Become a Better Blood Tracker! Everything you Need to Know about Blood Tracking Deer!

[@veryfastride]

Not sure why there isn't more likes for this. That's info I would have paid for at some point in my hunting career. Well done, guys. Extremely well detailed.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you so much!

[@Derrek4Real]

12 hours minimum on a gut shot! And even with the dogs it's not a guarantee! I'm apart of deer search and united blood trackers. Have 30 years hunting experience. I've seen so many in the water. Great information! The only time u shud go after the deer right away is if it's hurting bad and u can see it. At the end of the day woodmanship and patience will take u very far!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Absolutely! Patience can be your biggest asset. Thanks for your comment!

[@ML-ks2lj]

I need some help in the thumb In Michigan I can't find my buck

[@ScottWConvid19]

Every deer hunter needs to learn this info. Thanks for making the time to not only learn about these intricacies, but to share them with us.

[@ScottWConvid19]

I've been educating myself on whitetail deer for about 15 or so years and have killed nearly 100 deer and this information has not only solved a few mysteries for me, but also educated me profoundly.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Glad it was helpful for you! We are working on more. Good luck in the woods this season Scott! Thanks for your comments.

[@waymakeracres]

Good video. I've used the coyotes before to help a good friend find his deer. At least he knew the direction of travel. We just sat and listened for the yipping to start and they did. Found him on the edge of a bean field headed to the creek.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

You make a good point! Listening for trailing coyotes can be a good indication of direction of travel. We have also had that experience. Thank you.

[@shovelhead8648]

Awesome video brother , I shot a 125" 8 pointer in the liver when i was a novice hunter, 25 years ago I jumped it 1 time backed out and found it 10 hours later still alive and couldn't get up , did what I had to do and learned a valuable lesson, I wish every novice hunter out there could watch this video 👍

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you!! Experience is the best teacher...especially bad experiences! Thanks for your comment and good luck this season!

[@MyNameIsJeff872]

Very good info here. My first deer with a bow was quartering toward me slightly so my shot was a little far back but I still got 1 lung. After the shot I thought I smoked the deer and wanted to get down quickly to look at my arrow and start looking to find it. I fought the urge to get down and after 10 minutes I heard a lot of rustling in the direction the deer ran (too thick to see). As it turns out that deer only ran about 30 yards away and must have bedded down, then after 10 minutes started to die and thrashed around and that's what I heard. If I had gotten down right away I would have pushed that deer who knows how far away. Now I sit 30 minutes minimum after a good shot and your guidelines are very good info to go by.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you Jeff, and thanks for sharing your story! I am sure it will help someone else as well. Good luck this season!

[@karvtek]

Great info. I had a new experience this year. Made a double lung shot and had minimal blood on my arrow/fletchings. I was discouraged and didn’t see any blood but it got dark so I backed out not to disturb the area. Usually I go get a bigger light and start looking. Next morning I found first 2 drops of blood. 10-20 more feet of tracking and it was leaking really good. Only went 50 yards but I lost a back strap and one sirloin tip due to a coyote or other. I wish now I had gone back in but the lack of blood on the arrow threw me off. A new lesson learned. Also, I knew the hit looked good. Thanks for the video.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks for the compliment and for sharing your story! There is a fine line sometimes about knowing what is the right thing to do when it comes to tracking. I think sometimes its better to find your deer missing some meat from a yote, then to bump him and never find him at all, always wondering what happened. As frustrating as it is when a coyote beats you to your deer, at least there is closure. Honestly, I have kicked myself both ways at times. Good luck the rest of your season!

[@timothylambert6234]

I have killed many, many deer with a bow. This is maybe the best video on making a decision on tracking a wounded deer. Excellent, excellent ans excellent. Every bowhunter should watch this video. I'm really critical on videos, people doing them that have just read books and watched videos. This video is made by a man that has learned a lot from experience. Again, great video

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you Timothy! I am honored by your your comment! Good luck to you this season! Chris

[@billybob8228]

Great vid. Lung shot is my fav. Shot a dbl lunger last weekend and the blood trail started 50yrd from the point. Concentric circles back and forth in the direction it ran. Found the trail then scanned ahead of me and and saw the deer dead another 50 yards out ahead of me.

