Great stuff Rob
I disagree slightly with seeing/hearing them go down! My ram only went 20 yards, I couldnt see him, and definatly couldnt hear him. That will come down to the terrain you are hunting.
Something I have learned, but never had to use. Is those of you who have a hard time blood trailing. A small spray bottle full of hydrogen peroxide will bubble that "iffy" looking blood so you know for sure. Many laugh, but I know a few who realy on it, one being color blind (obviously red). He hasnt lost a fatal hit animal, and he dont need help blood trailing. Btw, he wouldnt wait for someone to go with him, he'd go alone, you talk hard core. The other fella just isnt good at it and it helps confirm what he is looking at. After that blood dries, it can get tough.
A compass, not only to make sure you dont get lost, but just as important, to mark the direction the game animal was moving after the shot. Most animals will travel in a generly straight line/direction. I have been on a few wild blood trails but for the most part not the direction of travel, the up coming terrain, (thickets, fields etc) and with a little thoughts, you can figure out for the most part just where they are at.
You cant trail an animal if you cant shoot one! Dont push your luck! An animal isnt worth loosing. And believe me come october, all the "I've hit it, now what, or, I've hit it and lost it" posts will get old! It shows a great disrespect to the game animals, and to the rest of us that call ourselves bowhunters, or hunters in general. Knowing WHEN to shoot is probably the 2nd most important knowledge you can have. Its not as simple as it sounds as most of the old timers (not including myself <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>) can attest to. Many failed attempts at drawing, moving into position, or heck even shooting. Man many animals are wounded more to rushing the situation. Just cuz he is big, dont mean you are or should be thinking of flinging just cuz he maybe mr big. You'll know if its right or not, if you second guess yourself, let down and let the story unfold, in most cases you'll get more then one shot opportunity. If not, it just wasnt ment to be. Success isnt defined by punched harvest tickets!
Something I learned on my sheep hunt.....DONT TRY SOMETHING NEW OUT IN THE WOODS. Man my partner made me 16 days worth of dehydrated meals. Ya they were definatly filling, had all the nutriants I needed, or most of them anyways. But man, gag me with a butter knife! A couple were just nasty to eat! The others were just bland. We treated ourselves to a prime rib dinner with my wife on our return home, and I tell ya, if I could have only carried a pound of sugar and a gallon of grease, then maybe I could have barfed them down. That said, it might be small, a knife, heck even waterproof matches. Just because its new doesnt mean its good. On our 2000 caribou float trip, all the rain sogged up our strike plate on ALL my match boxes. Good thing I had a hand held flare. The striker for that came in big time handy. Strike anywhere matches..ya right, miles in the middle of no where and everything wet. Some people even are testing arrow's or broadheads on hunts. It never fails for me to find someone out in the woods complaining about something that failed them, 95% of the its that brand new gizmo/gadget that was supposed to make life better. Hopefully it wasnt something you were placing your life on.
Test ALL your gear before you go out. Treestands bow strings etc. So I go into the shop yesterday. A dude is shooting, day before moose season. I ask him if he is going out tomorrow, moose opener. He says heck ya with one of those toothless grins. Just down right disgusting! A partner of mine fell out of a treestand growning up. You guessed it, his homemade stand busted. Come to find out, the platform had rotted and no one caught it till it was to late. A busted arm later and a hole 4 month hunting season went by and he hardly got out with his bow...what a shame. The good thing was he walked away and didnt loose his life! Simple details! Hunting season last more then one day, if need be skip opening morning to MAKE SURE you dont kill yourself!
A pen light or a head lamp for trailing and a experienced partner will do you well. Dont get stuck like me and my colorblind buddy 2 miles out from his car on some state land trailing a doe in pitch black with one light! He would walk out in front of me and I couldnt see my hand in front of my face! Also a couple small knives and a small piece of rope (10ft) work wonders. The rope can tie off the the small intestines, and also serve as a drag. A spare knife is always handy, I dont know how many knives I have lost in the woods but its more then a few!
Last but not least, never leave without a camera! Atleast one in the vehicle! Do the pictures BEFORE you gut the animal. Do your best to clean it up before hand. If you cant, as in my sheep situation, make the best of it you can. Take a ton of pictures, its something you'll remember for the rest of your life, why not share it with others.
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