09/30/2022
More good information..
Things to remember about tracking:
1. WAIT after the shot! This is the time to be patient. Hunters spend hours and hours waiting for the perfect shot. Often times hunters wait only a matter of minutes to take up the track. Deer are very tough animals and need time to expire.
2. Don’t let blood sucker you in. A lot of blood only means a deer is bleeding a lot, it doesn’t always mean it’s a dead deer.
3. Try to remember as many details about the deers reaction and path of travel after the shot
4. When taking up the track walk along the blood trail and not on it. The scent particles can attach to your shoes which can possibly mislead a dog if one is called in later.
5. Grid searching might end up with the deer found. Keep in mind tho with all those people walking randomly around, the scent particles will be scattered all over making it very difficult or even impossible if a tracking team is called in later
6. Mark your point of loss well with something preferably manmade that is highly visible from ALL directions. It can sometimes be very difficult to find your point of loss if it is not marked well, especially at night.
7. Obtain permission to track on the neighboring landowners property if a tracking team is called in. Please do this ahead of time, to save any hassles.
8. WAIT!!! Did I mention that already? REMEMBER A DEAD DEER GOES NOWHERE, BUT A BUMPED DEER GOES SOMEWHERE? Once a bedded deer is bumped it will be most likely difficult to track visually due to the fact the deer’s blood has most likely clotted up.
9. Oh and one more thing always take your weapon with you while tracking (during legal hrs). If you come up on a live wounded deer, you can maybe get a finishing shot off.
Good luck and be safe.
