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Last month we discussed some fundamentals on recovering deer struck with a bullet or arrow. I stressed the importance of always assuming you hit the animal and working hard to find sign of a strike before verifying the shot as a “clean miss.” I also explained the importance of waiting patiently (sometimes as long as a day) before getting on a blood trail and possibly jumping (and sometimes losing) a wounded animal. Studies show that 90% of mortally-wounded deer will bed down and die within 250 yards of the shot if unpressured. So be patient.
This month I’d like to get into more detailed tactics for boosting your recovery success on deer.
Find The Arrow
If you’re a gun hunter, naturally you can dismiss this advice. But for you archers, finding and examining the arrow is the single best way to assess the tracking situation you face.
• If you locate your arrow and find it covered in pinkish blood, sometime with small bubbles present, you’re in great shape. That indicates a solid lung hit and an animal that won’t go far.
• Dark red blood on the arrow (on a shot you suspect may be too far back) often means the liver was struck – another lethal shot.
• Dark blood will also exist on a muscle hit in the neck, shoulder or ham. Muscle wounds are not always mortal and often produce a blood trail that begins well but tapers off after a couple hundred yards.
• If the arrow is covered in blood and foul-smelling matter, often greenish in color, you’ve got a paunch hit. Let that animal have at least six hours or even wait overnight before pursuing him.
Effective Blood Trailing
The same blood descriptions noted above apply to blood you find on the ground while tracking. Don’t be too alarmed if you don’t find blood immediately. The deer may not begin bleeding externally for 3-5 seconds or longer, and you know how much ground a deer can cover in 5 seconds. Typically, you’ll find the first ground blood about 30 yards from the point of impact.
As you look for blood, survey the forest floor as well as the sides of trees and brush. Finding blood on brush from both sides of the animal indicates a pass-through – always a good thing.
A very important item to have when tracking a wounded animal is trail-marking tape. Hunter’s Specialties makes a bright orange trail tape that ultimately breaks down in sunlight for environmental advantages. Routinely mark the blood trail as you go to give yourself a clear visual of the deer’s line of travel. This can be very helpful if the blood begins to dwindle.
While you follow the blood trail, try and stay off to the side of it so you don’t disturb the sign. You may need to return to a particular spot and re-evaluate the situation, particularly if the deer doubles back on his trail and tries to pull a fast one on you – and believe me, they’re like pursued raccoons with plenty of tricks up their sleeves.
When trailing in snow or soft ground, pay close attention to the tracks left by an animal. They have unique characteristics in size, shape, stride, etc. A deer that’s bleeding lightly, or not at all, can get on a well-traveled trail and you’ll need to differentiate his tracks from the others. It’s also important on weak trails to study scuffed leaves or pressed-down debris to help you unravel the route.
A Non-existent Blood Trail… Now What?
Sometimes a mortally-wounded deer just won’t bleed externally. It sometimes happens with a high hit; or because fat or muscle tissue clogs the wound. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t recover the deer. Here are some tips to help you in this situation:
• Zig-zags and circles. From the last point where you know the animal was, mark the spot with trail tape. From there, head in the deer’s suspected direction of travel by walking a tight zig-zag pattern. Here you’re looking for blood and other sign, plus you’ll boost your odds of finding the expired animal. If you have no idea about the direction he took, work the area in tight circles instead. Walk a small circle around the spot marked with trail tape. Then move out 5-10 yards and walk another circle, etc. Be systematic and patient. The reward is worth it.
• Water. An injured deer will often head for a water source. So if you have ponds, creeks or any other water on the property, give the area(s) a good search. Paunch-hit deer will get very sick very fast. They’ll run a high fever and will get into the water for its cooling effect. More than one savvy hunter has found his dead deer floating.
• Group effort. When all else fails, round up as many pals as you can and do a systematic search of the area. Spread out in a line, close together, and walk in unison. Cover every square foot of the area where the deer could possibly be. It takes time and teamwork, but it works.
• Birds, coyotes and other critters. Pay attention to the meat-eating animals around you. A flock of crows or ravens noisily feeding might just be feeding on your dead deer. Go check it out. And if you spook a coyote or fox while you’re searching, head to where he came from. He might have been having a whitetail meal.
Two More Tips.
• Always bring your GPS (I prefer the Lowrance HUNTc) or a good compass when trailing a deer. You never know where he’ll lead you, and you want to ensure a safe return.
• Watch hunting shows on television. You can learn a lot about how a deer reacts to being hit in mortal and non-mortal areas by seeing other hunts on film. Then you can apply that knowledge to your own hunting and tracking efforts.
Good Hunting.
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