, or use it to find my way back on the 4-wheeler...
The big thing is only take good shots, go slow and know that since you held out for a good shot that you absolutely know that the deer is down...
Nothing worse than helping a fellow that isn't sure of the shot, where it hit, where the deer was standing or where it ran after the shot...Just take your time and don't get off the blood trail...If you stop finding blood, go back to the last piece of paper and slowly look to see it the deer change direction...
You must have a good light, and some tracking paper...For years I used a Coleman lantern...A few years back, I noticed that the LED from my headlight was making the blood shine so I started looking for a good LED hand held light that was brighter than my headlight...The one that I found that works best for me is sold at Lowes Hardware, it's made by Coast and sells for about $46 bucks...It has a focusing beam and uses 3-AAA batteries, instead of some others that use higher priced batteries...I used this light last year to track 20 deer or so and it works great...I had used a 3-D Maglight with the regular light bulb and also tried the 2-D MagLight LED, which was too bright...I've also used a couple of "blood" tracking lights that buddies had bought and they just aren't bright enough for my use...
I always carry a head light, the Coast, a AA Maglight and a LED flasher that I picked up at Gander Mountain...I start at the point of impact and slowly head to where I last saw the deer, dropping paper as I find blood...Once I find the deer, I hang the LED on a limb and if it is a long track, I'll hang the AA Maglight with the focusing beam unscrewed on the blood trail as well (I put a paper clip on the MagLight to hook over a limb)...This way, if I'm dragging, I can head to the MagLight, or use it to find my way back on the 4-wheeler...
The big thing is only take good shots, go slow and know that since you held out for a good shot that you absolutely know that the deer is down...
Nothing worse than helping a fellow that isn't sure of the shot, where it hit, where the deer was standing or where it ran after the shot...Just take your time and don't get off the blood trail...If you stop finding blood, go back to the last piece of paper and slowly look to see it the deer change direction...
08-25-2008, 03:46 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
RE: Tracking a Bloodtrail?
the coleman lantern works wonders...i also coonhunt so i have a miners style light that will be in my truck charged and ready to roll if its needed.
biggest thing to keep in mind is TAKE YOUR TIME! a dead deer isnt going anywhere. a deer that is wounded and in a death bed that is jumped out of that death bed is going somewhere and chances of recovering after you jump it as slim because blood is usually done flowing by that time...time is on your side...weather(heat) yotes, wolves etc can make time more tricky....but some knowledge will go a long way.
there a book "finding wounded deer" or something like that by "Trout" ...good read...interesting and gives some good "rules of thumb"
if it aint D E A D in sight, sit tight ATLEAST 30 minutes before climbing down. keep noise and disturbance to a minimum...sneak to the point of impact and look for your arrow, blood etc....replay the shot those 30+ mins...where did that arrow go in? where should it came out? what SHOULD have been cut by your BH?? how long does it take typically for an animal with that wound to die? most deer hit in a killing area(guts, stomach liver etc included) will usually bed within 200yds or less if not spooked...you want to be QUIET when getting down and looking for clues...the longer you can wait the better off you'll be. if you know you center punched the guts or stomach 100% sure and you have the power to stay glued in the tree for 8hrs, your my hero...and if you can do so, you'll likely be rewarded...though i dont think ANYONE can...
learn to watch your arrow flight and shot impacts...under many circumstances, you should KNOW where you hit because you watched it. some people though, cannot watch their own arrow flight...im lucky and rarely miss the flight...last year i WATCHED the broadhead open a hole and watched the fletchings sink into that hole...
learn to watch the deer after the shot....tail up or down? jump? hunch down? run like a bolt of lightning? trot? walk? what was the last landmark it was by before it disappeared? listen! hear it crash?? hear the arrow hitting trees or brush? hear the deer walking/running?? take note of EVERYTHING!
carry gear with you to track deer...toilet paper or flagging tape etc to mark the trail...compass(so YOU dont get lost!) lights etc....i dont carry my miner style light with me but its in the truck ready to go...
friends can help or hurt...you get too many guys that dont know what their doing, they are best left at home. they can ruin the sign you need to be finding. but if you have expirienced friends, they should be the first people you call. save the inexpirienced guys for the BODY search hours after you lost last blood...form a big search party and go through all of the land in the area looking for that deer..
