Blood Tracking!

[Bucks2Ducks]

Well if any of you guys are like me you can't wait for that September archery hunt! Just looking for some tips on blood trailing that can make are break that hunt. Trying to build up all the knowledge I can learn for an extra edge this year! One thing that Iv'e learned over the past few years of archery hunting is never leave the rig w/o flagging to mark where you took the shot and where the elusive animal was standing, are where that blood trail hopefully starts.

[rebal69972]

a small tip from me the only thing in the woods that foams with hydragen peroxide is blood. a small spray bottle full works great when bloods hard to find

[billdo5]

Let the deer sit for long enough and put ribbons on the blood trail and where u found the last bit of blood.. so u can always go back.. also make sure to not go on the trail, but stay to the side in case you dont see the blood and u step on it..

[ghosthunter]

I use toliet paper to mark a trail. That way I do not feel bad leaving it. Ribbon lays there a long time.  Also turn on your GPS if you have one to track.
Let the animal have time to lay down. It can save you a long search.
At each drop of blood look ahead and off to sides. And look back at your toliet paper trail.
Use your nose, especially on elk.

[billdo5]

I use toliet paper to mark a trail. That way I do not feel bad leaving it. Ribbon lays there a long time.  Also turn on your GPS if you have one to track.
Let the animal have time to lay down. It can save you a long search.
At each drop of blood look ahead and off to sides. And look back at your toliet paper trail.
Use your nose, especially on elk.

yeah me too.. i meant by the ribbon was when u shoot go out and put ribbon by the first blood then leave we use toliet paper too

[RadSav]

a small tip from me the only thing in the woods that foams with hydragen peroxide is blood. a small spray bottle full works great when bloods hard to find

That's a very good tip and one we use when blood is dry or brush is extremely wet.  Though some feces do foam and so does the feces of ticks.  A real problem trying to use it in the Winston where the ticks are so bad.  Look at elk beds in the snow and you will know what I mean.

That being said it has helped us on a number of occasions.  My last good buck would have been lost if not for it.  We were at a point of giving up even though I knew the shot was good.  Two sprays on the rain soaked pine needles and we were back on the trail.  Ten yards later saw the deer.  Man!  That was close.

Lately I have given up on the use of tape.  Seems to be a lot of that stuff around at the wrong time.  Especially if tracking in the dark.  Now I am using reflective twist ties from Hunters Specialties.  Orange on one side and reflective on the other.  Also, very nice if you are trying to get back to your elk quarters in the dark.  Even a small LED light will get them reflecting from 50 yards out.  Don't make them look like eyes close to the ground though.  Scares the heck out of the wife

It's also nice to have clean paper towels or TP with you.  If you find a leaf that has something on it, but you are just not sure if it is blood or not, wipe it on the clean white and you can get a good read on color.

Other wise just take your time.  When you are feeling you've lost the trail just sit down right there, have a snack, maybe even take a nap and try again.  Sometimes all you need is to give your eyes a little breather.  If you still can not find blood start walking all the different trails one at a time for about 10 yards.  Paying close attention to those leaves and sticks you know should have blood on them.  If it looks like the trail they went down it usually is.

Look for unique features in their tracks.  Short hooves, broken hooves, one dewclaw anything that reassures you're on the trail of the right animal.  I know one guy that even measures the tracks.

If all else fails listen for ravens then try working trails going toward them.  We've had them hovering above a dead elk within five minutes.

Finally, and most important!  If you are single start dating Squaws.  I married one and she is the best blood hound around.  So good, infact, that my hunting partners don't even start trailing until they've reached her on the radio to make sure she is on the way.

Good luck, be safe and have fun!

[bench beast]

a small tip from me the only thing in the woods that foams with hydragen peroxide is blood. a small spray bottle full works great when bloods hard to find

try a little food coloring mixed in it, makes it easier to see in the rain.

[youngbull]

If possible keep an eye on how high the blood is on the brush.  This could indicate where the animal is hit.  If you run out of a blood continue walking in small circles for at least another 1\4 mile while checking the wind.

[THEBUGLER]

All really good tips guys! I also like to look to the under side of conifer branches for blood, especially when they are wet. Its kind of like "CSI" dont get ahead of the evidence, take it nice and easy on a sparse trail! Make sure and try not to walk on the blood trail, walk beside it so as to not disturb the blood that you know about.
 
 
  Follow your nose.  Many times when the blood runs out, you can circle down wind of where he may be. Bull elk are very aromatic creatures and I have found a couple by just following the "rutting bull smell".

 Most of all be persistent, the elk deserves nothing less than 110% of your effort. If the trail goes dry, start using logic and continue ahead in the direction that makes sense. If that shows nothing, look in directions that make no sense, such as; "the bull went down hill for about a mile and the blood gave out".  One might think since he is mortaly wounded he would never go up hill......wrong. We found a bull once during that same scenario 200 yards straight above the last drop of blood on a very steep hillside. Rule nothing out and you have a good chance of finding more blood and your bull.

