How to Track Deer After the Shot
An important and exciting part of hunting is the tracking of the animal after the shot. Although it may not seem important to everyone, it can be the difference from recovering or not recovering your deer.
1. Pay Attention
a) Make a mental note of exactly of the last place you saw the deer and the point of impact. This will allow you to easily find the arrow and the beginning of the trail. There is quite a bit of information that can be used to figure out where the arrow hit. For example, fat on the arrow or a lot of white hair may mean it was low.
b) Watch how the deer reacts. If the deer crunches up, it is likely to be a hit too far back. A deer that takes off at full sprint usually signals a solid hit in my experience.
c) Stay in your stand and listen even if you can't see the deer anymore.
2. Be Patient
a) Give the deer time to lay down. They always do.
b) If for any reason you believe that you did have a good hit, wait a few hours before going further than 10 yards past where the deer was hit. If the deer is down it will still be that way 10 hours from now.
c) Go slow following the trail. Sign can easily be covered up by an impatient tracker.
3. Get Help
a) A second person can help you line everything up. This can be very useful when the deer was in some tall grass or an open area.
b) Two sets of eyes are better than one.
c) Another person will keep you from being impatient and making bad decisions due to your excited state of mind.
d) At the very least, they can mark the last sign while tracking or if you are successful, help drag the deer out of the woods.
1. Pay Attention
a) Make a mental note of exactly of the last place you saw the deer and the point of impact. This will allow you to easily find the arrow and the beginning of the trail. There is quite a bit of information that can be used to figure out where the arrow hit. For example, fat on the arrow or a lot of white hair may mean it was low.
b) Watch how the deer reacts. If the deer crunches up, it is likely to be a hit too far back. A deer that takes off at full sprint usually signals a solid hit in my experience.
c) Stay in your stand and listen even if you can't see the deer anymore.
2. Be Patient
a) Give the deer time to lay down. They always do.
b) If for any reason you believe that you did have a good hit, wait a few hours before going further than 10 yards past where the deer was hit. If the deer is down it will still be that way 10 hours from now.
c) Go slow following the trail. Sign can easily be covered up by an impatient tracker.
3. Get Help
a) A second person can help you line everything up. This can be very useful when the deer was in some tall grass or an open area.
b) Two sets of eyes are better than one.
c) Another person will keep you from being impatient and making bad decisions due to your excited state of mind.
d) At the very least, they can mark the last sign while tracking or if you are successful, help drag the deer out of the woods.
steven white - November 27, 2007
thanks for the great tips now i am a very succesful deer hunter
mike long - November 29, 2007
i shot a ten point right behind the shoulder and he just walked away. Didnt run or hurry at all just turned and walked away into the trees the next day he was up and around like nothing happend my arrow had a white fat type substance on it and verry little blood
justinwp - November 30, 2007
the arrow may not have penetrated all the way through and actually hit the shoulder or may have been too low. tough to say which without more information but if it was mid height and behind the shoulder the buck would have been down.
Ryan - December 03, 2007
I shot a six pointer with main beam and g2 which had webbing between. I put a shot a 12yards behind the shoudler and had blood bubbles when I was tracking. That deer ran over 250 yards. I let it lay over night and the next morning I went it to look for it. Another hunter had already taken my kill.
bill - December 09, 2007
I shot a deer right between the liver and lung area. Layed down and got up, never found him. Any experiences with that shot?
Deb-December 11, 2 - December 10, 2007
My husband shot a deer and recovered it4 days later. I have always processed our deer meat. We live in Vermont and it has been below freezing for much of the 4 days. I soked the quarters in salt water. Is the meat safe to eat?
The Polock - December 16, 2007
I shot a 160-170 class 10 point with bow/arrow at about 30 yards quartering away.
When the buck turned the arrow appeared to be behind the sholder and high with 6-8 inches in?
We tracked the buck that night and had lost a faint blood. The property is small 45-50ac and we did find my arrow fully intacked the next day with fat and long hair on it. We looked for the only on two tracks about 250 yards. Could the buck be alive or just a flesh wound. Shoud I hunt or search the entire property? The buk did a j hook back to where I shot him, however we searched where he was heading and where he came from? What do you think I should do? It has been just under two days. He was shot at 4:00pm yeaterday?
Thank for your help.\
The "polock"
When the buck turned the arrow appeared to be behind the sholder and high with 6-8 inches in?
We tracked the buck that night and had lost a faint blood. The property is small 45-50ac and we did find my arrow fully intacked the next day with fat and long hair on it. We looked for the only on two tracks about 250 yards. Could the buck be alive or just a flesh wound. Shoud I hunt or search the entire property? The buk did a j hook back to where I shot him, however we searched where he was heading and where he came from? What do you think I should do? It has been just under two days. He was shot at 4:00pm yeaterday?
Thank for your help.\
The "polock"
Travis - February 01, 2008
This is the third time I have went hunting with my father and he shot a buck. When we went to look there was a blood puddle and then a trail of it it was about the size of a dinner plate the next puddle we found there was a big chunk of bone sitting in the blood it was the size of a chickin wing about 50 yards away we found a blood puddle the size of an computer moniter and what looked to be drag marks and a othe puddle the same size then there was nothing the puddle was in a field about the size of a small parking lot with little grass and we spent about 2 hours looking for it any answers?
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Steve Grbaowski - October 06, 2008
12YD Shot almost straight down on the deer, the arrow did not pass through but the hit seemed to be very good, hardly any blood though. Searched the following day and did not find. The angle of the shot took the arrow through the deers shoulder on the right a quarter way down and the broad head exited left side armpit. Is there anyway this deer could have survived this shot?
kellee - October 13, 2008
when i was tracking the deer i followed the blood trail and the trail ended and i couldn't find the deer... and it should of bedded down some where and died becuase in the blood trail it was losing organs... what might of happened????
Joe Sparacino - October 27, 2008
Hey there, last night i shot a doe quartering away from me i was 20 yards and 15 feet up in a stand. my shot was just below the back and almost half way back on the deer(im think maybe just over the lungs).. she kinda took off slow didnt really motor out found my arrow clean pass threw lots and lots of hair chunks of meat and a lot of blood. gave her 3 hours found blood 100yards from where i hit her followed for about 150 yards then blood completely stopped looked hard for another hour could not find a thing......do u know what i might of hit and if so do ya think shes still alive?
Brian- 10/29/08 - October 31, 2008
I shot my first buck, he was a great 6 point from what i could see. The buck was maybe 20 yards from me, i got a great shot and found the blood trail for 300 yards.There was at the least 3 pints of blood in some spots but the rest was just a trail,and i shot a 2in peace of his leg out from the back side.The blood stop and 3 of us look for 5 hours, what else can i do? need help
jude - November 06, 2008
shot a deer in the neck waited a day and their was only bones
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