[@bluesteelworx]

I did that wait overnight only to find half a deer. Practice shot placement from a similar elevation such as your tree stand. But this is great info for those oops shots.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you! Practice makes perfect, especially when you replicate your hunting scenario while wearing your hunting clothes. Sometimes even adding a coat changes how we shoot. Thanks for your comment!

[@georgebennett932]

Here in Florida where is 85 to 90 ° at night if you wait till the next day to track the deer is rotten

[@garymorgan4271]

Gary from Lackawanna N Y aka American Legend Senior member of Team Morgan excellent advice hunting whitetails for 56 yrs a great refresher course

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you Gary! Honored for you to say so!

[@johnpirowski8683]

Think Joe might be the legend lol 😊

[@thorw268]

Great video! For the hunters who are struggling to be patient and give the deer time, just have to feel like they're doing SOMETHING, spend that time finding or getting in touch with someone with a tracking dog. In almost any scenario, a dog's nose beats human eyes and is your BEST chance of recovery. When in doubt back out, and call a dog.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Great advice. Not to mention, it is fun to watch the dog work, and super exciting when they find your deer. Thanks for your comment!

[@danielcourtright5659]

I worked for a meat plant and we did wild game. What I noticed "no sheeze" after processing 1000s of deer and seeing many previously wounded deer surviving and still carrying the arrow/broadhead broke off inside them, I can relate that if you use a high quality shaving sharp broadhead your deer will be recovered almost every time. I remember one big buck that only had a wound on his fore leg from a 3 blade broadhead and the hunter was able to follow the blood trail and recover his deer.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

It is amazing what both does, and doesn’t kill them. The wrong spot can sometimes turn out to be the spot that does the job. Thanks for your comment!

[@ScottWConvid19]

I'm sharing this with every active hunter I know

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks Scott!

[@pokey5428]

Excellent video and valuable information. To me, the real "art" in tracking after the shot is the actual tracking. How to find the start of the trail. Techniques for finding that next drop when the trail has gone cold. Other signs to look for. Techniques like flagging your blood trail, not stomping around where you shouldn't, sweeping the area in ever-widening concentric circles to re-find the trail, trying to think like a deer. I all but gave up on a buck that I hit high, and we tracked for 1/2 a day, and the blood trail stopped cold. Finally, I asked myself, if Iwas looking for a place to lay down and hide (hopefully to die), where would I go. I saw a game trail going into a "hole" in a thicket. I was too thick for me, so I made my way around and came in from the other side, and there was my buck. Maybe you could do a video on tracking under various conditions. What about during rain, or just after a rain? How about night vs day? Might be very informative. Thanks again.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks for your comment! I agree, when i am called to track, i love the process! Good video ideas, we may just do that. Thank you!

[@BrucesShop]

I am an older hunter. Yes sitting still for longer than you think is the key.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Agreed! Good luck in the woods this season!

[@Hoyt-wv5gd]

Great tips ,,,,been bow hunting a long time ,,get out 10-12 hrs ,, 100%

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you! Good luck this season.

[@tomdavis3334]

Arrow setups have alot to do with how the animal reacts. A heavier arrow with a cut on contact broadhead punches through easier and the deer might bound off a bit and stop, then walk away like it wasn't shot. An expandable slamming into the deer usually makes them run head down, fast as they can run until they drop. Obviously each shot is unique but I have noticed a general pattern with my own shots and what I see on tv.

[@JoeJoe-pn6vf]

My first move is always straight to the house. Then I let my lab out and he shows me where the deer went. Too easy right. Good video. I’ve had the bubbly blood trail with no deer at the end of it several times before. I was a little perplexed.

