natimage

How do you recover your game? I've been hunting in a tripod stand in the middle of a big cattail marsh but there are tons of trails and I've seen and heard a lot of deer already. I've been thinking though if I shoot one it's going to be really hard to recover won't it? I've never shot a deer with a bow so I don't really know how much blood they put out and how quickly they die, I know there are tons of variables. Any tips for tracking blood trails through 4-8 foot marsh grass and cattails?

FlaBoy18

Well, I hunt in Florida where it is all pretty much swamp. One thing I can tell you is that if you are hunting in water whether it be 1 ft or 3 ft. Is when you are tracking a deer after the shot, where the deer ran the water should have bubbles on the surface and the water should be more muddy where the buck ran through.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

browningbolt

follow the blood if you make a good shot it will spray or smear on the cattails or marshgrass.I think its easier to track in marsh then woods blood stands out more on the marsh than the leaves darker colors.

cwanty03

i also agree! i love when i shoot deer and they decide to go through the swamp grass, so much easier to track

natimage

Really?! I guess for color it makes sense, but I feel like tracking an animal through like 8foot tall grass would be really hard

bigcountry

If its a good hit, you will see blood in the water. For a few min at least. But you bring up a good point. I hunt in blackwater refuge on the eastern shore of MD and tracking can be horrible thru fragmites. I struggling to follow a trail 50 yards, and ended up stepping on the sika. Just plan to get on your hands and knees in some places.