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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Michael Arnette on October 12, 2009, 09:26:00 PM
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I have noticed a few threads on unrecovered animals. And as I and most others hate even the thought of such, I thought it might be good to pool some experiance from all of us here on tradgang.
Post away...
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I don't have alot of time tonight but if I thought there was one thing I could tell a newcomer to the hunt in this matter I would have to say that it is to wait... and then wait some more in the case of a shot farther back in the body than desired. I have also learned not to hug the shoulder too tight in my shot location.
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Now I have lost a few deer due to tracking to soon. So wait 45 to 60 minutes before going to look.
Also when I do track I look more for trax then blood. The reason is You can tell a lot from the way the game is running off and most of the time you lose the blood but still have turned over leaves, kicked up stones and other tall tail signs.
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I think a good rule of thumb is to wait at least 5 hrs. in the case of a one lung/liver wound and 7 or more in the case of a paunch shot. A shot in the intestines will often not leave any blood, even on the arrow.
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Finding Wounded Deer by John Trout Jr. http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Wounded-Deer-Outdoorsmans-Edge/dp/1580111904
This book should be in every hunter's library.
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Depends on the temp too. 5-7 hours in 80 degrees and its all for naught.
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i have heard alot of people say that deer will head for water,now i don't know how true this is though.i have however had deer circle back towards the same location they were shot from.
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You can sometimes tell the direction the animal was moving by looking at the blood splatter pattern on the ground. I like to use toilet paper to mark blood trails as I follow them. A good light is important for tailing at night.
I usually try to walk to the side of the trail when tracking. I like to shoot a field tipped arrow in the spot the deer was standing when I shot it for a reference. It is so important after the shot to know where the last place you saw the animal at. If the blood trail runs out look around and find a trail and check it, if i don't see anything I will still follow it.
If all else fails get some friends and do a grid search. Dogs can really help to recover a wounded animal. They say peroxide helps to show blood better because it will foam up when you spray the trail, this will also wash the trail away so make sure you mark the trail. A lot of people like lanterns for tracking, but I tried it with one and was not to impressed but I just tried it once.
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I have a rule that comes from many tracking jobs, if you dont find a bow shot deer within the first 300 yds, if the weather is cool enough come back in the morning. most chest shot animals, whitails especialy will be dead or weak enough to lay down within the first 300 yds if hit hard, if not found in this distance leave them alone if possible or you risk pushing them and a poor blood trail. If you lose the blood start your search by creating grid patterns and always look hard at any avalible water source as wounded and bleeding animals tend to want water. And trust your instincs as to how hard you hit the animal and the direction of travel.
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I helped a guy find a gut shot animal at a pond one time kind of a last ditch effort thing that payed off.
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Alot of good advice here, if I loose blood I get down low and try to think like a deer. Look at the terrain and holes in the brush that you wouldn,t normally notice standing up. Been alot of times I lost blood only to go back to the last spot and squat down and look for any possible path that a deer would or could take and check them out for 20 or 30 yards and end up finding blood or leaves kicked up with some fresh dirt and pick it back up and keep tracking.
Tracking deer or anything for that matter is an art and comes with experience and alot of learning from others.
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too many people forget the grid search and just give up
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Pay attention to blood color, content and texture.
Splatter or droplets can tell you alot and point you in the direction of travel.
Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle will ID blood when you arent sure.
Dont just look on the ground. Leaves, tree trunks and sticks all hold sign.
Look for hair at or near the shot area. The hair found can tell you where the hit was.
Good thread, I will add more as I remember it.
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"When in doubt - back out!" This little reminder is very useful. Its always better to come back hours later or even the next day and find your deer close than to bump them and have them run a mile.
After the shot, watch and mark that last place you could see the deer and take a compass reading of the direction it was traveling.
Use toilet paper to mark the trail. Its biodegradable and you should have it in your pack.
