DannyD

This post is a big help. Saturday will be my first bowhunt. Like you 454, I am from near NYC (Bethpage LI actually). I now live in West Virginia and like you all my longtime friends are back in NY and do not hunt. I am fortunate however that my 13 year old daughter has taken up the sport with me. During gun season last year (our first) both my daughters and my deer were double lung shots and they never went too far. It's very hilly here and it makes me a little nervous to have to chase a deer. This post has made me think that I might not have to if I wait it out long enough.

lou-lou

This is a great thread, this alone could be the best advice on getting your deer. The first thing I do after the arrow releases is try to watch or look for that little piece or flicker of white which is my veins to determine where I shot the animal. Some times we get excited and don't really watch where the arrow hits. This will give you a ball park idea. So it is good to have light colered veins and maybe white cresting around your arrow. Second, before anything I watch the animal run away marking spots in my head where I saw him last. Third I sit back down and try to calm down your excited at this point , the last thing you want is to fall out of the tree. Fourth , I listen just to hear the direction he went and maybe hear it fall. This could be third if you wanted. Fifth, I look at my watch to determine what time it is, very important to know when you shot it. Sixth, I gather my gear together piece by piece, I have a little note in my pocket to remind me of what I brought into the woods, in all the excitement I've lost more than my share of gear. After that I make sure I have it all and then lower my bow and them my pack down to the ground slowly, just killing time at this point. Next I carefully climb down from the stand. I always back out and go back to my truck or call my buddy on the radio and tell him to meet me at the truck. This also kills some time. I never go after a deer in my hunting clothes, I have a set of tracking gear that I have , different boots, jackets, pants, spend to much money on scent-lok to get it bloody, plus all my field dressing equiptment is back at the truck, kind of gives me a excuse not to go right after the deer, so I leave it there, more time involved , which in turn give the animal time to die. After I put on my tracking clothes, my flashlight , my knife, and other gear, I double check everything so I don't forget any thing, Then I walk back with my friend, just 1 friend because the more people you have the more chance you have of contaminating the blood trail or disturbing it, so limit the number of people tracking. Next I go right to the stand and look at where I shot the deer, because it dosen't always look the same from the ground, so that's why you pick or mark the spot in your head low to the ground. Then we look for the arrow, The arrow is probably the single most important clue on where you hit him, analyze the blood and determine either to move foward or back out. If there's bubbles you hit lung, also try to remember what side youshot him on it might come into play later on tracking. Dark blood could be liver , bright blood could be lungs,muscle or heart, so it is important to not only see the blood and where it lays on the ground put how it is placed there, such as spraying, drops, little or alot at the hit sight, or where it stopped , such as a pool of blood. Also figure out if the deer is bleeding out both sides and determine where the entrance hole and exsit hole might be, you can do that by looking at the ground and at trees , the scene is 3 diamentional and evidence can be anywhere. Make sure that the most expierenced trackers is first, and let no one go ahead of him or you, contamination of course.If there is no arrow to be found, undersatand that it may not bleed as much, due to the arrow blocking things, remember this with type of hit less blood at the beginning is very common, but does not mean it not dead by this time, just be patient and follow clues. Try to be as quite as possiable as you track, if for some reason it's not dead, you don't want to jump it, or if you do jump it back out for a while. Many say 3hr or 4hr, bottom line if your unsure, wait at leat 6hr on questional shots. One thing I forgot to mention , on less than perfect shots, aalways smell the arrow, if it stincks then you have got some stomach and need to back out for a while unless there is tons of blood sprayed everywhere, be for warned the exit hole on a gut shot will clog up due to the intestines , so even if you have good blood and it stops, to just a drip every few yards, back out, give him some time to die. All of this takes years to develop, patience is your best chioce. Read books about diferent blood types and what to look for, go on tracking jobs with your friends as much as you can. While I may not have the best techniques, I find what I do effective, and that's why all my buddies call me, even people I do not know call me, to help track downed game. I break it down completly and look at all the scenerios. I'm not the best, and some of my techniques are questionable, but as long as your are willing to learn and understand the process you will be fine. I did forget one thing, when you loose blood, do small circles until you find more and mark your spots as you go. Like STAN POTTS says, WHEN IN DOUBT, BACK OUT. Hope this helps. lou-lou

Scoobiedoo

Lou-lou,
Thats some serious info here - thanks.

He touches on some very important suggestions, techniques, and methods.

I esp like the idea of leaving all your field dressing gear back at the truck! Reason-enough right there not to be able to commence tracking immediately!

Many of these methods are covered in John Trout Jr's book as well.

Great stuff...

dick_cress

Finding Wounded Deer; John Trout, Jr
copyright 2001, Woods N'Water, Inc. and Bookspan
ISBN:0-9707493-0-9

I have his first Trailing Whitetails but it is out of print and nearly impossible to find. You can find Finding Wounded Deer; John Trout, JrFinding Wounded Deer; John Trout, Jr at Outdoorsman'sEdge.com.

No bow hunter should be without it.

Scoobiedoo

I agree. It should be required reading for any states' Bowhunter Education Certification Course.
I have found copies of his first book occasionally used at www.amazon.comIn fact, I just purchased a copy of it last week for around $13 in good used condition.

Woodman 454

What's up Scoob- I'm from Staten Island, New York City But I find it easier to hunt in NJ. I pay more for the license but instead of having to drive 2-2.5 hours to a good deer wood I drive a half hour away into NJ and see more deer than I ever did in NY.

theredrocket2004

Great stuff guys really interesting thread with great info. If anyone is looking for Trout's book amazon has them used for 10.13 or a book by RichardP. Smith Tracking Wounded Deer and Trout's book Finding Wounded Deer combo for 27.32. Hope this helps anyone looking for a copy.

Mike Hill

This is kool I love sharing experinces. You can learn so much by listening to other people. One thing I do is mark every spot of blood I find with tolit paper. That way if you loose the trail you can look back where the deer has been an kind of figure where he is going. Plus it makes you slow down while tracking. I stand at the blood and don't move until I see the next and then mark it and so on. If you have friends with you let some one lead the way and keep everyone in single file. Too much help is sometimes worst than no help at all. If you lose the blood trail get right down on your hands and knees and slowly look at every leaf stick rock exct. If you hunt long enough you are bound to loose one and I can tell ya it feels awful and it takes a long time to get over it. So just wait go slow and look real good. Lots of luck this season MIke

Scoobiedoo

Mike,
Been there - done that. I lost my first deer (doe) to a lost blood trail and a hit too far back. I hung up the bow for a year over that one. What do you do? Get better. Thats all I can offer. I vowed to learn all that I could to hopefully not go thru that again.

Thats why I endorse John Trout Jr.'s book 'Trailing Whitetails.' Its the 'Bible' of trailing wounded deer. No bowhunter - no hunter - should be without this book on their shelf. I read and reread mine every fall again and again just to be sure the rules and tactics are fresh in my mind.

Its the best $10 I ever spent on a hunting book. Will save you hours of heartache and frustration.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Really great advice guys. This is the reason I started this thread so many years ago and why we keep bringing it back. If it only aids one archer to recover his animal it is so worth it and with all the feed back I've gotten it appears as if it might have aided on several....great work everyone with aids, tips and techniques....keep them coming....and if possible one should find and acquire the book mentioned above..