Underrated Skill
07-30-2007, 08:18 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,438
RE: Underrated Skill
I'm not a great tracker but I have done it a whole lot.
Part of it is because I was one of the younger guys with "good eyes," and part of it is because
I don't like the thought of the deer suffering or going to waste. So I always get called in
on any tracking project. I've read some stuff and learned some things through trial and error.
The few things I've learned (not about waiting out the deer, I leave that to others) is:
(1) get a good flashlight, (2) be willing to get down on the ground and look for blood or other fluid,
(3) don't let the area get trampled until you get a handle on it, (4) if it is a spotty trail, mark all
blood, hair, tracks or fluid, (5) if you can't find blood, look for tracks, (6) don't hesitate to
backtrack and start back at the last sign, (7) deer like to go towards water when dying, and
(8) be persistent.
Part of it is because I was one of the younger guys with "good eyes," and part of it is because
I don't like the thought of the deer suffering or going to waste. So I always get called in
on any tracking project. I've read some stuff and learned some things through trial and error.
The few things I've learned (not about waiting out the deer, I leave that to others) is:
(1) get a good flashlight, (2) be willing to get down on the ground and look for blood or other fluid,
(3) don't let the area get trampled until you get a handle on it, (4) if it is a spotty trail, mark all
blood, hair, tracks or fluid, (5) if you can't find blood, look for tracks, (6) don't hesitate to
backtrack and start back at the last sign, (7) deer like to go towards water when dying, and
(8) be persistent.
07-30-2007, 08:30 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WV
Posts: 4,485
RE: Underrated Skill
When it comes to tracking wounded game, color blindness does suck. I should know. I have it. I can see some colors. I have whats known as red/green color blindness, and even though I can see shades of red and green, blood on a leaf, to me, looks like brown spots (thank god there are no other brown spots on leaves
...yeah right...every leaf on the ground has them).I have to go slow and touch every leaf that is suspect. Looking for "kicked up" dirt and such is far easier for me. Tracking through grassy areas is easier too, as the blood, to me, shows up better. I saw some post on here last year or so where a guy had the yellow eyeglasses that he used, because he suffered from color blindness as well. May have to look into those.
Still, tracking wounded game is by far not the only "tracking skill" as someone mentioned the guys in Africa, use their unbelievable skills to study their surroundings at alll times. Those same type of skills, I feel, are put to use with regularity in the wide open spaces of the West and the big woods of the North. Not too many eastern deer hunters, imo, are into that as much. There are some that utilize it, of course.
...yeah right...every leaf on the ground has them).I have to go slow and touch every leaf that is suspect. Looking for "kicked up" dirt and such is far easier for me. Tracking through grassy areas is easier too, as the blood, to me, shows up better. I saw some post on here last year or so where a guy had the yellow eyeglasses that he used, because he suffered from color blindness as well. May have to look into those. Still, tracking wounded game is by far not the only "tracking skill" as someone mentioned the guys in Africa, use their unbelievable skills to study their surroundings at alll times. Those same type of skills, I feel, are put to use with regularity in the wide open spaces of the West and the big woods of the North. Not too many eastern deer hunters, imo, are into that as much. There are some that utilize it, of course.
07-30-2007, 08:31 AM
#13
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: Underrated Skill
I agree atlas, I'm not sure why we don't talk about it much in the offseason. But you're also correct, here in about 6 weeks or so this forum will be absolutely INUNDATED with "HELP! I CAN'T FIND MY DEER!"
Rob puts up an EXCELLENT post every year on what to do after the shot, I'm sure we'll be seeing that post before long. The number of those types of threads we get here each and every fall is astonishing......
What are some things that may help? I'm not talking about the blood trails that a blind dummy can follow, but what about the ones that start heavy and then disappear? How should those be handled?
I ask because those make up the vast majority of the threads we see here each year. Good idea atlas, let's discuss it.
Rob puts up an EXCELLENT post every year on what to do after the shot, I'm sure we'll be seeing that post before long. The number of those types of threads we get here each and every fall is astonishing......
What are some things that may help? I'm not talking about the blood trails that a blind dummy can follow, but what about the ones that start heavy and then disappear? How should those be handled?
I ask because those make up the vast majority of the threads we see here each year. Good idea atlas, let's discuss it.
07-30-2007, 08:33 AM
#14
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 131
RE: Underrated Skill
I love the aspect of tracking critters, It was never a part of hunting for me until I took up archery, all my rifle kills went straight to the ground. Once I took up bow hunting I realized that tracking a hit critter was actually another exciting part of the hunt for me. Maybe i'm morbid that way but I really enjoy it, fortunately i've also never had a critter go more than 60 yards but for that 60 yards I get charged.
07-30-2007, 02:48 PM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 7,208
RE: Underrated Skill
There are a million things that can ease a track job before the 1st drop of blood is even searched for. When you shoot the animal watch it HARD. Notice everything you can about the way it ran, the direction it ran and MARK THE LAST PLACE YOU SAW IT. When you get out of the tree you'll have no clue where it went without a firm landmark./compass reading what ever it takes. Also as much as I stress watching and soaking in everything you can, don't believe everything you see either. Angles and low lightcan wreak havoc with where you think you hit a deer. Try to see as much and as accurately as you can, but allow for the possibility that you may be wrong. One last tip is only follow what the sign is telling you. Don't skip ahead, don't "think" where he went, just follow the sign. THEN and ONLY then if all the sign runs out, start thinking and guessing and don't always pick the obvious. If there is one rule about trailing a wounded deer is that there are no rules. And also, foolow blood trails for practice even when you see the deer go down.