Rob will sticky a post to the top that covers more...im bored and like to type
so i tried my best to answer though theres TONS more that gets discussed annually...being prepared and having knowledge are very important to finding wounded deer
biggest thing to keep in mind is TAKE YOUR TIME! a dead deer isnt going anywhere. a deer that is wounded and in a death bed that is jumped out of that death bed is going somewhere and chances of recovering after you jump it as slim because blood is usually done flowing by that time...time is on your side...weather(heat) yotes, wolves etc can make time more tricky....but some knowledge will go a long way.
there a book "finding wounded deer" or something like that by "Trout" ...good read...interesting and gives some good "rules of thumb"
if it aint D E A D in sight, sit tight ATLEAST 30 minutes before climbing down. keep noise and disturbance to a minimum...sneak to the point of impact and look for your arrow, blood etc....replay the shot those 30+ mins...where did that arrow go in? where should it came out? what SHOULD have been cut by your BH?? how long does it take typically for an animal with that wound to die? most deer hit in a killing area(guts, stomach liver etc included) will usually bed within 200yds or less if not spooked...you want to be QUIET when getting down and looking for clues...the longer you can wait the better off you'll be. if you know you center punched the guts or stomach 100% sure and you have the power to stay glued in the tree for 8hrs, your my hero...and if you can do so, you'll likely be rewarded...though i dont think ANYONE can...
learn to watch your arrow flight and shot impacts...under many circumstances, you should KNOW where you hit because you watched it. some people though, cannot watch their own arrow flight...im lucky and rarely miss the flight...last year i WATCHED the broadhead open a hole and watched the fletchings sink into that hole...
learn to watch the deer after the shot....tail up or down? jump? hunch down? run like a bolt of lightning? trot? walk? what was the last landmark it was by before it disappeared? listen! hear it crash?? hear the arrow hitting trees or brush? hear the deer walking/running?? take note of EVERYTHING!
carry gear with you to track deer...toilet paper or flagging tape etc to mark the trail...compass(so YOU dont get lost!) lights etc....i dont carry my miner style light with me but its in the truck ready to go...
friends can help or hurt...you get too many guys that dont know what their doing, they are best left at home. they can ruin the sign you need to be finding. but if you have expirienced friends, they should be the first people you call. save the inexpirienced guys for the BODY search hours after you lost last blood...form a big search party and go through all of the land in the area looking for that deer..
Rob will sticky a post to the top that covers more...im bored and like to type
so i tried my best to answer though theres TONS more that gets discussed annually...being prepared and having knowledge are very important to finding wounded deer
08-25-2008, 04:00 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 2,414
RE: Tracking a Bloodtrail?
Tracked a deer for quite a few hours last year. The toilet paper usage works great and really helps when you have lost the trail and have to pick it up again.
lost the trail for a while. The blood just stopped. but what the deer did was actually backtrack for about 20 yards on me. Found the trail again by doing a spiral circle outward from my last blood drop approximately 1 yard out each revolution.
lost the trail for a while. The blood just stopped. but what the deer did was actually backtrack for about 20 yards on me. Found the trail again by doing a spiral circle outward from my last blood drop approximately 1 yard out each revolution.
08-25-2008, 04:42 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Deer Country
Posts: 2,244
RE: Tracking a Bloodtrail?
If you know you hit the deer where you want,I wait a minimum of 30 min. If I happen to "screw up" and hit it in the liver or stomach, I wait a minimum of 4 hours.
You won't need anything to track if you take out both lungs, just follow the river. Good Luck.
You won't need anything to track if you take out both lungs, just follow the river. Good Luck.
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