After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

This post comes to you as a precaution to many posts from the past few years seasons. Hopefully you'll find something here or within those posts that follow that may likely help you find a downed animal you might otherwise have lost or bumped. I think that the biggest reason many animals are not recovered is one of two...1, the animal isn't dead and the bigger and more important 2, the animal is bumped.

What you do following the shot may be the most important decision you make in the hunt. I lead as an example my best buck to date I shot last year and recovered not due to an incredible shot but what I did following the shot.

After I released the arrow is when the real hunter, the real woodsman came out rather than leading up to the shot. I knew I made a bad hit, HOW? I use bright fletch so I can see my arrow in flight as well as/if the arrow stays in the animal. I used binoculars to follow the animal. Bino's are one piece of equipment many fail to take saying things like if I can't see the animal I can't shoot anyway, etc..but I find binoculars to be invaluable when watching an animal after a shot, looking for blood from the treestand and when trailing to look ahead for a bedded animal.

Okay, I determined I had a bad shot. It was far back, angling forward but the indications from the arrow and watching with the bino's I doubted I had anything more than guts, maybe just maybe liver. I knew right then and there I was in for a long wait. A gut shot animal deserves at least a 6 hour preferable 8 hour wait. I've seen animals get up after just 5 hours, sick but they still go a long way. I waited 4 hours in the stand. This gave me a chance to scout for next season. I saw 4 more bucks, one a very good one I hoped to see this year but I heard he was poached last rifle season. I got down after 4 hours and left the woods for a couple more hours. I came back around 8.5 hours after the shot, found where I last saw the animal and sure enough 50 yards into the woods I found the animal bedded.

I am a firm believe that if left alone to die, all animals will lay within 250 yards of where they are hit....if left alone and not bumped...that is the important factor..after being bumped, they can and will go a long way.

Now let's hear on what to do and what not to do after the shots from everyone. Perhaps together, we won't have the lost animal syndrome like we've had in the past.

Here is my guide lines for success....

If you don't know where the shot went, minimum of 4 hours wait, possibly more that is why it is critical to see the shot and why I use bright arrows.

If you think you have double lungs, you should either see or hear the animal go down, if you don't see or hear the animal go down, wait as long as you can, more than the usual half hour if possible. You have nothing to loose, if the animal is dead, he's not going anywhere.

If you have a liver shot, at least and hour suggestively longer. Again, this is a eye witness visual hit, if your not sure, wait longer.

Many hunters think they see what the hit was and most of the time we are mistaken. Wait as long as possible to trail and recover the animal. Again, if the animal is dead, it's not going anywhere.

If possible, leave the woods quietly and get help. They are a pain to drag by yourself and help is always good in that respect. I have many friends who wait for the call as do I when they have an animal hit.

If the shot is right at dark, if you can come back in the morning, do so. If coyotes are a factor in the recovery of the game, sneek to the last visual location, quietly and sit and wait. Listen for activity. Coyotes will normally sound off when they find an animal down to signal other pack members and in return, signal you to the animals location.

No not all of this is foolproof however I promise if you heed the advice and the animal is mortally wounded, if you leave the animal to expire you'll find him close to your location. This is where it's important to know the property you are hunting on, know where the arrow struck the animal and know what to do following the shot.

I hope to hear all of your success stories in the upcoming season. Be safe out there, use your safety harness's, follow your local game laws, hunt safe and shoot straight.

For a complete guide to deers anatomy, see www.kerrlake.com/deer/white2.htm

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>



Edited by - Rob/PA Bowyer on 09/03/2002 13:26:17

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

All good points Rob! The majority of bowhunters I know go after their deer too soon,IMHO. You are right in that with two lungs centerpunched, you should see or hear the animal go down. If not, you need to analize your arrow, if possible, and wait!
This will be my first bow season since I found this board, and I am excited about getting to hear everyones success stories!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

NRA,UBP,BASS Member
New Stanton,PA

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

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 &quot;iffy&quot; 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 &quot;I've hit it, now what, or, I've hit it and lost it&quot; 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.