  Last but not least, keep a possitive outlook. It will keep you from panicing and making bad decisions, and most of all it will lead you to your downed elk.

[RadSav]

"Rule nothing out and you have a good chance of finding more blood and your bull."

That is great advise too.  Reminds me of a story I just have to share.  I was hunting Catalina Island for sheep and pigs.  I had always wanted a BIG Silverhair goat and finally stuck one good.  After about 50 yards of good blood it completely stopped.  Last spot was a huge splatter against a tree and then nothing.  I started doing circles for I'd say a half hour always coming back to the tree before starting out an a larger circle. 

Finally I stopped at the tree to take a break and to eat some lunch.  I could hear dripping as I sat there to relax.  By the time I finished my granola bar it was driving me nuts.  I walked around to the other side of the tree and there is a huge pool of blood I hadn't seen before.  I looked up in the tree and there he was about eight feet above my head the whole time. 

I'd shot a lot of them out of trees down there before, but I never thought one would go up there to die.

[OlympicElkJunkie]

Has anyone ever tried using luminol to detect blood? This is the same stuff CSI uses to find blood as it makes the blood glow. Supposed to work even after rain. My buddies brother has used it to stay on a blood trail and I was thinking of adding some tablets to my pack this year.

[carpsniperg2]

Heard of it but never used it myself.

[rebal69972]

Ive used luminol worked wonders. its just kinda pricey.

another point i thought of before you go looking for your downed animal give it plenty of time to die. nothing sucks more then putting an arrow in an animal then tracking it just to jump it and having it run another 1/2 mile on you

[sebek556]

I gave in and bought some blue star off the net, figured what the hell if it helps me find the elk I arrowed then its worth it.

[rotty33]

This might seem a bit odd, but it has worked for me pretty well.  Most of the time I end up shooting an animal that ends up running over a hill or ridge. After I make the shot and after the animal crests the ridge, I sprint up to the top and try to watch it for as long as I can. In my experience I have either seen the animal fall over, or I can usually make a visual mark of where it last disappeared. This has saved me a lot of slow arduous trailing. 
Then it's a waiting game. Anyone else do this?  It has been pretty effective for me. 

[brew]

if you loose the trail mark the last blood and stop....look at the terrain and think what might be the easiest way for you to go to escape.  may not happen all the time but some years back my buddy arrowed a cow elk in Manastash and we lost the blood trail after 100 yds or so.  he called us on the 2-ways and we showed up to help.  trailed it to where the blood ran out and 6 of us started circling the area.  after about an hour with no more blood some of the guys were giving up when i thought if I was a liver shot elk where would i run?  I quartered down the ridge and found a single drop of blood on a blowdown about 75 yds from where we last saw blood.  My wife was with me and about the time I raised my buddies on the 2-way she found the cow dead laying 30 yds from that drop of blood under a small fir tree...don't give up !

[jasnt]

Great thread. I think this should be a sticky!   

[sneakyjake]

Just curious, the bull I shot the other day.  When my blood trail ended I found the bull 30 or so feet from the  last drop face down in the mountain the next morning. Since I was pretty sure that I double lunged it, would it be safe to say that it ran out of breath and wouldn't leave a blood trail after that point and die close by?

[Stizz]

Great advice guys...one thing to add-dont rule out a hit if you cant find blood! last year i took a long quartering away shot on my bull. Gave him some time, and went to search for blood. I didnt find a single drop within 50 feet...in fact, i didnt find any that day...but i also couldnt find the arrow which gave me hope. I ended up finding the bull 75 or 100 yards from the shot using the suggestion above - "where would i go if i was a wounded elk". It turns out the arrow entered just behind the diaphragm, and even though i took out the liver and a lung, the stomach completely sealed the arrow entrance.

[erk444]

I gave in and bought some blue star off the net, figured what the hell if it helps me find the elk I arrowed then its worth it.

I used some blue star last year to find a deer my dad shot. Stuff works awesome, but runs out to quick. It says to only use it to find the trail if you loose it, but it worked so good I just kept spraying it in front of me! It does react with some vegetation and a few other things, but you can tell the difference between those and blood pretty quick. It also stops reacting with the blood within an hour or so, so its still a good idea to mark the trail. Great product, and I'm going to by more for sure

[Turner89]

"Finally, and most important!  If you are single start dating Squaws.  I married one and she is the best blood hound around. "

       Might be able to make some extra $$$ during hunting season.

[RadSav]

"Finally, and most important!  If you are single start dating Squaws.  I married one and she is the best blood hound around. "

       Might be able to make some extra $$$ during hunting season.

If she hadn't gone blind I might have to make some extra money on that   Even now after a whole goober full of eye surgeries she is better than most.  She's just a bit slower now.