If you have a certain broadside double lung with bubbles in bright red blood on the arrow, your deer will not go 150 yards. Dark blood is from veins or the liver, back out.
Bring help. One person stands at the last blood while the other looks for the next. If you have two helpers, one can loop ahead and look for the animal. Walk next to the blood trail, don't trample the sign in case you have to restart.
If the blood trail ends. Sit down and think. Look around. Where would you go if you were a wounded deer? Sometimes the end of the blood trail means a muscle hit that clotted and the deer survived. Sometimes it means the deer ran out of blood on the run and it is very close.
Sometimes deer stop and spring sideways several yards when they expire. Look around up to 10 yards on each side of the last sign.
If you think you heard the deer "crash", you did. He is right there every time. Go get help anyway so you can share the moment.
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Lots of factors.
I would top the list of reasons people don't find deer with broadheads that are not sharp. I have many times followed blood trails of other bowhunters; where the trail gives out; and the deer escapes the intended fate...and I say 'are you sure the arrow was shooting straight?'. That is a trick question; because all too often I get the reply 'yeah I shot it several times before I took it hunting'. You sharpen a head; and then you do not shoot it unless its at a deer !!!
Second is expectation. A heart shot deer can run hundreds of yards. The earlier mention of following the trail for 300 yards is totally right on- because a heart shot deer given the right terrain can be expected to run at least 180 yards. So- if your thinking a good shot is going to drop the animal instantly- well - that is just not going to lend to the situation. Your going to give up early; not look as hard; and not act in a positive manner that will lead others to find similarly hit deer.
IDEALLY - a deer hit with an arrow will run off; look back to see what happened and if its being followed; and then lay down and die.
But hit the heart or not get a pass through -and the deer will run hard- and fast; and they can cover lots of ground...so while it is a deadly shot; it can be a hard find.
A huge huge factor in loss: is getting the wrong people to help you track your deer. Again IDEALLY - you should follow the blood from the hit; taking your time and marking the trail so you can look back and help decide what path an animal took.
The worst thing that can happen is to have people that mean well- go out in front of you and walk over sign - and cut your chances of ever finding your deer. If someone wants to help; either let them take the lead if you believe they are a better tracker; or take control of your helpers and make them follow your orders.
I know that sounds harsh; but I have seen people destroy sign; not on purpose; but that really doesn't matter when you are trying to find an animal!
A dead deer can be easy to see; and then too- it can be nearly impossible to see. My son once shot a buck that he followed and followed; and retraced his tracks; and just could not find. He tracked it one more time to the end of the blood trail; and in the tall grass; could not find anymore sign. He decided to take a shortcut out; and immediately tripped over the buck. It ran until it dropped; but he didn't know what he tripped over until he took a second look - and he is so 'woodsy' that you would never think he could have done that.
So - looking carefully- that is important! That is where your helpers can help. They can follow and keep looking ahead of you from the trail behind you.
Another mistake is only looking for blood. Look for broken branches; broken leaves; bent over branches; tracks; and if you do see tracks you know are from the deer you hit; take an arrow and note the distance between blood sign; and the length of the foot; and the length of the gait of the animal. If you loose the trail; then use your 'measuring stick' to help know where the next track or drop should be.
ASSUMPTIONS. I once almost did this- I shot a P&Y buck; and while following the blood trail; saw an equally big deer run off in front of me. If I had followed the deer; which I ~almost~ did- well: it was a different deer. I stayed on the blood trail and found my deer very close to the point I almost took off- after the other buck.
Don't assume a deer won't go a certain way- check it out.
Don't assume little blood means no dead deer.
Watch the hit; and follow accordingly. If you hit a deer in the gut; well wait 12 hours if you can; and if the weather won't allow...then take up the trail like your hunting a wounded lion- because a gut shot animal will normally not go far; and you are better off getting a second arrow in it. I have seen deer hit that way; that went less than 20 yards and laid down. Sneaking up on it; and putting a second arrow in it- would have made the mile long trail a lot shorter.