http://www.geocities.com/tradbow007/...dventures.html

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

You guys seemed to cover a good part of what and what not to do. Let me start by saying that we all must do everything in our power to be prepared prior to taking a shot at an animal. Be keenly familiar with your equipment, lots of practice, only take high percentage shots, etc. With that said, and here is the not so good part, if you have spent any considerable time bow hunting deer then you have made a bad hit or two. Either that or you are a liar. I also agree that we tend to take up the chase much too soon. Wait, wait, wait! Here is something that I have always done, that at times will pay off for you. On an iffy blood trail, periodically mark the direction of travel with a little piece toilet paper hung on some branches or brush. This allows you to circle back to the last place you found blood should you happen to lose the trail. This also gives you a great reference as to the exact direction of travel. If the trail completely peters out, you can then make a much more educated decision as to how and where to proceed in your search for the deer. Please use toilet paper though. The stuff is biodegradeble should you happen to leave some behind. No plastic marking tape please.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

My tip is to take some tree pruning shears with you for cutting the pelvis bone. Alot faster than a knife or bone saw.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Great advice here for after the shot, but the best prevention against not finding an animal is to not take bad shots. Everyone knows what the high and low percentage shots are they just need a little more self control at the moment of truth. Ethics don't change from a doe to a P&Y buck either. You never release an arrow HOPING to get the deer, you release the arrow KNOWING the deer is yours.

Some things are true whether you believe them or not.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

I'm glad Lilhunter brought up the compass. After the hit and when I can't follow the deer anymore (sight or sound especially) I take a compass reading from the treestand. Too many times you can be off just a little in your direction when you get on the ground. This lets you &quot;know&quot; you are going in the right direction. Sounds stupid but mark where the animal was when you shot it. Too many times when helping friends I have them show me where the animal was and they can't. I have them get back in their stand and they still can't say where the animal was, just a general area and a general direction it took off in.
On the toilet paper part, I like to mark the blood trail pretty good. You never know when you'll run out of sign and if it has been awhile then you could be in trouble.
Also trail to the side of the sign, don't walk right in it and disturb it so you can't go back and find it if necessary (and keep the people helping you to a minimum and make sure they know this too).
Watch the tail on a deer as it runs off. I've noticed that as it runs if it clamps its tail down tight then it is a fatal hit.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Don`t look for the arrow to hit. Look for the arrow after the hit. Stay with your follow through. More deer have been missed or shot bad looking to see where the arrow hit. That arrow will hit where you aim. Watch the animals body language. Wait for it to relax, turn it head, eat something look the other way than take the shot. When I took my test 40 years ago the instructor said if you don`t plan on tracking a deer 5 hours don`t become a bow hunter. Sure you can kill a deer in seconds but you can also track for hours. The easy part is releasing that arrow than the work begins. I use white feather you can see them good on a brown background. Also use toilet paper to mark the trail it will also get you out of the woods a night just take it down on the way out. I hope that some of this helps remenber you OOOOOOOOO to the animal. PS don`t take to many tracker 1 or2 guys with good eyes.

[Deleted]
 

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RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Think the biggest factor that can prevent bad shots is to take the time to pick a spot. If you take a minute to look at the animals vital area, you will see shadows and curves and color variations. Even the elbow. Aim at a specific shadow or hair and that way you will not be aiming on the whole vital area. You will instinctively hold your pin on the target point if you pick a spot. If you don't your bow will shoot all over the place.

Also, don't nobody be trying to fling long shots. Get close.

Nic

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

All great advice guys, keep them coming. What happens after the shot makes or breaks a easy recovery.

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Great reccomendations Rob/PA Bowyer....... I always wait a minimum of 1 hour and when at all possible 2 hours.( unless I see it die at close range) Learned a few hard lessons when I was young and starting. The person who really taught me the sport had shot 35-40 deer with a bow. His rule was to always wait 2 hours! If the shot was questionable or you didn't know where you hit, wait 4 hours or the next morning.( rain or warm weather changes this slightly) He learned this from years of experience. If you push or bump the deer your in for a real mess and alot of work.

PRACTICE....PRACTICE....PRACTICE......SUCCESS!