[@raymondtrotter4655]

Oh my goodness. This video was meant for me to see. Looking to get my first whitetail this year. Excellent explanation on all pints. Thanks very much.Trucker Ray ✝️

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck to you!

[@joshdolphin4540]

Liver/ gut shot a buck and had pin drops of blood, decided to start tracking 4 hours later. Jumped him about 150 yards later and the bed he was in was full of blood and the blood trail actually picked up after that. Pushed him again 1 hour later and jumped him again after another 200 yards. After the second time we jumped him we knew he was done for. Was able to get about 20 yards from him and he was stumbling and crashing through stuff pretty hard. Gave him another hour and found or should I say smelled him about 75 yards from where we last jumped him. It was a long night but I felt we made the right decision by pushing him when we knew he was going down soon. Area was full of coyotes too.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks for sharing your sory Josh! Glad it worked out for you. Coyotes can certainly change the game.

[@toddrenard7890]

Truly excellent video. Top notch detail and specifics.

[@richardcarey9354]

This is great information. I found it very helpful . Thank you!

[@brycehiigel235]

Practice is very important. I try to mimic all the scenarios I can I ran into during the off season. Easy to make a perfect shot on an inanimate object. No one’s knows how an animal will react upon the release of the arrow. So try to be ready for anything.

[@zanetracks6592]

Good job w the video. I'd add single lung. Track right away but many of those survive. Recovered two hit center of liver last year, still up and running after 12 hrs. I'd treat liver same as stomach.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks Zane! Appreciate that. The single lung is hard for me because most of the time a hunter can't tell me the shot placement. I have pushed them to the next county too. 😁 I also agree the longer you give a liver shot the better. The outer lobes of the liver do not have the heavy vascular network that the middle of it does. Makes a huge difference for sure. Thank you so much for your comment. Good luck this season!

[@billy_h_bonney2097]

Lungs and heads are my preference

[@ikeyeet8312]

As a dog tracker, use a fixed head, and get two holes. don't grid search blindly, and if in doubt, back out.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Great advice on blind searching. Should only be done when there is no other choice. Thanks for the comment!

[@psycowilley3498]

Amen; no 2 shots of any kind are equal. It also depends on the deer. I shot two deer two weeks apart; within 20 lbs of each other. Both with 300WM; 165TTSX; both at about 80 yards; both quartering to me; both same shot placement: just above the heart. One was startled, one was calm. Usually the startled one will run farther, but the startled one dropped in his tracks like a ton of bricks. The calm one ran 100 yards before he expired. The man that taught me to hunt said that you always wait 15 min; no matter how good or bad the shot is; if you do not see the deer, wait 15 min before you even look for blood. Waiting 15 min is way better than tracking a wounded deer for miles, because you scared him 20 yards from where you shot him. Long, Long Ago, I didn't wait one time because I thought I 'missed,' so went right away looking for my 'miss.' About 30 yards from where I 'missed' him, I found where he took a sh*t, bedded down and a few drops of dark, red blood. I guessed that it was a liver shot, and we never found him. I looked for 3 days. Wait 15 min before you look for blood if there is any question in my mind.

[@YoureSoVane]

Last year I took my first shot on a deer. I saw where the arrow hit, but what convinced me was the loud "thud" and seeing the grass sway. She toppled over 40 yards away and died less than 20 seconds from the shot. Animals that can run don't just flop like a fainting goat, and certainly not after an arrow through the heart and lungs. I think how far away you are matters, and if you can see what they do. If she ran off and I had no visibility, I'd wait. If I couldn't hear the thump, I'd wait.

[@timmynormand8082]

Grandfather taught me patience is the key to hunting success

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Amen!