A leg hit - well the best plan is to push it. Push it and don't let that wound stop bleeding. If you wait 20 minutes that can be long enough to let the wound stop bleeding; and while letting it go might allow it to live for more seasons; if you want the deer - push it. When it beds; sneak up and put another arrow in it.
I have taken up the trail for many many hunters that shot a deer; and gave up; and I said 'let me try' - and they ended up tagging deer; including trophy deer. It is a horrible feeling to hit a deer and lose it- and that feeling can get between you and the effort you need to find the deer.
DON'T let someone talk you out of following a blood trail. I have seen other give up because a buddy said 'your not going to get him- time to give up'. Don't let their lack of concern lead your ethics.
I have lost deer. Sometimes my deer; sometimes other peoples. But I have followed blood trails for over 7 miles and found deer. Those were muscle hit deer that I pushed. But I got them- and not always for me !
If you spend 5 dollars on hydrogen peroxide - it can save the day. Sprayed on dirt and duff; when it hits blood; it foams. I have found deer that way after rains. Its just plain not a bad idea to have a couple quarts of it in your vehicle with a spray bottle. It can be used in a medical emergency too. Poured on cuts it can help kill infections; and help prevent them.
You can use it for a mouth wash before hunting- really - keep some on hand and it can save the day.
If you give up; sit down and take a break; and start over. Don't be ashamed to loose a deer; because many hits are not mortal. But if you have a trail; and can stay on it - stay on it!
And its quite common for a deer to run the last fifty to one hundred yards or more bleeding totally internally. Don't think you will find the deer at the last drop of blood.
Climb trees. Climb overlooks and look for the deer; look for birds of prey... use your head !
Bows shoot arrows that cut arteries and veins and the deer bleed to death. That can take a few seconds - or a long time. I have seen heart shot bucks on more than one occasion run off and mount does ( then fall over dead). Just because they don't act hit; it doesn't mean they are not. Arrows cause an immediate shock; but deer are used to antler tips and barbed wire; and broken branches; and their entire lives they have run off and survived.
Do your best to be there- the day they don't!
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Brian touched on a good point. I have some friends who want to help but just don't have a never give up attitude. You need determined, positive people especially when it gets tough. I would rather do it my self then have somebody behind me saying " man we are never going to find this deer". Good point Brian.
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If someone is hunting not too far from you and sees "your deer" after you shot it. Just go back and track your deer from where you shot it. Twice in my life, I've had somebody see "my deer" run past them. I won't go on a 3rd goose chase. First one was a doe. When we got on the right trail, we followed it as far as we could that night, where it crossed a wide creek. Picked up her trail the next morning and found where the coyotes chewed her to shreds. The last one cost me a chance to put a 2nd arrow in a nice buck that bedded down after I initially sent one into his shoulder. That deer flat disappeared into a black hole after he got up and ran. Spent 2 days not finding that one before having to go home. Incidentally, that same person who saw "my deer" run past his stand was in a big hurry and jumped my actual deer before I could even close in for a finishing shot.
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I have had some younger buddies who have said they shot deer right behind the shoulder and we found pink blood along with some darker bood. Luckily I smelled a one lung/liver hit and convinced them to back out.
Both of those deer were recovered within 150 yards after bedding in thick cover and the field dressing revealed the shot. I think that if we would have not waited 3-4 hours the deer may have been jumped.
A liver shot can create a diverse recovery period because of the function of the liver. I have had liver shot deer that took hours to die and others that die in sight.
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One time I was checking in a doe and was congratulated by a stranger who siad that he had shot a doe a few hours before in the gut with his x-bow and big expandable broadheads. He said that since he didn't find any blood that the deer must not have had a mortal wound. I told him that a deer shot in the gut often will not even leave any blood on the arrow and I asked if I could help him. We found his deer within a hundred yards, right where she had bedded. I love happy endings.