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Great post Rob, and I hope you files it away to post again next year.
(I'd give you a H.R.A.O.P. but alas I'm not qualified)<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

I agree with everything said here.......and what Iroquois said struck home a bit. I've seen people just flat out &quot;Blank out&quot; after that adrenaline rush that follows the release,and quizzing them about what just happened turns into a guessing game.
I've been on the same end of helping track animals, only to hear the infamous phrases......

(Where was he standing exactly?)<font color=red>&quot;He was standing right here......I'm pretty sure anyway?&quot;</font id=red>(Well where did he run?)<font color=red>&quot;He took off that way, but I'm not sure Exactly where because there were 2 deer with him and I got them confused as they ran&quot;</font id=red> (Ok...how did the deer react when shot)<font color=red> &quot;I don't know.....it just ran off&quot;</font id=red><img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>
Etc.....etc......etc.....you get the drift.

I know it's tough to do, and I guess it comes with taking a few animals and getting a bit more &quot;ice in the veins&quot;, but don't &quot;ZONE OUT&quot; in the excitement.......take as much in as you can like an investigator.
Excecute the shot then analyze the results as they unfold, and truly MARK the last spot you saw the animal. Pick something.....ANYTHING that you can absolutely identify from the ground.
You can know a patch of woods like the back of your hand, but from ground level, and many yards from your stand it's a whole new world. If your off by only a few yards, you can seriously compound your tracking job.
So like everyone said before me.....take quality shots,follow Rob's timeline, and pay attention.
Oh yeah......take a camera along with you for the celebration at the end of that trail! ( but I'll save all that for the yearly &quot;Quality Picture&quot; post. :))

[Deleted]
 

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[Deleted]
 

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RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

I'm just a rookie; in 5 years of bowhunting, only released 2 arrows. One hit a small branch that was unseen, one was a miscalculation in distance to target.

I guess what I've got to contribute is somewhere along the lines of Rob/PA Bowyer. Patience can be a great thing. Slow down! Enjoy the moments while you're stalking/tree-standing/observing a creature. It's a long wait until the following season. If you're going into it full speed, you'll drive yourself nuts waiting for the following season.

My biggest challenge this season will be self control. Can I control my stalking speed? Did I just bump an animal because I was trying to make something happen too quickly? Can I wait for a better chance to arrow this animal, or do I take a marginal shot (NO, wait!)?

All of these things mentioned here in this post will help me to control my own impatience, BEFORE and AFTER the shot.

Thanks all.

Jim.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Bravo on an excellant postand ditto to what Siskyou said.
If I'd been quiet while waiting on my last 9 point I wouldn't have had to track it for 3 hours and ~300 yard before finding it. The blood trail showed that the buck ran out of sight, then turned and came back within view of my tree- were I was messing with my gear while preparing to get down for an hour wait. From there it proceeded across a dry swamp at a quick pace (very little blood) until it made it to the other side and slowed down again and died within 130 yards of the other side. I figured he came back around to investigate, saw me being impatient and hightailed it out of there.

Peroxide works great
Toilet paper works great, just bring more than you think you need or that last piece will get torn into 100 useless pieces

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Rob,
Just a quick Thank You for this thread.
All very good things to remember as we get ready(are already into) another season.

I always carry marking tape (toilet paper is a bio-degradable alternative but dosn't work as well in wet weather) and mark the spot I took the shot from and also the spot I believe the deer was standing when hit. As I track I mark every 5 or so yards and/or blood drops to serve as a back trail if I lose the foward one. It's easy to get 5 -10 feet off and lose track of where you were and where the true trail is. Also helps if it is wet.


Greg

&quot;Getting close to the game is the joy of Bowhunting for me, the harvest is a bonus.&quot;

Live 15 ft Python after eating a small Antelope!

