Originally Posted by Mojotex

Ditto Bocajnala. What I have seen in most cases have been guys not knowing what to look for or guys thinking that the deer should have dropped on the spot and when it did not figure that they missed or guys giving up too soon. Reaction to a shot can often (but not always) give a good idea of where the deer is hit.

One that humps up and walks out , tail down, is very likely a gut or liver hit. One that kicks its hind legs high in the air and then hauls tail is usually an indication of a good placement. One that runs out with a front end limp usually indicates a shoulder shot and if high enough the deer will be done in very short order. One that drops like hit in the head with a hammer ..... you better rack in another round a stay on it. I have had deer do exactly this when hit above the spine and once the initial "shock" subsided, stood up. If it can gather its senses, it is probably a bye-bye deer !

There are some tricks I have learned in looking for blood. Down my way, it does not take long for what I call "ground" spiders and Granddaddy Long Legs to find the blood. They will get on even the smallest amounts. Clear, bloody fluid almost always is a gut shot. This fluid will usally have an acrid scent. So is a lot of white hair. If you have these, mark it and back off and come back much later. Dark, dark blood (almost purple) is usually a liver hit. I'll back out for a couple hours if I see this. Bright red (almost red/orange) blood is usually a good sign that the deer has been punched though the engine room. Foamy blood .... clearly a lung hit. What you do not want to see is dark drops of blood immediately and after 75 yardsm or so, almost nothing followed by 100's of yards of a drop here and a drop there. In my experience that tells me that my shot probaly grazed a leg or birsket and tere is not going to be a recovery.

I have found that hit deer will very often head back to where they came from. And many times I have seen them make a near 90 deg. turn as the it seccumbs to blood or oxygen loss. As mentioned in the youtube, it is often the case that the chest cavity will fill up with blood before much blood leaks out. So watch the deer for as long as you can. When you track, stay calm. I do a heck of a lot better tracking others' deer than I do my own because I am always so anxious about finding the one I shot !!

Use a compass to make note of the direction the deer was headed the last time you saw it and try to recall any land marks at the spot it disappeared. And if you have found blood then later lost the trail, mark the last spot and start an organized grid search. This has been made a whole lot easier to accomplish using a GPS unit or phone app that can show you the "track" that you have covered.

And (I cannot help myself) if your state allows it, get your hands on a blood trailing dog. I cannot stress enough how much help a good blood trailer is in the efforts to recover a downed deer.