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A lot of good advice has been given. Shaun and many others are right on. I would like to ad, if dogs are legal in your state for blood trailing, it is good to know someone ahead of time that has one. You should have his or her phone number with you when hunting.
If they are not legal, then you should petition your legislature to change the law. Sometimes it only takes a few people to get things done. A good blood tracking dog can sometimes be the difference between finding an animal and not.
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Listen after you shoot
Shoot another (field tip) arrow where you shot
Memorize for 5 min. where you last observed deer
Find the first arrow & observe
Use binos from stand after you shoot
Use binocs to look ahead when trailing
Use binocs for scanning if you loose the trail
Mark trail,really helps if you have to come back
Follow trail for practice if you see deer fall
Do not give up
Get good help
listen for bluejays, crows, other deer snorting
Check fences & creek crossing if you lose trail
Trail does as hard as you would a big buck
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Brian, great job & thanks for taking the time to write so much
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Arrows can penetrate through the body cavity but bounce off of the opposite ribcage giving the appearance of poor penetration. I have never had it happen but have heard of it happening several times.
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WAIT!!
Even if you think you had a perfect shot. Give the deer time to expire. Great shot=30min,good shot=45-1hr, questionalbe shot=4-12hrs
GO SLOW!
On the blood trail. Nothing worse than missing blood signs and trampling over it.
GET LOW!
If blood starts getting scarce. Get on your hands and knees.
KNOW YOUR TERRAIN!
It helps.
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Another good book that is loaded with good info is Tom Brown's "The Art of Tracking and Seeing"
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I'll second the John trout book mentioned earlier. What it did for me is give me the confidence to know that a gut shot deer will be dead within 200 yards if not pushed. Also, you have to realize the sign is there but you might be missing it so keep looking until you find it. When hunting hogs in florida myself and my friends could not find which trail a hit hog went down. Well it was my hog so i got on my hands and knees and crawled on 4 different trails for 25 yards till i found a small smear of blood. I followed that trail and found the hog dead another 100 yards down the trail.
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When hunting from a tree stand I shoot another arrow where the deer was standing even if close.Things change when you climb down and sometimes it helps if you find hair and you need to be right on top of the hit.Kip
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I used to get stuck on going slow when I lost blood. Now I mark my last blood and range wide. If I find new sign well ahead. I leave my previous sign marked for reference. I have tracked deer that only left blood every 100 or so yards. That's a long way to crawl on your hands and knees.lol
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Never leave your bloodtrail for someone else to follow
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Last season I arrowed a big eight point. I was on the ground and the shot was only about 12 yards. I saw the arrow take him tight and low behind the shoulder. I waited 30 minutes and walked to the last place I had seen him running. Just as I got there, he got up and walked away at a quick pace. I quietly took out some marking tape, marked the spot and (as slowly as possible) moved out. I called a buddy who had a tracking dog and came back two hours later. The buck had only gone about 40 more yards and bedded down. He was still warm (but dead) when we found him. The arrow shaft was still in the chest cavity and the broadhead was in the offside shoulder. This deer lived close to two hours after being shot (based on the cold weather and that he was very warm when we found him). I still don't understand how a shot placed where it was can allow a deer to live that long. I learned a lesson that no matter how good you "think" your shot is. Take nothing for granted and stay focused on your task. If the deer gets up...back out and do it quietly.
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I don't think there is much more to add. I apologize if this has already been stated.
I have found that it is very important to visually mark where the last place was that you saw the animal.
Often times they don't bleed right away. Finding the first blood can sometimes be difficult ESPECIALLY if you don't remember exactly where it ran.
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If helping someone keep an open mind. Have helped tracked alot of deer hit "right behind the shoulder". We recovered one doe, after 4 or 5 hours of chasing that ended up being hit behind the ear. And alot of paunch hits- examine that arrow if at all possible or search for it before starting.
