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How to Track a
Wounded Deer
The key to a
successful recovery is what you do following squeezing the
trigger or releasing the arrow!
Tracking a
deer too soon can push that deer off the property you are
hunting on, especially if the area you are hunting is small, and
onto another hunter’s or landowner’s property, who may not let
you to pursue it any farther.
Once the shot
has been fired [having bright fletch helps see the arrow], watch
the reaction of the animal.
- If the
deer drops straight away, it is probably a brain or spinal
column shot
- If the
deer jumps a bit in the air, it is usually a heart or lung
shot. Sometimes the deer simply run off, but usually don’t
get much further than 200 yards
- If the
deer hunches up with its tail down as runs away, it is
usually a gut shot
- If the
deer receives a shot to the legs, it often jumps or stumbles
a bit and then runs
Mentally note
the location where you shot the animal, and continue watching it
with binoculars and note where you lose sight of it, and keep
listening in case you can hear it moving/crash.
Unless you
can see the deer lying on the ground, STAY where you are
for a while. If you were using a firearm, wait up to half an
hour. If using a bow, wait at least a couple of hours. If you
think it was a gut shot, wait 6-8 hours before tracking the
deer.
When you get
to the place where the deer was hit, mark the spot so you can
come back to it if you lose the trail, and look very carefully
for:
- Hair –
lots of hair tends to indicate a grazing shot [brown hair
indicates a high shot, white indicates a low shot], and a
small amount can indicate a hit to the body
- Bone
fragments – usually indicates a leg has been hit
- Blood –
be careful not to stand on blood on the ground. Fresh blood
is bright red, however once it has dried, it is much harder
to distinguish from the surrounding vegetation. Look on
surrounding brush and leaves up to chest height for blood
left as the deer has brushed past the vegetation:
o
Fine drops of
blood, sometimes up to a metre off the ground indicates a
shot to the heart, lungs or large blood vessels in that
area. It may also contain small bubbles of air. The deer has
been fatally hit, and won’t be going too far. If only one
lung has been hit however, the deer can travel further
before dropping
o
If there are
patches of blood that are regular for 100-200 yards, and
then start to diminish – it indicates a hit to the body
muscles in the neck, back or legs. These blood trails can
dry up as bleeding slows. These deer can travel a long way
if they feel they are being pursued. If you see this type of
blood, wait a couple of hours before tracking
o
A blood trail of
small drops, sometimes green or brownish coloured with food
particles and a strong smell will indicate a gut shot. As
these deer run off the blood is diverted away from the gut
to the muscles, so the blood trail diminishes. When the deer
stop and rest for a while, blood returns to the gut and
moves away from the muscles. The deer then finds it harder
to get up, and can bleed to death in the bedding area if not
pursued.
- Tracks,
kicked up leaves, and dirt marks indicating the deer has
walked/run in that direction. This may be the only sign once
the bleeding stops or you lose the blood marks
When hunting
with a bow, there are several points to note:
- The
ideal shot is a double lung shot. The ground where the deer
was standing when hit should contain blood, and with a pass
through shot, there should be plenty of blood. The animal
should be found within a hundred yard radius. If the angle
of the shot is steep, it is likely only one lung will be
pierced. If no other major organs are damaged, some deer can
survive with only one lung. These deer should be left for
2-3 hours before pursuing
- If a
major artery was hit, there should be plenty of blood to
follow, however there are situations where a high shot with
no exit hole allows the blood to pool in the chest cavity,
leaving a poor blood trail to follow. The key is knowing
where your arrow probably hit, and what damage it has done
- A muscle
hit is unlikely to kill the animal, but that is no excuse
for not tracking it. If there is snow on the ground, you can
start tracking it straight away. If there is no snow, wait
2-4 hours before tracking the deer
- Gut shot
deer can survive a long time so it is important not to
pursue them straight away. Leave them 6-8 hours. The deer
often seek heavy cover or water, so bear that in mind when
tracking. Because they can be so hard to track, it is
helpful to get some help from your friends
- Deer
that are shot in the liver or liver/gut usually have a lot
of blood, with the amount of blood determined by the
arteries that are hit. This will also determine the time it
will take for the deer to bleed out. Wait 4 hours before
pursuing these deer. If they are not pushed, they usually
bed down within a hundred yards
If you lose
the blood trail, you can use a product called Starlight
Bloodhound to see blood in the dark.
It can only
be used in the dark.
It is sprayed
on the ground or vegetation, and glows bright blue on contact
with blood. It actually works best when the blood has been
washed away after a rain.
It can
highlight blood that is not visible to the naked eye. It is a
tool however, and doesn’t take away the need for the skills of
tracking.
REMEMBER: If
you are not sure whether to search straight away for a deer you
have shot – WAIT! Your chances of a successful recovery
depend on it.
You owe it
to the deer to find it after you have shot it!
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