After the Shot. Tips for the upcoming seasons.
09-01-2002, 11:16 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
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
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
09-01-2002, 11:47 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Stanton PA USA
Posts: 2,213
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
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
09-02-2002, 01:32 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: egypt
Posts: 1,994
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 "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.
http://www.geocities.com/tradbow007/...dventures.html
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.
http://www.geocities.com/tradbow007/...dventures.html
09-02-2002, 04:56 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pgh PA USA
Posts: 16
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.
09-02-2002, 07:13 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 1,086
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.
Some things are true whether you believe them or not.
09-02-2002, 07:16 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Erie PA USA
Posts: 439
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 "know" 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.
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.
09-02-2002, 08:17 AM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: newfield new jersey USA
Posts: 8
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.
09-02-2002, 03:29 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kilauea Hawaii Hawaii, USA
Posts: 155
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
Also, don't nobody be trying to fling long shots. Get close.
Nic