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I try to teach. . . if you don't see it or hear it go down, wait at least 30 minutes.
Take a compass reading on the direction it ran and memorize it or write it down.
If you believe you made a less than perfect hit ( to far back, bad sign like green etc)wait, then get your stuff quietly out of the woods and go somewhere else to think.
Unless it is really scared, like, a bone was hit or broken, or a huge noise was made, a deer will likely run a distance, around 100 yards in normal woods, then stop in a thick area and turn to watch its back trail. If you are not following, or not jumping up and down and doing high fives with your camera man and telling how you "smoked " this one ( Sorry. . back down off of my stump)it will likely bed down nearby. Given enough time, it will expire there.
If scared, a deer is more likely to run and run.
Heart shot deer often run hard till they drop, and that could be several hundred yards. How long does it take a deer to run several hundred yards ? Not very.
A measuring stick oftens does help a lot. I have been in places where they are not a lot of use, and others where without a doubt they can show you where to look for the next sign.
ChuckC
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All very good advice. My favorite is to mark all sign associated with the shot animal,tracks,blood. Parts of the trail in thick stuff where there is no doubt the animal had to pass get marked too. Then use my compass to check for a back azimuth on these marked flags to insure I maintain a general direction of travel.
As to waiting I generally follow the NBEF guidlines. However I had some Coyotes steal a Bull Elk this year after I waited 2 hrs on a shot back a little and took a bit of work out. Nothing but rib cage with the only holes from my STOS head when I got there. Of course these Coyotes wore boots and rode in on ATV's
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I'm slightly red-green colorblind, so I had to learn to track by signs other than a few spots of blood. Unless the blood is just gushing, I have to rely on reading the sign and knowledge of deer habits to find my game. The best way to practice this (and it does take practice) is to go out soon after a good rain and follow whatever fresh tracks you can find. If you can jump a deer, even better, so you can learn what running tracks look like as compared to walking tracks, and how the leaves or grass look when freshly disturbed. When the ground cover starts to dry, fresh tracks will show wetness that gives them away as fresh.
The tip others have given about getting down to their level is very good advice. Many times you can judge their travel path by looking at what's ahead from their perspective.
Mortally wounded deer will rarely travel uphill if there's a choice, and if dogs are a factor in the area they will commonly find streams to walk in to hide their scent. Knowing this has helped me stay on the trail at times when I might otherwise have lost it.
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Monster load of great experience here! Thanks. Imperative to mark your tracking trail. Generally, it will lead in a straight line away from the threat (shot). If blood sign thins, you'll have the line direction to guide.
Concentric circles is the only way I found my first bow kill, a 12-point mortally wounded buck. I waited 1 hour and found a huge blood pool where he lay down 85 yards from the shot. Didn't know deer had that much blood. Then nothing, not a drop, no direction, nada. Ever increasing circles discovered pin size red blood drops 30 yards from the pool. How did that happen? Hands & knees towards the deer another 127 yards away. About 50 yards away, the trail became explosive with heavy red blood on both sides. I shot him at 5:00PM and found him by Coleman lantern light at midnight deep in the woods.
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All these items have been discussed but:
1. Shoot an arrow in the ground where the deer
stood when the shot was taken. Things look
different on the ground than in the stand.
2. Shoot bright fletching so you can tell where
the arrow hit the deer.
3. Try to pay attention how the deer reacted when
the arrow hit it and the direction the deer
ran.
4. Take a compass reading from the tree, where you
last seen the deer.
5. If the shot looks good, wait at least an hour,
yes an hour to be on the safe side.
6. If the shot was questionable or you don't know
where you hit the deer and the shot was in the
evening, wait until the next morning to start
tracking. You can see so much beter in the
daylight.
7. Use only two or three people to track. Too many
people tracking that don't know what they are
doing causes way too many problems.