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

All great tips, thanks to all for the info.
Last year I had to track a deer at night due to bad weather coming in later that night with high winds and heavy rain. We figured every trace would be gone so we decided to find the deer. Fortunately, 2 years ago I had bought a flourescent light that works off 4 d cell batteries. That thing is great on blood. You have to hold it close to the ground and brush but it will make the smallest drop of blood easy to spot. Using the flourescent light we found the deer fairly easily.
One other thing we do when blood trailing and the sign is weak is work in a triangle (there's usually 3 of us when we bow hunt). The lead guy follows the main blood trail. The second guy stays a few yards back and a few yards to the right. The third guy stays on the left side of the main trail and few yards back. This way, when the deer turns or the lead guy loses the trail, the outside guys pick up the new trail off to the right or left. This also keeps the back two trailers from walking on the main blood trail. It's worked for us.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Rob,

I think you had a great idea with this post and after last season's &quot;discussion&quot; regarding this very issue I think it was really appropriate.

But, here is something that I don't think many of you experience and that I think directly leads to hunters trailing the deer too soon...

...other hunters.

Where I hunt it is an absolute certainty that there will be another hunter within 100 yards of my location...give or take 50 yards or so. With such a tight hunting population most guys get nervous and worried that another &quot;hunter&quot; is going to take there deer and rightly so if you knew some of the guys I have seen hunting in my area.

Here is my piece of advice for those faced with the potential for the situation I illustrated above....

...Look for new areas with less hunting pressure even if they are in the same general area. Hunters prefer easy to access routes so look for some more dense thickets or steep hills to hunt.

Less anxiety over another &quot;hunter&quot; stealing &quot;their&quot; deer should result in less hunters rushing a poor shot or following up too soon...at least in my neck of the woods.




















Edited by - PABowhntr on 09/03/2002 12:45:38

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

I agree entirely with MATT/PA. I don't know how many times I've come to the aid of others for a trailing job only to find they have NO clue as to where the deer ran. Then it's always.... over there(with a wave of their hand) or I think he went left of those three trees in that group or was it right? Usually you're lucky to drag out of them a North, East, South or West. I mark within a couple feet where they ran and closer if I can. Once I determine the exact last place I saw a deer... I try to keep it in view as I decend... because it doesn't look the same from the ground. A crooked limb from above may look almost straight from ground level. Even when a deer drops within site I track it out from the point of impact to the animal. It's really good practice as some of these shots can still leave very little blood. If someone else shoots a deer and are on it, when they're gutting I will track it out just for the fun of it.

Last year I helped a friend who had shot a deer with a bow. He said the last he saw of it it crossed into posted property. Rather than mess around with going to get permission we waited until dark, left our bows behind and went to look. Well, after I found nothing in the area he saw the deer I said we'll start from the stand and do it right. On the way back to the stand I was flashing the ground. I got 50 yards from the stand and hit a speck of blood. I said, well, I'll start from here. 20 yards later I found the deer still well inside our property lines. He should have seen it fall from the stand and we should have had it gutted an hour earlier. It never left our property. I had another with a young kid a few years back. It dropped 150 yards from the stand still in the open grassy field. The kid had me down in the woods 100 yards from the deer, where he thought it ran. He had called me to come and help since it was his first and I had set him up. The other problem he created was he called 4 of his friends while I was driving to his house. TOO many people tromping around is a NO NO. I finally had to hog tie them and give them a job. One, holding a light ... the other 4 dropping off on each spot of blood and leap frogging when I found the next. I didn't need them but it kept them out of the way and they thought they were helping. I found the deer balled up in waist high grass. I had the shooter on my hip pointing blood trailing and things out to him. We're 5 feet from the deer and he doesn't see the deer. So I concoct this elaborate story of how he rushed his tracking, pushed the deer, see where he was running here etc etc etc. I then told him your deer is GONE. His jaw dropped and with his head hung he ask,&quot;Is he really gone&quot;. I said yup, he jumped here and when he got here he was &quot;GONE&quot;, with that I put the light on the deer. The little guy went balistic. I made everyone else stay back for a minute while he looked his deer over and had sometime to himself. We critiqued the shot and exit holes. Then I let him strut and tell the story to his friends AGAIN. Kids are fun.





