Well I thought to go along with Robs thread it might be a good idea to list a few must have, or should have items to take with you on the trail of your bow kill.
1. Binoculars for scanning ahead while tracking.
2. Something to mark the bloodtrail with ( surveyors tape etc.)
3. Flashnight w/extra batteries (night tracking)
4. knife ( for obvious reasons)
5. latex gloves
6. wet wipes
7. hydrogen peroxide for hard to find blood, or other known sprays
8. rope, something similar (makes dragging alot easier) and easy to tie the legs off if field dressing alone.
9. Bow-for follow up shots if needed
10.Saw for big game.
Feel free to add to this list, these are just a few things I thought of.
If I could give one tip on tracking, it would be this:
DO NOT WALK DIRECTLY ON THE BLOOD TRAIL.
Always stay to the side so you don't overlook, or disturb the actual sign. You may have to come back to reference a spot or a track a few times to determine where your quarry has headed. Happy Hunting this season.
Very good stuff here sr77!! Here is some other stuff from what others have said that I agree is essential also.
a compass is very important. it's way too easy to be staring down at a blood trail and not notice which direction your heading.
Bring a hunting buddy that has the same tracking style as you. Some guys go WAY TOO FAST for me, I take my time and find the bits of blood or hair that are hard to find on a tough track. I have tracked w/ people who skip ahead 100 yards to try to find the deer faster, and only ended up spooking the deer out of its bed and losing the trail after that.
I also bring some water to drink, clean the deer if necessary & wash up.
Toilet paper to mark the trail with. cheaper than the orange tape and is still easy to see if it isn't raining out. It decomposes pretty quick too. Plus if nature calls, you'll be glad you had some!!
Head light at night is a great tool to have!
Excellent points here! Some people have no idea how to track. Many animals are lost because of this! These types of folks don't come on my blood trails that I know might be questionable shots. Another thing to when bringing a flash light, make sure Its got a long beam on It for looking out ahead. Its nice If you can see your critter up ahead just in case you may need to get another arrow In it possibly.