8. Use toilet paper to mark the blood trail.
9. If you jump the injured deer out of a bed, back
out quietly and give the deer another 6 hours.
10.Go "SLOW" when tracking the deer and be QUIET.
11.Use a "deer tracking" dog is you have access to
one.
12.Most big bucks seriously hurt go to the
thickest cover they can find.
13.Gut shot deer is a dead deer. They will not
survive. If they hunch up when the arrow hits
them they are gut shot!! They will normally go
about 100 yds and lay down and there will not
be any blood. Give the deer 12 hrs and you will
find the deer dead where it layed down.
I have probably been on close to a 100 deer tracking events over the last 30 plus years. You learn from your mistakes. Alot of hunters don't know where they hit the deer or where it ran. We have had a wirehaired dashound (not mine) the last 2 yrs and she has found some deer we would have never found due to the lack of or no blood trail.
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I've also tracked to high lung hit bucks that went straight for water crossed the creek and went up the steepest hill around. First one we didn't find untill it was to late. Mostly because of the saying deer run to water so we stayed on the flats or looked down stream. Did not make that mistake twice.
Also help track one old buck that was hit high that walk in the creek for a couple hundred yards before exiting. This was almost a "in town" buck.
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One last thing. When you are marking a trail that is in a reasonably straight line and seem to loose it, don't always expect that the deer continued in the direction it was going. Often they will jun a "J" pattern right at the end. Very often they will make the turn in the direction of the side they were shot on. I had this explained by a horse trainer who said deer and horses are what are called "into pressure" reaction animals. Supposedly it is from the days of attacks from animals such as big cats that would leap on the deer (or horse) from the side and embed their claws. If the horse or deer were to pull away from the pressure of the bite or claws, it tears the flesh and causes further damage. Therefore, they go into the pressure. You can sometimes see this if you watch closely when the rodeo is on TV. When a horse is all jammed up against one side of a stall you can't push him the other way but you will see a handler push from the side they want the horse to go and he moves into the pressure. Seems weird but I asked my sister about it too because she trains horses also and she says it works. Often you only need to push with one finger and the horse will react. I expect that a dying deers last ditch effort to "escape" is to turn into the pressure provided the hit is such that he has time to think about it.
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Always have a "second chance" arrow ready. If a deer is hit and offers you a second shot...take it!
I took a 10 yard neck shot on a buck and knocked him down. [The buck was walking directly at me on the same path I took (smelling my foot prints)]. He rolled a few time trying to get to his feet. He remained 20 yards from me for about five miniutes then got up and jogged away. Lost him! I really think the shot knocked him out. The broadhead somehow slid between the skin and meat and lodged there not cutting anything vital. The buck was seen, at a close distance, a week later with a knot in his neck (healthy). Had I stuck him the second time he would be on my wall.
Also, I don't take neck shots anylonger.
I have another story of a lost deer that I could have stuck a second time...
Point is, keep slinging arrows if given the chance! This mental tip could save you a bad tracking adventure.
Clay
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Now I would have to agree with you fishone. I know I sure thought I would find him dead or sick on his bed.But the swiss cheese deer surprise me and everyone that seen it.
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My advice is: If the deer seems to vanish into thin air, check and see if anyone else slipped in and stole it before you spend a month searching for a buck that you know you had 2 good arrows in! When you find out 2 months later that your mount is hangging on his dog cage it does not make you happy. Then you have to drive by everyday on your way to town and see all 9 points glimmering in the sun.
Katie
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To second what Bill Kissner said earlier - get ahold of someone with a well trained dog. We have been working with our European dachshund pup Oskar for the past few weeks. Started him on blood tracks at 8 weeks old, and he has amazed us from the start. My wife worked a track with him yesterday (he's 11 weeks old now) and he followed a 400 yard meat drag (no blood, probably 8 ounce piece of deer meat on a string) aged for 2h with several 90 degree turns, a backtrack, and several openings in the track of 1-5 feet - and found the end in less than 10 minutes!