Edited by - shortdraw on 09/03/2002 13:12:39

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

For gosh sakes...know exactly where the deer was standing when you shot it, where it ran after you shot it, and the absolute last spot you saw it last before it disappeared. Be observant of deer behavior after the shot. Did it do a high mule kick? Did it tuck it's tail and hunker and run? Did it bound away with the tail flying high in the air? Try to find the arrow if you can because it can tell you volumes in regards to where the deer was hit by the color of the hair, the color of the blood, the smell of the arrow or particulate matter on the arrow (hopefully it doesn't smell like arse), and if there are bubbles in the blood hopefully indicating a nice lung shot. Without the arrow it is possible but much more difficult to discern these things. Tracking an arrowed deer is like putting a puzzle together...the more pieces you have that fit the more accurate a picture you can see and a much more effective retrieval strategy you can formulate.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

great advice guys.

Hunt the thickets

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

ALWAYS being willing to accept that what you think you saw or what evidence indicates is NOT true. I've seen to many squirrely things in bowhunting to take things as ALWAYS. For example... bubbles in blood. I know I've told the story but I once shot a deer busting his shoulder and exiting in front of it traveling through all the slime and grissly stuff behind the shoulder blade. As the bad leg swung and the deer ran working the shoulder the only thing I can determine was the movement caught air and created bubbles. Luckily I cut the artery and found the deer 600 yards away. The arrow never entered the chest cavity but every drop of blood after the first 100 yards was frothy with bubbles. I also shot one clean through the ribs exiting in the off side arm pit. The arrow was covered with green slime and smelled like gut shot. The arrow passed through the food tube and the deer must have been in the process of reguritating some cud and the arrow passed through it. A thorough inspection showed the arrow entering 5 or 6 ribs up and leaving the arm pit. Go figure. What you know for fact can sometimes NOT be. Persistance pays off.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Big Country, yup, and great add about the arrow. Analizing the arrow while in the deer is a great indication of the hit. AND, as I'm sure you meant, if the arrow passes through the animal, inspect the arrow and learn about the differences in blood and matter including hair that can be found on the arrow and around on the ground at the impact point.

Lilhunter great point about seeing/hearing an animal go down. Sometimes I loose myself into thinking about whitetails due to the vast amount of people who hunt them. I sometimes forget about our bretheren who hunt other species as well. Good point. Great point about the peroxide as well. Sometimes that is a little known fact and why I love relying on others as well to help me, teach me and remind me. My hunting partner is color blind to red pigments, especially in leaves etc...he's an amazing trailer on kicked up leaves, broken branches, tracks and things. He had to be, it's all he's known. That brings up some more good points in trailing...I hope some touches on that.

Jimmymac great point about using toilet paper to mark the last spot. Again, something not everyone might know or remember. It's always a good idea to mark the last spot and as you go along, looking back over your shoulder will give you a line as you connect the marks giving a possible direction of travel.

Bow shopper good point about the processing once you find the animal.

Wimp Kudo's and your right, only take high percentage shots and that is when all the practice has paid off and hopefully the tracking will be easy or not necessary as the animal falls in sight.

Iroq More great stuff...again, toilet paper to mark the trail and more importantly mental mark the spot the deer was standing when you shot, that is where you want to start analizing the shot. Also mental mark the last place you saw the animal. Many times blood doesn't start for several yards or more and knowing where he was and where he went will give you the best odds of picking up some blood or clues. That's also an interesting theory on the compass, one I never thought of or tried.

JesseJ yes, don't take the shot unless your prepared for the shot. I'm glad you also brought up and I missed mentioning it from Iroq, about not having too many people tromping all over and possible messing up the blood trail. Especially when you've come down to drops here and there.

Keep them coming.


<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Lazyarcher great point about listening as well as watching for the animal. Look with your ears so to speak.

Nic Excellent, I like to refer to that as picking a hair. Don't just be satisfied at hitting the vital area, pick a hair and nail that hair and you'll have an easy time of the recovering, more time for quality pictures....but that's another post.

Sisk that brings up a good lesson for us all. Your right, many times the animal doesn't know it's hit and really doesn't know what happened. Take the buck in my post above. After running off from the initial noise and whack....he stopped and was looking back over his trail wondering what happened, I softly grunted and estrous doe bleated to calm him. This is when he entered the woods and layed down. Had I made alot of noise, movement, I might of spooked him farther off......thanks for bringing up that point.