07-30-2007, 03:42 PM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
RE: Underrated Skill
tracking is something id love to learn more about. i just dont know where to find resources on tracking...or ways to practice without sticking a deer...
last year i had one duck the string. took the arrow pretty high. lungs, spine or nothing. a full day later i called it nothing. im more than sure he lived..if he died it was from infection months later...but i doubt it. i didnt know what to do other than wait longer than i think i need to. i knew it was lungs or nothing since he didnt drop...figured an hour-hour and a half would be plenty if i got lucky and got the lungs. about 400yds and 3-4 hours later we lost blood. never found a bed. he never quit running. i feel me and my buddies did well on that track...even though we didnt recover a deer, i still believe he didnt die from my arrow. after that it was midnight and we already looked for a solid hour trying to pickup the trail...never did. started raining. i let the buddies go home and get some sleep...i needed them and their buddies in the morning. we setup a giant grid search. started small and got big. after the storm and being that it was raining the next day we were looking for a body mostly. we gave it our all.
cant say i like tracking. id like a successful one...that would make success sweeter IMO. but man...the feelings of a track. i started off extremely low..arrow with 4" of shaft missing. NO blood to start...hmmm UHTOH!! then he jumped a blowdown...ya!! blood! hes going to be right down over here i know it!! nooooope.....back down i went. every time we lost the trail i about threw up..all night i was sick. dont think i ate for a good couple days...and honestly almost sold my bow after my first couple weeks of bowhunting. glad i didnt...but man did that stink.
last year i had one duck the string. took the arrow pretty high. lungs, spine or nothing. a full day later i called it nothing. im more than sure he lived..if he died it was from infection months later...but i doubt it. i didnt know what to do other than wait longer than i think i need to. i knew it was lungs or nothing since he didnt drop...figured an hour-hour and a half would be plenty if i got lucky and got the lungs. about 400yds and 3-4 hours later we lost blood. never found a bed. he never quit running. i feel me and my buddies did well on that track...even though we didnt recover a deer, i still believe he didnt die from my arrow. after that it was midnight and we already looked for a solid hour trying to pickup the trail...never did. started raining. i let the buddies go home and get some sleep...i needed them and their buddies in the morning. we setup a giant grid search. started small and got big. after the storm and being that it was raining the next day we were looking for a body mostly. we gave it our all.
cant say i like tracking. id like a successful one...that would make success sweeter IMO. but man...the feelings of a track. i started off extremely low..arrow with 4" of shaft missing. NO blood to start...hmmm UHTOH!! then he jumped a blowdown...ya!! blood! hes going to be right down over here i know it!! nooooope.....back down i went. every time we lost the trail i about threw up..all night i was sick. dont think i ate for a good couple days...and honestly almost sold my bow after my first couple weeks of bowhunting. glad i didnt...but man did that stink.
07-30-2007, 04:03 PM
#18
Site Bouncer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,099
RE: Underrated Skill
Great post Atlas!
I too enjoy tracking and I also feel it's anunderrated skill. Ifeel I have become pretty good at it and my secret is,(I know it's going to sound corny/weird) I try to think like the animal and I look to where I would go if wounded. This along with (more importantly)finding and understanding sign has made me never loose ananimal (even ones I haven't shot) in over 15 years.
I too enjoy tracking and I also feel it's anunderrated skill. Ifeel I have become pretty good at it and my secret is,(I know it's going to sound corny/weird) I try to think like the animal and I look to where I would go if wounded. This along with (more importantly)finding and understanding sign has made me never loose ananimal (even ones I haven't shot) in over 15 years.
07-30-2007, 04:50 PM
#19
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Roanoke, Va
Posts: 3,562
RE: Underrated Skill
Great post Atlas!
I also enjoy tracking my prey after the moment of truth. It feels more rewarding this way. My bow buck had to be left overnight last year because of a shot that was farther back than it should have been. If not for this forum and John Trout that deer would be a skeleton in the dirt.
Heres a few things I have learned over the years that may help out some fellow hunters. Don't soley rely on blood. Watch out for scattered leaves, broken twigs/saplings, footprints, ants, etc.
Ants you may think? Well, I've used ants to help me find my deer before. No, I didn't have special tracking ants in a jar stored away for this occasion.I lost the blood trail one night and was on my hands and knees. Well, I noticed a bunch of ants crawling a few feet away. I went over there and sure enough found more blood thanks to these little guys.
I read on here a month orso ago about someone that carries a brightly colored arrow in their quiver during season. When they shoot a deer they would immediately shoot this brightly colored arrow at the same spot the deer was standing when initially shot. This way, it was much easier to find the beginning of the blood trail. Pretty neat idea.
I also enjoy tracking my prey after the moment of truth. It feels more rewarding this way. My bow buck had to be left overnight last year because of a shot that was farther back than it should have been. If not for this forum and John Trout that deer would be a skeleton in the dirt.
Heres a few things I have learned over the years that may help out some fellow hunters. Don't soley rely on blood. Watch out for scattered leaves, broken twigs/saplings, footprints, ants, etc.
Ants you may think? Well, I've used ants to help me find my deer before. No, I didn't have special tracking ants in a jar stored away for this occasion.
I lost the blood trail one night and was on my hands and knees. Well, I noticed a bunch of ants crawling a few feet away. I went over there and sure enough found more blood thanks to these little guys.I read on here a month orso ago about someone that carries a brightly colored arrow in their quiver during season. When they shoot a deer they would immediately shoot this brightly colored arrow at the same spot the deer was standing when initially shot. This way, it was much easier to find the beginning of the blood trail. Pretty neat idea.