[@flathead5412]

This has good information. I’ve been told that there are two heart shots on an animal. If you hit the heart on a “downstroke” it will not go very far due to the heart not priming back up for the next pump. If it’s hit on the “upstroke” the heart still has enough strength to go a little farther. I ain’t a biologist but y’all seem to know quite a bit about this type of stuff. Do you think that could be an explanation of long heart shot tracks?

[@SuperCharcoalangel]

Tracked my first gut shot this year (rifle, wasn't my deer but I did the tracking). No blood and deer tracks everywhere. After about 20 minutes of trying to find the start of a trail I suggested backing out and looking for ravens the next morning. We decided to post while I pushed (bush was big but super dense so would have heard anything running out but it was open fields all around) . Didn't hear or see anything leave after the first pass. Some buddies showed up and they found him in a dense willow about an hour after the shot. Wasn't even any blood in his bed. When we opened him up it just grazed the top of the stomach and must have hit some major arteries somewhere because he was absolutely full of blood. Thought it was a liver shot but it was untouched. My deer was a lot easier. Could have probably followed that blood trail blindfolded.

[@58BowNut]

Everybody should watch this before every season! Great information

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful.

[@Mooseracks]

Bow hunting definitely takes skills...a lot of animals are lost with bow hunting also. I have found deer, elk, moose...dead of course...with arrows sticking in them....oh well...beer and coyotes gotta eat too.

[@58BowNut]

@@Mooseracks I’ve lost some bucks that I made mistakes in the tracking process, usually taking up the trail to soon bumping the deer and sending it to parts unknown. I’ve worked hard to become more patient and a better tracker.

[@brucerickey8328]

Thanks for this video. After 50 years of hunting, I have seen double lung shots where the arrow went just above the heart. The deer ran 400 yards without leaving a blood trail. It took hours to find. I have had several deer that I have shot in the evening where I was not sure of the shot and on my way out, bumped the deer only 20 or 30 yards from where it was shot. What followed was an extended hunt with little to no blood trail. There is one thing that I might add to your video. Everyone should carry some extra toilet paper and use some of it to mark the blood trail. The paper shows up well at night and will degrade the first time it rains. Using plastic flagging tape is not a good idea. Hard to see at night and can be difficult to retrieve. Once you find your deer, the last thing most people want to do is backtrack and pick up a bunch of plastic flagging tape. little bits of toilet paper are no problem. I know it seems obvious, but it was a real, "WELL DUH" moment for me when someone shared this tip with me.

[@thetinemen4842]

Very informative info!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Glad you think so!

[@JVDW80]

Are the weather and time of day a factor at all? Like (upcoming) rain or when it's getting dark in a couple hours?

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Absolutely Johan. Weather is always a factor to consider. A big rain can wash away any blood you have to follow, but it still may be the best decision to wait. If you jump your deer and its raining, he could run a long way and now you have decreased your chances of a recovery. It usually better to wait. Extremely hot weather may force you to track sooner so you don't run the risk of meat spoiling. Darkness, is not a factor for me at all. Always make sure you have a good flashlight with extra batteries and you will be good to go!

[@jayr7471]

In one shot of blood drops, rolly pollies are swarming it. I’m surprised I don’t see it mentioned more. Rolly pollies are great things to look for in a absence of visible blood. They will show you what you may not see and send you in the right direction.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks for your comment Jay! This is very true depending on what state, weather conditions, and the temperature. There are a host of insects that can be drawn to blood. Also, you can sometimes see how a slug slime trail has been diverted because they don't like blood. I would talk more on this subject, but I don't have enough multi state experience to be effective for a wide audience as far as insect species and blood. But you are correct that woodlice, aka rolly pollies and pill bugs will be all over blood in the right conditions. Great stuff! Thanks!

[@charlie4339]

What’s a rolly pillow?

[@Bamapride1000]

@@charlie4339a little Grey beetle type insect that when disturbed rolls up into a ball. Wood lice is the correct name but get their nickname from rolling into a ball

[@johnnash5118]

What about rain or forecasted rain? I'm in Oregon, asking for a friend.