Now I just need to get him on his first deer!
We'll be doing some tracks for folks in western IN/eastern IL next fall for sure.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/OskarSep272009-1.jpg)
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Dave, that was interesting and applied to both of the deer I was talking about.
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That's awesome Ryan. Being a bird dog trainer I've always wanted to train a deer tracker. I know if I show the photo of Oskar to my wife and daughter it won't be a hard sell.
I've seen a few posts lately about how someone had shot a deer through both lungs and had a hard time finding it. Well I've shot my fair share of deer in both lungs as well as in one lung and in my observation they very seldom make it past 100 yards away on a dead run with both lungs out. Which leads me to what I do and try to relate to all my hunting buds. If you don't think you hit both lungs just wait 10-12 hours. If you think you took both out and don't find the deer in the first 150 yards, back out. Like many have said sometimes you can't do this do to hot weather but a one lung shot deer can be alive and pushed for hours.
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I really can't add anything, but would emphasize a couple. Don’t be in a hurry. There are times when pushing a deer can help get them, but I have never had one of those times. I had an arrow deflect off a limb and gut shot deer years ago. I let it go and never following it until the next day. It only went about 60 yards. I have seen many lost from trying to track them too soon. The same goes for a one lung. Unless you hear or see it fall give it a lot of time unless heat or rain forces you to move on it.
I am a two lungs and down in 100 yd. shot taker most all the time. However, I have had my challenging hits. I have gotten a little lax and tend to get on them fairly quick. That finally caught up with me this year.
I shot a huge old doe opening weekend. She was quartering a little more than I like, but I thought it was a good shot. I thought I heard her go down. I shot her early so I sat late in the morning to see if I could arrow another one. When I got on her track it had been a couple hours. I had good blood and a pass through. I tracked her about 60 yd. I was watching ahead, but didn’t have an arrow ready. I got to a point with some brush on one side of me and there see was off to my side. She did a J and went down. I took one more step and her head was up. Before I could get an arrow ready she was up and trotted off. I backed out. The hit looked good and the blood looked good so why was she still going I though. I gave her 3 more hours. When I took up the trail again the blood disappeared very quickly. I marked, crawled, checked all the side trail, but continued on the most likely track. It was partly a low green grass area so no tracks, anything to rub blood on or turned up leaves to follow. On hands and knees I finally found a drop. Then a ways farther another. Finally I found where she went into heavier cover, and I had a a little more blood on some tall grass. This time I was ready to shoot when I eased into the cover. I caught a flick of a tail when I was a ways in. I moved a little closer and could make out the deer. She was still alive and close but no good hole for a shot. I backed out to regroup. It was over 6 hours after the shot. I got around to a better wind direction with what looked like a more open are for a shot into where she was. I waited a while longer staying close, but the rail was on the way. Finally I worked in. I heard a little rustle in the cover at one point. I was ready to shoot, but she didn't get up. I finally got in for a shot, but she was done. When I opened her up I found the arrow hit back a little more than I thought and punched a couple inches into the liver, cut lungs, nicked the heart, and came out low behind the opposit leg. She lasted over 6 hours. She was big, old, smart, and tough. Her total travel distance was only about 200 yd. I am convinced that she was able to last so long only by shear will and the fact she bedded quickly both times. This old girl had a huge scare on her hind quarters from her tail, arund her ham, down the back of her leg and with several off shoot cuts from the main cut. Also a 2” opening in her hide below her anus. I am sure that was not her only injury and she learned to survive.
I remembered a few things I had gotten lax on. Wait as long as you can. Watch out for a turn when trailing up and go slow checking the cover well before just waking in. Be ready for a follow up shot.
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I would agree with Chuck.
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Yep...we will archive this in several places as it winds down. I'll try and add anything that I've learned that doesn't get mentioned. I haven't had time to read it all...but what I have read is good stuff.
