blood trails
12-25-2010, 07:29 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,926
Locating a deer is easier than little spots of blood
I'm a compass user from way back. When I arrowed the deer, I watched the direction it took. I watched exactly the last time the deer was in sight. Then I took a compass reading from my stand to that exact point.
I had a reading and a quadrant where it had gone. Not a 360 degree direction. So I would track to that point checking it on the compass, when I got to the location of last sighting. So even out of sight of my stand, in a heavily wooded area, I had a reading. Say it was in NW direction, I had the way it went. I would check, in small increments, to the left and right of the reading and look for the downed deer.
My theory was to look in small increments, first, and check the first 100 or so yards. If you made a good shot, you'd find a deer laying on the ground and not just a blood trail. If you didn't hit the broadside of a barn, only then would you only have blood.
Having a compass reading can then be used to backtrack exactly to where your tree stand is located. They can get lost too.
I had a reading and a quadrant where it had gone. Not a 360 degree direction. So I would track to that point checking it on the compass, when I got to the location of last sighting. So even out of sight of my stand, in a heavily wooded area, I had a reading. Say it was in NW direction, I had the way it went. I would check, in small increments, to the left and right of the reading and look for the downed deer.
My theory was to look in small increments, first, and check the first 100 or so yards. If you made a good shot, you'd find a deer laying on the ground and not just a blood trail. If you didn't hit the broadside of a barn, only then would you only have blood.
Having a compass reading can then be used to backtrack exactly to where your tree stand is located. They can get lost too.
12-25-2010, 06:08 PM
#12
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
The luminal sprays are great but they just work in the dark and aren't going to help you in the day time.
Just put some hydrogen peroxide in a big spray bottle. Regardless of the lighting outside the peroxide will foam when it comes into contact with blood so it will work day or night.
Just put some hydrogen peroxide in a big spray bottle. Regardless of the lighting outside the peroxide will foam when it comes into contact with blood so it will work day or night.
12-25-2010, 07:39 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
I've also heard of People putting the Hydrogen Peroxide in a spray bottle to find and follow a blood trail!Still it must frustrating for a Hunter to not be able to see a blood trail and follow it! 
12-27-2010, 04:28 AM
#15
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
Problem with the use of sprays to locate blood is if you don't know where the deer ran a spray bottle would be almost useless. You would have to have a 55 gallon drum with a pressure sprayer to locate a deer.
12-27-2010, 04:41 PM
#16
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mechanicsville, VA
Posts: 100
I'm with you. I'm partially color blind and partially color stupid. I have a tough time but have learned to get pretty good at it by doing a couple things better.
1. Pay attention! When you shoot mark the shot well and pay close attention to what you see the deer run past and mentally mark that stuff too.
2. When he is out of site Listen! As best you can. You'd be surprised what you can figure out by listening. Many times you'll confirm these things by tracking later from your visual marks.
3. Use a gun or bow that make dang big holes! I love my slug gun. My Blackpowder load is a slower 100 gr TC 250 gr balistic tip that hammers them harder than the slug. THe more blood the better your chance of seeing it.
4. Don't forget that a lot of sign is not on the ground. Watch for hair and blood on the sides of trees and in the underbrush. Also get used to noticing turned up leaves and ground where the deer went instead of just looking for color.
1. Pay attention! When you shoot mark the shot well and pay close attention to what you see the deer run past and mentally mark that stuff too.
2. When he is out of site Listen! As best you can. You'd be surprised what you can figure out by listening. Many times you'll confirm these things by tracking later from your visual marks.
3. Use a gun or bow that make dang big holes! I love my slug gun. My Blackpowder load is a slower 100 gr TC 250 gr balistic tip that hammers them harder than the slug. THe more blood the better your chance of seeing it.
4. Don't forget that a lot of sign is not on the ground. Watch for hair and blood on the sides of trees and in the underbrush. Also get used to noticing turned up leaves and ground where the deer went instead of just looking for color.
Last edited by Scottdnramember; 12-27-2010 at 04:42 PM. Reason: typos