[@offgridsimplicity]

Well done, thanks you!

[@ericbunksvintagesportsman6311]

What a great video..very informative!!!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you Eric!!

[@the_quest_outdoors10]

i had lighted nock but at 10yds it was too fast to see where i hit. was a pass through. had bright red not dark red not pinkish. deer bounced into cover right away and had tail tucked. but started to come back to see where his doe went. he then went when his doe went, when i recovered somehow i was waay back figured main artery

[@COREYDEER]

This was a great video. Explained a lot.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stevehandfield928]

This is a very informative video, but where I am in Vermont a 12 hour wait is a guaranteed coyote feeding. A guy showed me pictures just last week of a buck shot with a crossbow that 1.5 hours later was half consumed by coyotes. I hit a doe two years ago around sunset with a muzzleloader that was with a group of 8. After the shot they all went 300-400 yards, bedded down, and when I got there the next morning the dogs had picked it clean. I've helped several people who have shot deer around sunset and we found the consumed deer the following morning. Any suggestions other than to kill more coyotes?

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

I have run into the same problem as well. Unfortunately there is no other solution other than predator control. I am going to try putting a radio in the woods at the stand in those circumstances to see if it will discourage the coyotes while not pushing the deer. I will do an update on that either way.

[@bigern7526]

Fantastic video

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you!

[@stevendrake477]

I had a deer that I'm guessing now was slightly quartered away. I'm not sure how but I center punched it's liver. I didn't hit any guts and I think I may have hit the back of one lung. Everything at the time seemed good. The sound of the arrow hitting, the deer mule kicked, and 3 deer ran off and only 2 came back. It took me about 30 minutes to find my arrow, and it only had a tiny streak of blood on one fletching. I couldn't find blood anywhere. I've never had that issue and it was concerning but like I said signs were there of a dead deer. After a while I thought ok I'll head in the general direction of the deers travel till I lost sight. There's a hay field to the right, and open hard woods to the left. Straight ahead was a thick nasty mess of trees, and high grass on the property line. That's where the deer bedded down. There were only a few drops of blood on the ground. It all pooled inside of her even though it was a pass through. It was a learning experience to say the least. I'm happy for videos like this, and forums. Knowing where a deer may bed down saved me. Otherwise I would have never found the deer. Playing it all back in my mind it still doesn't make sense.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

There is always so many variables, and each one comes with a great learning experience. Glad you found her!

[@ForgetU]

Subbed... Because of this video.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you! Glad you liked it.

[@vanhaus5022]

Well done…

[@DersABigBuck]

Where do coyotes come into play hear. I lost my last buck to coyotes within 2 hours. My dad watched a coyote jump right on the blood trail with a monster years ago and after bucket sized puddles just stopped we never found it.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Coyotes definitely change the game. They can ruin a deer in a short time. The thought here is that if you make a poor shot and push the deer, you really decrease your changes of finding it. You do run the risk of coyotes getting to it, but at least you do find the deer and have closure. The other issue is that coyotes can be the pushing factor. I have had them like you get in the scent right away and run the deer to the next county. Sometimes you can listen for their direction and even tell when they have it down to move in to claim it. The coyote factor can often be the biggest issue. Thanks for your comment!

[@Hammerback0]

I watched a THP video recently ( two or three videos ago) hunter Zach, shot a buck and they called a dog tracker. The tracker said he had seen "a buck shot through both lungs that was "just fine" and eating corn the next day". I think he was mistaken on where that hunter hit that deer. Just my opinion. Not a good look to tell hunters a deer can survive that double lung, some may give up the recovery if they believe that

[@HardRockMiner]

Good work !!!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you!