I will leave with a link to one comment I did read...'Know Your Terrain'....I did a story on that very subject a few years ago.....we all can't know all the terrain when we go to new places and need to track, but it may help you to know a bit about your regular stomping grounds and where deer might head to.....
Know your Terrain - click here (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000003)
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There is ALWAYS something to learn.
Dogs will teach you a ton about wounded deer.
Experience has taught ME, that tracking wounded deer actually begins BEFORE the shot. Deer that are alerted to the hunters presence, will ALWAYS go farther than an otherwise unaware deer. The farther the animal travels, the greater the likelyhood of difficulty in recovering the it.
Do everything you can, BEFORE and after the shot, and you will be amazed at the power of a sharp broadhead.
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I dont mean to argue a point, but I have to say that mortally wounded deer will go up hill. I never believed they would, but I was proven wrong. Now mind you, the circumstances for that deer were a bit unusual as it was literally run down by coyotes after it bedded 30 yards from the shot. It bled out, and kept running until it fell over, where it was consumed in about 2.5 hours. I lost the trail, called in a dog search, and they found my deer(or should I say a shoulder and the neck) within 15 minutes(about 2.5 hours after the shot). It ran straight up a 45 degree grade for about 70 yards through high uncut hay.
Noramlly, a deer that is hit well will not do that. This one did....and before anyone asks, I had no organs to autopsy...but the entrance and exit looked perfect.
My point, when tracking a deer, leave nothing to chance. Look where you dont think you should after you checked everywhere else.
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The time after the shot to look for your deer or other game depends also where you hunt. If you shot a deer in deep south Texas you better find it that evening or night. Due to the so many coyotes you have a very short window to find it. If you wait to long yeah you will find it but it will just be the head and a skeleton body.
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I second the uphill movement...deer or elk it doesn't matter IMO. They tend to go wherever they need to go to get out of harms way. The cow elk I double-lunged 2 years ago ran 250 yards UP the darn mountain.
They do funny things when they are hit, even well. I had a gut-shot deer walk past a pond without so much of a hoof near the water, only to lay up and die 200 yards away in a fencerow. Strange, tough, unpredictable critters we hunt and all the stops need to be brought out when we know they are hit: dog, grid search, hands-n-knees: whatever it takes!
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Some good info on here, dogs are huge! I wish I had my russle in WI!
Another big one for me is measure track spacing. this will help if your following an animal and they mix in with other critters.
Track slow even an smoking bloodtrails! I've shot several animals a second time trailing, glass first then step and so on.
If you think you hit them back, don't even go to the impact point, just back out!
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OK...before anyone asks....I cleaned up the chatter and cross talk...leaving the blood trailing tips.
I liver shot a wheeling buck that went about 100 yards to its bedding area where I found it....I also liver shot a wheeling buck in TX that went 500 yards across the pasture to its bedding area.....and have been on several other liver shot trackings...
Usually liver shot animals will seek cover before bedding down.... yardage doesn't seem to dictate more than the cover they want....from what I have seen.
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I do bloodtrailing with a dog and have seen on several occasions where the animal has gone in a totally different direction than what the shooter has thought. There have been times when the dog was trailing and the hunter would say "he did not go this way" and I would drag the dog off the trail. When we could not find another track, we returned to the original and was able to recover the deer. Sometimes the shooter does not really see where it went and just assumes. Animals rarely take a straight path unless they are following a fencerow or some other cover. Don't give up on finding an animal just because you find no blood in the direction you think it went. Look for places the deer might have turned.
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i generally wait one hour to track an elk if i know its a good hit,three if its questionable.i carry a bunch of orange flags that are on a wire to place in the ground as i follow the blood trail,the reason for this is in case the blood runs out you have a flag trail to go back to and see the direction of travel.look for tracks to see if the animal is struggling or running.be very quiet in case you jump the animal bedded down,high adrenaline in an animal is your worst enemy.