Ethical hunters
should always do their best to deliver a clean
lethal shot that ends the life of game quickly.
We should "pass up" shots that are less
than sure. There are occasions however when our
best intentions require us to track game. Out
of respect for the wildlife we hunt, we should
make every effort possible to find the game we
have shot. From the moment we raise our hunting
weapon of choice the tracking process begins.
When the arrow is released or the trigger is pulled
pay close attention to every detail. Watch the
deer carefully after the shot and study it's reactions,
a grazing shot, rib shot, heart or lung shot can
make the deer jump and run off at full speed.
A gut shot deer often holds it's tail down and
hunches it's back as it leaves the scene. A deer
that has been shot in the gut or paunch is usually
the most difficult to recover. Wait 2-3 hours
before trailing a deer you believe was gut shot.
Always follow up on any deer you take a shot at.
Never make the assumption that you missed completely.
Here are
some tips:
Notice the direction
the deer or other game was traveling when you
shot.
Notice where the
game is standing when you shoot.
Look carefully for
the exact area of the entrance wound or for a
protruding shaft of an arrow after the shot.
If the game runs
after the shot, note the spot the deer was standing
and the direction of travel as it ran.
If you know you
hit the deer and it runs off, wait at least 30
minutes before trailing.
Before you begin
trailing, mark the location from which you shot.
Always walk in the
direction your bullet or arrow traveled, checking
for nicks in vegetation or any other signs that
your shot was possibly deflected.
Carefully inspect
the area that the deer was standing when the shot
was made.
Look for blood and
hair at the scene. Lots of hair usually means
a grazing shot , while a little hair means a body
shot.
If there is mostly
brown hair the shot was high, mostly white, the
shot was low.
If there are bone
fragments at the scene there is a possibility
of a leg hit.
Mark this area and
don't disturb it, you may have to return later.
When you find the
blood trail always walk beside it, not on it,
do not destroy the clues.
If you lose the
blood trail , go to the spot the last blood was
found an mark it.
Look for any other
sign that may indicate the direction of travel
of the deer (i.e. up turned leaves, broken vegetation).
Search in a circular
pattern around the last spot of blood you found.
If you still cannot locate the game, go get help.
Every effort must be made to retrieve a wounded
animal before resuming the hunt.
You cannot predict
the behavior of a wounded deer. Once you start
trailing, move quickly to avoid giving blood time
to dry and become harder to find. Always be ready
to shoot, never assume the animal is dead.
Blood Sign
- Heart, lung or large blood vessel hit:
Fine droplets sprayed on both sides of the trail
for 75 to 100 yards, sometimes several feet up
on trees and vegetation. Usually a clean kill
and the deer should not travel far.
Gut shot
- Food particles and putrid smelling blood. Blood
trail is difficult to find at the location the
shot was made. Bloody spots appear in about the
first 50-75 yards and steadily decrease. Do not
follow this deer too closely. Allow 2-3 hours
before trailing. The deer will bleed to death
when it beds down if you don't chase it.
Leg, back
muscle, neck, or body cavity hit - Large
spots of blood at the spot where the animal was
hit, turning to continuous drops that diminish
after about 150 yards. Bleeding continues while
the animal is moving but stops when the animal
lies down.
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