Pretty neat article on finding your deer after the shot

[scn]

This is a pretty good article, particularly for our new hunters, on finding your deer after you shoot: https://www.qdma.com/after-the-shot-tak ... 2018-10-11

Item number 4 is critical particularly if you are hunting from an elevated stand. Things look VERY different from the stand and on the ground.

One of the things I read fairly frequently on here that makes me cringe is folks immediately getting out of their stand and looking for their deer. Unless I see one fall, I've learned to give it at LEAST thirty minutes before I take up the trail. My only exception is if it is raining or is about to rain. I even do it at last legal light. If you will wait, a shot deer will often run off and bed down pretty quick if they are hit hard. If they hear you coming, they will continue to flee. Waiting can really cut down the distance of the track!

 

[RUGER]

Very good tips for sure.

 

[Bone Collector]

#4 is also critical in today's hunting world as if you are hunting with others, the text messages pour in as soon as you shoot.

I have tried to stress to people before we go in to NOT text as soon as you hear a shot and to give people a couple of minutes. It hardly works, so I have learned to ignore my phone for 2-3 minutes.

 

[BlackPlott]

I read that yesterday, also. Definitely a good read for all of us. It's amazing how things that sound so simple ring so true. But when you grow adrenaline into the mix you forget a lot of things.

 

[Mr_TTT2]

After my shot, I do bring up my phone to take two pictures, where deer was shot and last headed. I will mark up the picture on my phone for a tree/bush for both pictures where I saw deer last. Then, I will take out a compass and get a directional bearing of where deer ran to. The reason I do this is because forest looks totally different 25 feet up compared to on the ground. Sometimes I cant find the arrow or starting point (gun/rifle) so knowing the tree/bush next to deer has helped. Also the compass direction has helped when I can't find any blood. I've seen too many foot prints old/new to figure out direction of deer after shot, compass more accurate for me. Lastly, use the rule that you hit the deer good, bumped a deer thinking I missed and would have found it for sure if I waited 30 minutes at least.

 

[Matador]

I always wait unless it is pouring rain. When raining ,I still take time to do rule #4 and get land marks. I carry binoculars and study the landmark with them after I locate the them. This helps me identify the landmark more easily. If and when I find blood, I mark it with toilet paper. Go slow and take your time. If I lose blood trail, I usually request two or three buddies help. You dont need 6 or 8 guys unless you are doing a grid search. I have watched my oldest son crawl on hands and knees until he finds blood. Sometimes all you need is to find the direction. I think experienced hunters and young eyes going slow will find most deer that have been killed.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

Interesting it talks about the deer left lingering around. During rut A few years ago I had a good 8 following around some does and he kept nudging away this button buck. I shot the 8 and the deer scattered. When I was trailing the deer afterward Through a thicket I noticed the button buck stand up about 70 yards ahead of me and he slowly walked away. When I got up there he had been bedded down right beside the dead 8. I've noticed small bucks hang around dead deer often, usually does.

 

[TX300mag]

Good article, thanks for posting. It's a very important topic that has made or broken MANY hunts.

I make each of my kids read "Dead On" by John Jeanneny when they begin hunting. I can't recommend it enough. He shares his experience learned from tracking over 1000 wounded deer.

He gave very convincing arguments that changed my thinking on spine shots. He also changes my thinking on the "wait 30 minutes" rule I followed religiously 40 my first 25 years of hunting. From a biological standpoint it makes perfect sense. I've treated gunshot wounds on people for 25 years and the last thing I would tell someone to do is get up and run so that their blood doesn't clot.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rooketnhunter]

Thanks good info

 

[Snake]

One tip I'll share and I know some of you old timers have done this especially if you have no blood of very little to trail . Most people want to just start out fanning the area if they don't have any blood to follow and that could be your fatal mistake . Try and vision in your mind the shot from your stand until you pretty much know where the deer was at when you shot it .Look for hair , meat or a scuffed leaves or dirt at the area of impact . Don't just meander around looking for blood but be very careful with your steps not messing up the area and try your best to find the deer's track . It could be very hard to get on it's track especially if it is dry but sometimes a hard hit deer with drag one of it's legs and sometimes stumble . A friend of mine shot a buck once many years ago in Lewis Co. and at lunch we all met to go eat and I asked him knowing where him and his son was hunting " who shot "? He said that he had but apparently had missed a buck . I asked how far of a shot was it and his reply was about 15-20 yards . He said they had looked for a couple of hours going out the way the buck had ran . I asked that before we go to eat how about you taking me to where you was hunting and show me the spot you had shot the buck . Upon arriving and doing a little examining seeing his tree stand and me going to the spot where he said the buck was couldn't have been no more than 15 yards . I said you are either a very bad shot or your gun is terribly bad off . Getting on my hands and knees I was looking hard for any blood or any other clues to a hit before we gave up . I looked at him and said Ken you have hit this deer , looking at me like I was kidding with a sheepish grin but I was dead serious because I had found some hair "brown hair" as a pass through but still no blood . Well here we go a few buddies started to fan out but I stopped them because I thought I found the deer's track . After about 60 - 75 yards most on my knees I looked at him and said " we are going to find your buck" because the buck had finally stared to bleed . Another 100 yards or so we came upon the deer . He had said they had been all out in that area before . Not messing up your area is a big tip on looking for a deer you have shot . His shot was true but the deer's stomach lining had plugged the exit wound hole up and the deer didn't start to bleed out the entry hole until the deer had filled the inside with it's blood . We owe it up to the hunting society to do every thing we can to find a deer we have shot so any tip any one else has let's please share ! I feel that most of us here on tndeer do all we can to find a wounded deer .