Mock blood trail help

[dinorocks]

Hey Gang!

I'm having an archery theme stag party for my brother this weekend.  In addition to some shooting competitions, I want to set up a couple mock deer blood trails...maybe give a prize for the group who finds the "dead deer" the fastest.  Can anyone give me some suggestions on what type of artificial blood I can use (i.e. ketchup, strawberry jam, etc) or some other ideas I can use for making the blood trailing event a success?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Dino

[ChuckC]

We often use a mixture of glycerin and red food coloring during our Hunter ed classes.  Put it in a squirt bottle held opside down and go for a run.  Practice once or twice to see how you need to apply pressure.  I usually like to take a piece of deer hide and soak some of the "blood" into it and use it to "rub " some trees and taller vegetation to have examples of this as well.  Fun.. BUT...   make sure you keep it off you or your clothing cause it will stain.
ChuckC

[vermonster13]

Karo syrup and red food dye works well for my classes.

[Tom Leemans]

I'll second the Karo syrup and food dye. It makes pretty good fake blood.

Arnold Swartzenegger (sp?) once told a story about filming Conan The Barbarian and that's what they used, but then it got cold out and the blood wouldn't run or spray, so they were thinning it with cognac. He said there were several cast members getting drunk off the "blood" after shooting was done for the night.

[dinorocks]

Karo syrup and food dye sounds good!  Do you know how long the mixture will be visible...i.e. if I place it out the night before would it still be visible the next day (no rain expected)?  Thanks for the suggestions and any other ideas are appreciated!

[vermonster13]

I wouldn't put it out that early. It just might get licked up by any real deer in the area.

Mix it up good with the food coloring and let it sit over night then shake it up good one more time. Then just lay your trail. I can usually get a couple hours out of a trail doing classes of 70 split into 4 groups.

[madness522]

All that sweet stuff on the ground all you have to do is follow the ant trails.

[Ray Hammond]

thats why glycerin is a better choice.

[Matty]

TRANSMISSION FLUID.....

[vermonster13]

How much blood are you guys putting down to get ant trails? If there is that much on the ground it isn't much of a trailing training now is it?

[ber643]

VTm, Hey buddy - do you "run" through the woods when you lay your blood trails too? I get this vision of the Green Mountains (and maybe the White ones too) quivering/quaking -    :D    (Sorry, Dave, it just came, unbidden       )