Blood Trailing help
10-24-2010, 08:19 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: North Florida
Posts: 56
Blood Trailing help
I hit a 4-point this morning at 9:00. The shot was behind the right shoulder, 50 yards. I was shooting a Hornady 250 grain sabot, .50 caliber with 100 grains Hodgdon's. I have meat on the ground where the bullet exited. I have a spotty trail, for the most part, with areas of copious blood where I believe the buck stopped. At the last point there is much blood, and maybe some stomach fluid, and it is as though a Pteradactyl swooped down and picked him up! The entire trail until it disappears is roughly 30 yards lonrg. I have searched for the tiniest spot of blood in a circular pattern, emanating outward. I can't find anything more. I had two of my sons with me to help. The area is planted pines. There is much leaf litter and some understory, but it is relatively open. I can't stand the idea of losing a deer. Can anyone provide additional tracking help?
10-24-2010, 08:34 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 114
Do you have a dog or have one you can borrow? take him to were you shot him and let him get some good scent and LET HIM take up the trail. Don't pull him in the direction of the deer let him go that way on his own. If after a while he hasn't found it take him off lead and let him run around. I have found 2 deer doing this. If you do have a dog even if you find the deer next time take him out and let him track it and find it that way he knows whats going on next time (hopefully there won't be but SHtuff happens).
10-24-2010, 10:17 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: North Florida
Posts: 56
Do you have a dog or have one you can borrow? take him to were you shot him and let him get some good scent and LET HIM take up the trail. Don't pull him in the direction of the deer let him go that way on his own. If after a while he hasn't found it take him off lead and let him run around. I have found 2 deer doing this. If you do have a dog even if you find the deer next time take him out and let him track it and find it that way he knows whats going on next time (hopefully there won't be but SHtuff happens).
10-24-2010, 10:28 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 585
I have killed several deer with Hornady bullets in my Encore and for some reason I don't get much of a blood trail. I shot a doe 2 seasons ago with about 6 inches of snow on the ground. There was not one drop of blood for the first hundred yards until the deer jumped over a small creak and then it loooked like somebody had dumped buckets of blood. I think the cavity was filling up with blood and it didn't reach the bullet hole until it jumped. Both deer I killed last year with the Hornady's left no blood trail either.
10-24-2010, 11:18 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location:
Posts: 202
may have layed down and clotted up. if theres alot of blood and no access to a good dog. Id go back to the sight and pick out which way I think he went. If theres alot of good blood and by this I dont mean gut blood he shouldnt be far
10-24-2010, 12:34 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 492
Well It seems to me that you have a dead deer by now. A bullet placed behind the shoulder with that load and range should have done the job - especially with a pass through.
You said it was planted pines and fairly open, so I'm picturing an area where a deer could not crawl under the lower branches of a tree and be concealed, right? I have found a deer that had done that once.
About the only thing you can do is keep looking, and try not to scuff the pine needles or leaves too much as you make those widening circles around where you last saw blood.
One thing to keep in mind is that a deer can abruptly change the direction of travel from one jump to the next, so it may not continue in a straight line.
I also would check more downhill, if there is a downhill there, as they often will naturally take the path of least resistance (down) if possible.
Good Luck!
You said it was planted pines and fairly open, so I'm picturing an area where a deer could not crawl under the lower branches of a tree and be concealed, right? I have found a deer that had done that once.
About the only thing you can do is keep looking, and try not to scuff the pine needles or leaves too much as you make those widening circles around where you last saw blood.
One thing to keep in mind is that a deer can abruptly change the direction of travel from one jump to the next, so it may not continue in a straight line.
I also would check more downhill, if there is a downhill there, as they often will naturally take the path of least resistance (down) if possible.
Good Luck!
10-24-2010, 12:50 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 650
Also keep in mind that many times a deer will backtrack its own footsteps and go a new direction. I've had that happen before. Start your trail over again and check to see if somewhere the blood trail splits away from the path you've already taken.
rw
rw
10-24-2010, 02:46 PM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 73
Kerrdog, I hope you've found him by now. If you haven't, the backtracking idea is a good one to look into. I too hunt in north Fl and have had 2 deer do this. Also are there any palmetto clumps in the immediate vicinity? I ask b/c 3 yrs ago my father's wolfhound had his head(and body) buried in a clump and my father was literally standing on the deers rear leg before he realized it was the deer I shot the night before. We literally walked around the deer for 4 hours, in the dark, and never knew it was there. The area may look "open" but believe me, there are so many nooks they can bury themselves into. Good Luck!
10-24-2010, 06:39 PM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: North Florida
Posts: 56
I have killed several deer with Hornady bullets in my Encore and for some reason I don't get much of a blood trail. I shot a doe 2 seasons ago with about 6 inches of snow on the ground. There was not one drop of blood for the first hundred yards until the deer jumped over a small creak and then it loooked like somebody had dumped buckets of blood. I think the cavity was filling up with blood and it didn't reach the bullet hole until it jumped. Both deer I killed last year with the Hornady's left no blood trail either.
No... he was standing full broadside. Easy shot...
Well It seems to me that you have a dead deer by now. A bullet placed behind the shoulder with that load and range should have done the job - especially with a pass through.
You said it was planted pines and fairly open, so I'm picturing an area where a deer could not crawl under the lower branches of a tree and be concealed, right? I have found a deer that had done that once.
About the only thing you can do is keep looking, and try not to scuff the pine needles or leaves too much as you make those widening circles around where you last saw blood.
One thing to keep in mind is that a deer can abruptly change the direction of travel from one jump to the next, so it may not continue in a straight line.
I also would check more downhill, if there is a downhill there, as they often will naturally take the path of least resistance (down) if possible.
Good Luck!
You said it was planted pines and fairly open, so I'm picturing an area where a deer could not crawl under the lower branches of a tree and be concealed, right? I have found a deer that had done that once.
About the only thing you can do is keep looking, and try not to scuff the pine needles or leaves too much as you make those widening circles around where you last saw blood.
One thing to keep in mind is that a deer can abruptly change the direction of travel from one jump to the next, so it may not continue in a straight line.
I also would check more downhill, if there is a downhill there, as they often will naturally take the path of least resistance (down) if possible.
Good Luck!
Kerrdog, I hope you've found him by now. If you haven't, the backtracking idea is a good one to look into. I too hunt in north Fl and have had 2 deer do this. Also are there any palmetto clumps in the immediate vicinity? I ask b/c 3 yrs ago my father's wolfhound had his head(and body) buried in a clump and my father was literally standing on the deers rear leg before he realized it was the deer I shot the night before. We literally walked around the deer for 4 hours, in the dark, and never knew it was there. The area may look "open" but believe me, there are so many nooks they can bury themselves into. Good Luck!
Thanks, ALL, for your input. I appreciate the help.
Kerrdog