[@robertdykes9947]

I shot a 7 point last weekend Poor lighting and 185yards out I waited about 45 mins and slowly walked to where I saw him last. Found golf ball size blood(dark reddish/black) at the scene. He was hit and turned around and ran back into the woods. I walked about 10 feet in and found my next source. I immediately heard him jump up and take off. I decided to back out and gave it another hour. I went another 40-50 yards past the second source and found a heavy patch of blood but was in about 10 foot tall briar patch and lost my bearings decided to back out and waited a couple hours until my buddies got to camp. We went back out found the next source past the briars he ran another 100-150 yards to a creek. Crossed it and went into another creek. Found some laid down brush past that creek and into a deeper(thigh high) creek and he was laid up head in the bank body in the creek. Got him back to the original shot location and it was a gut shot just in front of the Hams. Still novice but learned my lesson. Very happy to see this video and will definitely head your advice with the next one I get to drop. Thank you. My question is by waiting that long to track how viable is the meat ? It was 59 degrees at the time of the shooting!

[@robertdykes9947]

Wasn’t using a bow. Weapon was a 30-06 Double lung a doe a couple weeks before she ran 20 yards and was done. Pink and frothy

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

No matter what the weapon, you can't beat the double lung shot. Congratulations!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks for your comment! Even in warmer weather you have a good amount time. We have recovered them even 24 hours later and they were fine. There are a few factors that can effect meat quality other than spoilage as well. Always, the colder the better, but 40 degrees and up are the temps bacteria thrive and grow in. Any time you have concerns over deer meat being spoiled, here are 3 ways to help decide. 1) Color: Brown, Green, or black meat indicates spoilage. 2) Texture: Spoiled meat is often slimy and wet 3) Smell: Trust your nose! Rotten or sour smells, as well as sickeningly sweet are good measures for bad meat.

[@guzuse7199]

Good stuff

[@unsafe_at_any_speed]

I backed out and left a nice buck for the night only to find hair and bones the next morning. The darn coyotes completely stripped it in 14 hours

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

It amazes me how fast coyotes can find and devour a deer. Although it is upsetting in many ways, it does provide closure where as if a hunter bumps the deer you run the risk of never finding it and always wondering what happened. Thanks for commenting!

[@benvw555]

Great video!

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you Ben!

[@leemcelveen5411]

i don't think a single lung shot is always fatal on a deer. they can live on one lung. you have to hit something else in addition to one lung. (16:30)

[@stephenballard3759]

. It's a really good point that broadheads will never determine blood trails. They just won't.

[@7.62dog5]

A lot more areas with heavy coyote population. An over night wait. Would be devastating...just my thought. Plus someone taking it. I do agree the wait is best. Without predators..

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Coyotes are such a huge problem for sure. We have lost several to them, and one was almost completely eaten in just 4 hours. Sometimes though, bumping the deer and never finding it is worse than the yotes. At least if you find it after the coyotes do, you have some closure.

[@jacobalexander8166]

That's why I tell everyone who says that they are deer hunters to me is this.... If you really want to be a deer hunter then you should be getting 15-25 coyotes for each deer you kill each year... If more people did this would only need like five to one this is what I had instilled in me from before I started hunting you have to be a good steward of the land and animal's we all enjoy... I love taking yotes at 300-400 plus yards with my 308 110 grain vmax plus ammo.. good luck and everyone seriously do more predator control don't just kill deer take care of some of the fawn killers or we may go back to the old days of maybe seeing a deer once a year... We use to have great hunting in the iron range of MN but now between the yotes harsh winters and the damn WOLVES you are lucky to see a buck they are there but very very low population compared to 10 years ago... Happy hunting everyone shoot straight and good luck

[@collinsaunderson9225]

Well done it was the best video l what's on tracking bow hunting deer. Thanks for your time 👍🏻

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@robertmumaw6720]

