Essential tracking supplies

[Black Titan]

Essential to me is a compass. On top of watching the deer reaction to being shot and where it runs. Once it is out of site...I listen intently to figure out if I hear it fall and thrash on the ground. When it does that, I take a compass heading for that direction. Once I go to track the deer....I do what most people do...go to where I shoot the deer and look for blood and track from there. However, if I completely lose the track I can always go back to my tree I shot the deer from.....check my compass heading and march through the woods on that heading without deviating. Just one more thing to be able to do if things go south.

I need to take a crash course on learning how to read a lensatic compass. I have one, but don't have a topo map of where I will be hunting nor do I really know how to use it.

BT

 

[deerhunter10]

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but the best thing I ever did for my hunting success was to stop bow-hunting. Not only did it reduce the hunting pressure on the deer prior to the rut, it also kept me fresh and excited to be in the woods at just the right time - opener of MZ. Our sightings and kills with an MZ and gun went up dramatically once we stopped bow-hunting the property.

Of course, my actions are driven by the fact I only hunt one property all season. If I had multiple properties to hunt, I might view things differently.

We have practically stopped bow hunting as well. October is very busy for us and still may get out there on a cold front, but it has improved our hunting in November by and unmeasurable amount. Also keep 2 tags in our pocket while hunting November which we also love. We have multiple places, but doubt we will change anytime soon. Still love shooting bows and shoot often just don't hunt like I used to. Do kill a lot of our does late with bows.

 

[fairchaser]

Essential to me is a compass. On top of watching the deer reaction to being shot and where it runs. Once it is out of site...I listen intently to figure out if I hear it fall and thrash on the ground. When it does that, I take a compass heading for that direction. Once I go to track the deer....I do what most people do...go to where I shoot the deer and look for blood and track from there. However, if I completely lose the track I can always go back to my tree I shot the deer from.....check my compass heading and march through the woods on that heading without deviating. Just one more thing to be able to do if things go south.

I've done this as well. Once you get down from the tree, things look different. Also, I now drop a pin on my maps app where I last saw the deer or heard it fall while still in the tree. This helps me with the location as well as dropping a pin where my stand tree is. I've lost my stand before and have had to backtrack and take time trying to find it! Lol The woods can swallow up everything. Especially your gun or bow left leaning on a tree.

 

[Spurhunter]

Be sure and pack your patience! Seriously, the biggest thing I tell people is to take your time and not rush, until you find the deer it is not dead and you need to be taking your time and not rushing through it.

This, this, and this! ^^^^^^^

 

[Spurhunter]

I was trained by the 2 best blood trailers I've ever seen. These 2 men don't know each other, but they do it exactly the same way. They looked forward to the call that somebody needed help finding a deer. Fact is, there isn't anything special about it. You need toilet paper or flagging tape to mark blood as you find it, a good light if darkness sets in, good eyes, and finally patience, patience, and more patience. Most people I've encountered in over 35 years of deer hunting don't have the patience to track a deer that is barely bleeding. They just can not slow down enough. It baffles me, but they would rather screw up the trail stomping around than slow down.

 

[clwg97]

I was trained by the 2 best blood trailers I've ever seen. These 2 men don't know each other, but they do it exactly the same way. They looked forward to the call that somebody needed help finding a deer. Fact is, there isn't anything special about it. You need toilet paper or flagging tape to mark blood as you find it, a good light if darkness sets in, good eyes, and finally patience, patience, and more patience. Most people I've encountered in over 35 years of deer hunting don't have the patience to track a deer that is barely bleeding. They just can not slow down enough. It baffles me, but they would rather screw up the trail stomping around than slow down.

This exactly! I love tracking deer, I learned from a few great woodsman also. My Dad and Uncle were both taught by my grandpa. I learned a lot from all of them. Also Bowsite.com does some pretty cool interactive blood trail challenges that I enjoy also. I used to make my uncle and dad sit down and we would go through them and most of the time they did everything the exact same as what was called for.

 

[Poker]

This exactly! I love tracking deer, I learned from a few great woodsman also. My Dad and Uncle were both taught by my grandpa. I learned a lot from all of them. Also Bowsite.com does some pretty cool interactive blood trail challenges that I enjoy also. I used to make my uncle and dad sit down and we would go through them and most of the time they did everything the exact same as what was called for.

Thanks for the recommendation for Bowsite. I just went through the current challenge. It's a good refresher and had me questioning whether my judgement for proper shot placement and blood trailing is correct. So far, so good.

 

[kaizen leader]

I've done this as well. Once you get down from the tree, things look different. Also, I now drop a pin on my maps app where I last saw the deer or heard it fall while still in the tree. This helps me with the location as well as dropping a pin where my stand tree is. I've lost my stand before and have had to backtrack and take time trying to find it! Lol The woods can swallow up everything. Especially your gun or bow left leaning on a tree.

A good app is essential. I use HuntStand. It will allow you to know where you've been. Good hunting.

 

[DayDay]

I pack a lightweight mesh, hunter orange safety vest. I wrap it around my climbing stand when I'm packing the stand through the woods. I wrap it around my tree after I climb when I'm on public land so hopefully I'd get noticed by any hunters coming into the area, even from the opposite side of the tree. I use the vest to mark my stand if I climb down and begin tracking a deer while leaving my stand at the tree.
(It can be used as a spare in case someone left their vest at home.)

Where I hunt now, I'll use the vest to mark where I leave my deer if I walk back to get my deer cart. I usually hang a spare orange baseball cap on my backpack which I use as a marker as well.

 

[kaizen leader]

I pack a lightweight mesh, hunter orange safety vest. I wrap it around my climbing stand when I'm packing the stand through the woods. I wrap it around my tree after I climb when I'm on public land so hopefully I'd get noticed by any hunters coming into the area, even from the opposite side of the tree. I use the vest to mark my stand if I climb down and begin tracking a deer while leaving my stand at the tree.
(It can be used as a spare in case someone left their vest at home.)

Where I hunt now, I'll use the vest to mark where I leave my deer if I walk back to get my deer cart. I usually hang a spare orange baseball cap on my backpack which I use as a marker as well.

Those are great ideas. Thx