| > | | | | a body shot. |
| Ethical hunters should always do their best to deliver | | | | If there is mostly brown hair the shot was high, |
| a clean lethal shot that ends the life of game quickly. | | | | mostly white, the shot was low. |
| We should "pass up" shots that are less than sure. | | | | If there are bone fragments at the scene there is a |
| There are occasions however when our best | | | | possibility of a leg hit. |
| intentions require us to track game. Out of respect | | | | Mark this area and don't disturb it, you may have to |
| for the wildlife we hunt, we should make every | | | | return later. |
| effort possible to find the game we have shot. From | | | | When you find the blood trail always walk beside it, |
| the moment we raise our hunting weapon of choice | | | | not on it, do not destroy the clues. |
| the tracking process begins. When the arrow is | | | | If you lose the blood trail , go to the spot the last |
| released or the trigger is pulled pay close attention to | | | | blood was found an mark it. |
| every detail. Watch the deer carefully after the shot | | | | Look for any other sign that may indicate the |
| and study it's reactions, a grazing shot, rib shot, heart | | | | direction of travel of the deer (i.e. up turned leaves, |
| or lung shot can make the deer jump and run off at | | | | broken vegetation). |
| full speed. A gut shot deer often holds it's tail down | | | | Search in a circular pattern around the last spot of |
| and hunches it's back as it leaves the scene. A deer | | | | blood you found. If you still cannot locate the game, |
| that has been shot in the gut or paunch is usually the | | | | go get help. Every effort must be made to retrieve |
| most difficult to recover. Wait 2-3 hours before | | | | a wounded animal before resuming the hunt. |
| trailing a deer you believe was gut shot. Always | | | | You cannot predict the behavior of a wounded deer. |
| follow up on any deer you take a shot at. Never | | | | Once you start trailing, move quickly to avoid giving |
| make the assumption that you missed completely. | | | | blood time to dry and become harder to find. Always |
| Here are some tips: | | | | be ready to shoot, never assume the animal is dead. |
| Notice the direction the deer or other game was | | | | Blood Sign |
| traveling when you shot. | | | | Heart, lung or large blood vessel hit: |
| Notice where the game is standing when you shoot. | | | | Fine droplets sprayed on both sides of the trail for 75 |
| Look carefully for the exact area of the entrance | | | | to 100 yards, sometimes several feet up on trees |
| wound or for a protruding shaft of an arrow after | | | | and vegetation. Usually a clean kill and the deer should |
| the shot. | | | | not travel far. |
| If the game runs after the shot, note the spot the | | | | Gut shot |
| deer was standing and the direction of travel as it | | | | Food particles and putrid smelling blood. Blood trail is |
| ran. | | | | difficult to find at the location the shot was made. |
| If you know you hit the deer and it runs off, wait at | | | | Bloody spots appear in about the first 50-75 yards |
| least 30 minutes before trailing. | | | | and steadily decrease. Do not follow this deer too |
| Before you begin trailing, mark the location from | | | | closely. Allow 2-3 hours before trailing. The deer will |
| which you shot. | | | | bleed to death when it beds down if you don't chase |
| Always walk in the direction your bullet or arrow | | | | it. |
| traveled, checking for nicks in vegetation or any | | | | Leg, back muscle, neck, or body cavity hit |
| other signs that your shot was possibly deflected. | | | | Large spots of blood at the spot where the animal |
| Carefully inspect the area that the deer was standing | | | | was hit, turning to continuous drops that diminish |
| when the shot was made. | | | | after about 150 yards. Bleeding continues while the |
| Look for blood and hair at the scene. Lots of hair | | | | animal is moving but stops when the animal lies down. |
| usually means a grazing shot , while a little hair means | | | | |