I shot a 224lbs field dressed 149 plus 10 point green score at 40 yard's in south east ohio on 9/26/22 it looked like a lung shot from my bolt but I new I hit high and carding away. I Hurd him hacking or choking and a thud. I waited 1hr and went to where he was when I shot and found my bolt. Didn't find no blood till where he went into the tree line about 20 yard's away. Then it was just a spot or so here and there. But was bright red. So I backed out and waited 1 more hr. Then it started to rain so I went back to the tree line and went 30 yard's in following his blood and deer trail and found him in the creek maybe 60 yard's from where I shot him. Bolt went in and hit high on the lungs but deflected and came out mid body in front of the hind leg and ripped the stomach lining but hit no guts or anything nasty. Been hunting 9 year's and never seen anything like it or even know how It didn't rip up the guts. 1 of 2 bucks I've taken over that time and the biggest spread yet. Then got a good old doe at 20 yard's 2 weeks to the day later and she went 125lbs gutted. Between the 2 I got 185lbs a meat and still got one tag to go. Every year I fall in love with hunting all over again

[@mr.skeptical3071]

Every high shot results on little blood, every low shot results in lots of blood

[@dalehorton2069]

Is a rifle any different

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Great question Dale! The answer for me is no. I have had very similar experiences with rifles and slugs. Especially bullets that didn’t expand or smaller slugs like 410.

[@Ikmtyou2337]

Gut shots are not always fatal . Hit a doe too far back , she lost some blood tracked he the next morning with a dog never found her, have the same doe on camera in the same with a would right where I shot her.

[@FindersKeepers88]

good

[@outdoorsman9384]

Why not ad a string tracker and all ways increase your odds.

[@MyRadDesign]

One thing that makes tracking a faint blood trail at night more difficult is using the wrong light source. LED flashlights are inexpensive and are commonly used. However, the white LEDs don't have the right wavelength red light to make blood stand out. I recommend using a propane powered Coleman lantern which provides a bright light source with a broad spectrum of light. The light shield keeps glare out of your eyes as well if you hold the lantern about waist level.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

That is good advise! i hate tracking with led lights and use a an old bulb flashlight i have had since i was a kid. Thanks for the comment!

[@user-ii1iy8fz1d]

I'd wager that almost EVERY person who's done any volume of hunting has at one stage, for one reason or another made a poor shot and not a clean killing shot. Sooner or later... Feels terrible.

[@MrNater41]

Tail wags, tail up, tail down is a complete myth. A deers tail has many purposes. It doesnt indicate anything of certainty. Lung shots do not always have "frothy" blood. A separation of muscle, fat and fascia will create pockets. When that deer runs, the pockets can cause "frothy" looking blood from nonfatal shot to the scapula. 24 years in the butcher business, i have seen hundreds of deer with gunshot wounds and broadheads healed into their bodies and bones. Even a 170"+/- from camp ripley with an arrow healed into both lungs. Do not assume anything 2 years ago i tracked one for a neighbor. Steady pouring bright blood. 400 yards later we decided to back out. Saw it the next morning barely limping. Its still alive with a gnarly scar. Just tracked one last night for a lady who shot a deer with a muzzleloader. Didnt kick when she shot, didnt act shot, tail was up. Didnt find much of a blood trail at all, but it was dead in 40 yards. She nailed the heart. Practice practice practice. Dont rush your shot. Forget every old wives tale you have ever heard (tail was up, wont go uphill, goes to water, running into the wind are all lies).The amount of blood you find is not always an indication if its dead. Environmental factors beyond the obvious (rain, snow, mud) like fog, humidity, dew, temperature, and frost can greatly affect the look of the blood. Wind can affect the trailing. Flipping leaves, blowing long grass etc can conceal blood. When in doubt, back out, and call a reputable person with a tracking dog.

[@justforfun4623]

Thats easy with out watching, become a better shot hmmm. Dont need something thats going to put a baseball size hole

[@georgeedwards7234]

Eliminate all tracking down your game. My method is simple HEAD SHOT. I can't eat the antlers and I can't afford or need a head hanging on my wall

[@chasingthefish9042]

Head moves more then the body head is much smaller then the body. Head is all bone not great for arrows. Advice like this needs to be taken lightly. Obviously this will kill a deer but your chances of success is much smaller. Additionally, you pay zero dollars for Euro mounts.