Cloud 9 waiting is the name of the game and more successful recoveries are because the hunter waited the appropriate amount of time. Time is our friend after the shot.

Matt thank you for the H.R.A.O.P., I'll have to bring that around again. All great points. Are you going to post the quality picture topic or should I. I, like you find it to be very important.

Moosehead that is a very interesting thought on marking the departure site with an extra arrow. Everything does look different once on the ground.

Rad Your right, follow through is an important part of the shot execution. Peeking too soon can throw off the shot. Make it count and then look and watch and listen.

JayCrayford That is sound advice and simply put....Slow Down.



<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

Edited by - Rob/PA Bowyer on 09/04/2002 08:24:38

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

DaveC I'll third that, be patient and quiet, many times the deer/animal will turn even circle and you might just see/hear them come around.

Amosgreg Your welcome, this thread and all it's great points from everyone is good for all of us, I'm learning alot and gaining confidence in my fellow bowyers. Last several season we always get the &quot;I've hit him, now what?&quot; posts, I hope this topic/replys helps us all....Marking tape is another great idea, especially in bad weather, just remember whatever we take into the woods, we should take out.

RockytopGood point about the lighting and partnering up on animals.

PABowhntr thanks for the vote and you know what I'm talking about....Great advice about high pressured areas. That's another lesson we all read about or have experienced. I can't believe that people like that call themselves sportsmen or hunters, I think their slobs and poachers.

Dav...Shortdraw More great stuff....Dave's right, it's important that we pay more attention to what the deer does and goes after the shot that way we can relay the information on to those who might come to help us, the more information we relay to a good tracker, the more the tracker and do his/her job.

Wolfen You make it sound easy....and your right, it can be when everyone takes the time to practice, take good shots and listens to all the advice here. It should be that easy. Great stuff on determining the sign on the arrow. Keep it coming.

Again, Davidmil Your right, most of the time what we think is usually wrong. Especially when all the wheels are turning and the adrenaline is pumping and everyone might be around...etc....


ALL
This is why it is very important to slow down, wait, be patient and listen to all the advice given above. There sure is alot of experience here to read up on. Hopefully with everyone's help here and the more I hope that follows, we can find all our animals this year. I know some get away and I hope they are the ones we see again. If we all heed the above advice, lost ones should be a thing of the past of this board and our members.

Let's keep this current through the season, just a bump or two from time to time. Something here for everyone, including me.

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Rob,

I have an idea for another thread about an issue that was also somewhat of a sore spot last year...<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Great tips that everyone can use. We all need a reminder once in a while. Keep those tips comming.

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Great post!!! If you use the arrow marking the spot of the animal it can also help you to determine if you judged the distance correctly. Pick an exact leaf or plant in the spot the deer was standing and shoot at it. If you hit it or close you were right on. Maybe you hit high, low or somewhere else and need to wait alittle longer. Anytime you shoot something wait wait wait. When you have waited your hour or 8 hours depending on where you think you hit. Then stop and wait an extra 1/2 hour.
For the newer members to the board, you have heard about the posts in the past about i hit one and can't find it. This post was not meant to keep people from asking advice on tracking, we all have been in a situation when it is nice to pick someone elses mind. If you follow the above advice then you will find that deer usually within 250 yards, expired, and all you have left to post is the pic!!! :)

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

SW Iowa Hunter you made a great point. This topic was not intended to prevent members from posting for help come season. I'm sure it'll happen, could even be me. This post is meant to help everyone, including me at that moment after the shot. Everyone can use a little help in the woods and why not start now with this.

I'd also like to make another plug for using binoculars for bowhunting. They don't only help you scout during the season from your stand, looking for rubs, scrapes and movement. They will help you post shot. This other buck I took a couple years back was found easier due to the use of binos. I shot a buck right at fading light in the woods. I made what I thought was a good hit and lost the buck as it ran. I then picked up the binos and scanned the direction he ran and caught him standing looking back over his trail. I couldn't see him with my naked eye. I glassed him as it grew dark and watched him lay down. I knew I had to stay and watch for he wasn't but 60 yards out on the side hill. I glassed as it grew dark and watched him get off and limp away. I waited til way after dark and marked where he layed and left. I came back the next morning to a good blood trail and found the buck about 150 yards into a field laying under some growth. If I hadn't glassed him, I might of got down and spooked him off farther. I always follow up a shot with glassing.