[@mjuberian]

if you leave the deer that long it will be totally ruined as far a meat... ish. I guess its all about the antlers anyway so who cares.

[@midnightblue69]

Thumbs down. There is a little valuable info in it but there is NOTHING about tracking deer, which is what the title states. For the purpose of tracking you overcomplicate everything into philosophical, yes its good to look at the arrow and determine what's on it but that's when the work begins, not ends. Absolutely NO tracking info at all.

[@bennypapino3670]

Not sure how I did it but I shot a doe the other night only in the liver. No gut and no lung with it. She walked off slowly with her tail twitching. Happened to die in about 150 yard crossing a creek. Everything that was said about liver shots in this video seems accurate based on that one experience.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

Thanks Benny! Glad you found here with no difficulties. Congratulations!

[@spuds8896]

With the correct set up EVERY SHOT is a pass through. Unless you’re shooting lengthwise through the deer which you shouldn’t do regardless. Stop shooting light arrows with low FOC and having deer run off with what looks like a moped flag hanging out of them. Two holes increase blood loss regardless of broadhead.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

2 holes should always be the goal. Not only is the setup important, but taking the right shot and visualizing your exit clear of heavy bone and through the vitals. Thanks for your comment!

[@mikeguy9668]

I gotta add that a cut on contact head really is the ticket along with everything you mentioned. Mechanicals should be outlawed. They're just penetration killers, and are made thin and cheap no matter the brand

[@kevz7660]

@@mikeguy9668 Opinions are like assholes… everyone has one . Mechanical or fixed blades both have they’re pros and cons

[@kevz7660]

Calm down.. Macho man

[@spuds8896]

@@kevz7660 obviously no one taught you to sit quietly while the men talk. Listen, you might learn something. 😉

[@Quantumanticz]

I followed a bears blood trail that was shot for almost 1400 yards, still didn’t find the bear. I’m just doomed to follow trails forever lol

[@garyhughes7737]

The hardest part is walking out after dark knowing there is a good chance the coyotes will find your deer before you do.

[@calebmcnelly2885]

Shoot the heart

[@charlesleblanc6638]

Yes, or the meat spoiled because it was found to late ... Its a tuff call sometimes.

[@afflictorbroadheads6259]

For sure! That always makes my heart sink. The only good point is that you didn’t bump the deer and never find it. As upsetting as coyotes are when they find your deer, at least there is closure and not a lifetime of wondering what happened.

[@garyhughes7737]

@@afflictorbroadheads6259 that is true , I shot a buck last season during shotgun at 165yds. He showed all signs of a good hit but couldn't find blood anywhere, I let it rest until the next morning and combed the entire thicket where I saw him last... no blood no deer. I put in about 9hrs total in search over the next 3 days. 2 weeks later I was hunting a morning sit and saw about 20 Turkey vultures flying over an area that was about 1500yds from where I shot that buck, so 10am I climbed down and headed over where the birds were and my bucks carcass was there, I flipped him over to the shot side and I had hit him very top of lung about 3 inches low of spine. That explained not finding blood. Point of the story is that I was all crazy in my mind , having doubt about my shot, he wasn't on my camera anymore so I thought maybe another hunter shot him. Back of my mind I knew I hit him, it was like mental torture for 2 weeks until that day I found him. Although I didn't harvest him I did take the skull for a euro but the closure of knowing was much needed as u said.

[@lucasmechtel1206]

I haven't tried this but I have heard too hang a piece of your clothing in a tree nearby or a jacket to help keep coyotes away

[@glasstactical4428]

Shoot good cut on contact broadheads, loose the expandables. Shot placement doesn’t matter as much as you think. Center hind quarter is unbelievable.