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

I like this topic so BUMP!!!

&quot; I do not hunt to kill,but rather kill to have hunted&quot;(quote)

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RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

All great advice.

Even if you see or hear the deer go down, do not hurry to it, give it at least 1/2 hr more if you are not pressed for daylight, or rain isn't an issue.

After the shot, I had a deer lay down within 30 yds of my stand last year, and I thought that was it. It was a morning hunt, good weather conditions. I knew the shot was too low and at a steep angle, but THE DEER WENT DOWN, I SAW IT - I hoped for 1 lung. I sat still for 1/2 hour, and was getting ready to get down when he got up and slowly wandered off. I was sick! I waited another 1/2 hr then snuck out and came back 4 hours later. Coyotes had pushed him out of the area - at a dead run some time after I left. I trailed him over 500 yds to a huge field, where he disappeared. The blood was very sparce after the intitial 30 yds. Turns out, it was a brisket shot, and the deer likely evaded the coyotes and made it ok, but I'll never know for sure.

I'm not an unexperienced bowhunter (20 yrs at it) - but I made a mistake. The deer appeared jumpy, he approached from my entrance point. I waited for a slightly quartering away shot, and PURPOSELY aimed a little low, expecting the deer to react to the sound of the bow by ducking a little. I will never do this again on a deer within 20 yds, as I now know that even a &quot;duck&quot; of 8&quot; would put my arrow in the spine, had I been aiming where I should have been. As you might have surmised, the deer did not react, and I even hit a couple inches lower than my aiming point. I had a classic &quot;bleeding brisket shot&quot; that never hit a vital organ, yet the deer STILL laid down, most likey confused about what happened.

The reason for my story is two fold. Do not trust what you see, assume the worst. Second, even veteran hunters make mistakes on occasion. I think I was one that got &quot;blistered&quot; last year for taking a &quot;bad shot&quot; on this board. IF you do have a bad hit, take your time and do not bump your deer. If you hit a non vital area, you will not likely recover the deer - regardless of how long you let it lay. At least you will know that you did the best you could, and its likely the deer will survive.

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RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Excellent posts guys. Rob, thanks for the tips on the binos. I'll admit I never thought about using them after the shot---I guess this year I will.

I do have a few things to add, even though they're obvious they are not stated. For the most part, follow the Rules of Ochman's Razor---take the simplest explanation as it is usually correct, and that for every action there is a reaction.

If a buck came into range walking on a trail from a field edge and after the shot turned 180 degrees---then more than likely he bolted back up the same trail towards the field---if he ran away from you, then look for known trails. When deer are spooked or anxious, they are just like humans in that they stick to the simplest and easiest. It is only when the deer bed down that they leave the confines to what is &quot;known&quot;---hence trails---and head off to remote areas. I'll estimate that 9/10 deer shot will follow a trail until too weak...or bumped...to continue.

And remember that for every action there is a complementary reaction. Everything you do on stand has consequences, everything...

If you need to come back in the morning, be sure to leave your stand in the opposite direction of the traveling deer...

A little known fact about men & women...women actually have slightly more cones than rods in their eyes, as well as &quot;clearer&quot; optic nerve input---ok, sorry about the science lesson---women not only differentiate between colors better, they see them more vividly. If possible, bring a woman along on a tracking job, they are almost uncanny at picking out the red blood trail on Autumn leaves...

And finally, if you have to perform an extensive trailing for a wounded deer (and you have multiple tags), let the area rest for a week or the next good rain, if possible. We often forget about scent control and cover while we track our trophies.

Happy hunting, 11 days left before arrows fly in CT.

S&R



Edited by - Strut&Rut on 09/06/2002 10:50:51

RE: After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
 

Rut&Stut, great post and good points. You know your right about women....first time you ever heard that huh? <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>..although very inexperienced at tracking, I was surprised at how well and damn good my wife is at it. I'd never hesitate to take her when she wants to go.



<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

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