Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: CarbonHunter on December 18, 2018, 03:23:14 PM

Title: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: CarbonHunter on December 18, 2018, 03:23:14 PM: Does anyone have any strategies for tracking blacktails in thick cover when the rain is pouring down? I’m talking rain like today where the tracks wash away within minutes. We know the blacktails like this weather but what is the best strategy to find one after you hit one with an arrow?
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: slowhand on December 18, 2018, 03:32:32 PM: Pro tip #48967522
Look under limbs and leaves for blood. It takes longer to get washed away.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on December 18, 2018, 03:40:55 PM: Keep the fact in mind and factor it into shot selection. Great tip by slowhand. Decent blood actually washes away slower than you may think, and vegetation does play big role as well. If a bad hit is suspected, IMO resist the urge to rush due to weather, the blood may be gone, but if bumped the animal will be further away and blood will still be gone.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: CarbonHunter on December 18, 2018, 03:55:22 PM: Looking under leaves works earlier in the season but in December your left with mostly ferns and fir trees. I only waited 10 minutes today until I went to where the animal was hit and couldn’t find any tracks or blood even though I heard a good wack so I know I hit a bone, mostly because I couldn’t find my arrow in any of the stumps or trees where I shot. I spent nearly 2 hours walking in circles looking under the brush and trees and never found a single drop of blood or track. I was in 5’ tall ferns and 10-30’ fir trees.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 18, 2018, 04:56:10 PM: I look right away - after 5 mins. rather find and bump then never find at all but with good hit should be doa.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: brew on December 18, 2018, 05:51:25 PM: :yeah: good hit on an animal and it won't go far. double lunged or even a liver hit and it won't go far. Heart shot deer i've had go about 75 yards (for some reason a heart shot makes them run like crazy) but if you deflate their lungs they only go 40-50 yards max---usually tip over at around 20 yards. If you make a good hit on a deer in this rain you should be able to find them within 5 minutes of the shot
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on December 18, 2018, 05:54:16 PM: Check how soft the mud in the track is.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: CarbonHunter on December 18, 2018, 07:20:34 PM: I only waited 10 minutes thinking I would find the deer within 50 yards but nothing. There wasn’t any mud to look for tracks in, it was all ferns, sticker bushes and fir trees.

I’ve had a bear go over 200 yards with a lung shot so I was looking farther than just in the immediate area. My guess is after hearing this I may have either hit a shoulder blade or completely missed and struck a tree or stump. I looked over the area where the deer was 3 times for the arrow so if I did miss it must of been real bad.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on December 18, 2018, 07:45:08 PM: All good thoughts/tips folks. I’ll add this one and it oftentimes will be a deal “maker” when tracking hit big game in foul weather (or any weather for that matter). Carry a small spray bottle of peroxide in your kill kit. It will confirm that a potential blood speck is just that and continue to give you the directional travel of your critter.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Crunchy on December 18, 2018, 08:22:46 PM: Last one I killed hid under a small fir tree tucked away nicely, but would have never found her if I didnt look under those limbs.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: fishnfur on December 18, 2018, 09:35:48 PM: Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I'd offer to help look for it if I was closer to your area.

Sucks to work long and hard to finally get a shot on an animal. You put a good shot on it, and then have nothing to show for it, and then are stuck worrying that you've left a dead deer lying out there. I've lived that nightmare. Hopefully you just made a non-lethal shoulder shot and the deer will survive. It happens. You've just got to accept that there's always a chance of this occurring when hunting in the rain in Western WA. It could happen just as easily with a rifle as a bow too.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: tlbradford on December 18, 2018, 09:48:17 PM: Flagging tape is always in my bag these days.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 18, 2018, 10:06:29 PM: Quote from: fishnfur on December 18, 2018, 09:35:48 PM
It could happen just as easily with a rifle as a bow too.
Took four of us 4 hours to find a 55” Bull moose shot with a 338-378 - it had traveled 60 yards. Yea sounds crazy - died upside down in 4ft heather with only hooves sticking out.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Jeeper on December 19, 2018, 07:12:46 AM: Toilet paper! Dab around the ground plants and look for pink. The blood will form droplets under the leaves.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: fishnfur on December 19, 2018, 02:02:38 PM: Toilet paper in the pouring rain? :dunno: :chuckle: :chuckle: What a mess!
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: PastorJoel on December 19, 2018, 02:40:21 PM: Quote from: tlbradford on December 18, 2018, 09:48:17 PM
Flagging tape is always in my bag these days.

:yeah:

In real thick brush this can be a lifesaver.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: slowhand on December 19, 2018, 03:14:45 PM: Pro tip #34211109
Treat the trail or unchecked areas like gold until you have located the next spot of blood or confirmed track.
Pro tip #6777741
Be aware of the possibility of a double back.
You wouldn’t believe it but We have seen it more than once.
They will walk a trail turn around walk back and head a different direction.
It’s easy to loose Your blood trail in this scenario. Your searching for the next blood spot only to have found blood in a completely different location.
The flagging tape and hydrogen peroxide are must have items on a difficult tracking job.
My family puts the tracking portion of hunting as our favorite second to none.
We have lost a couple due to poorly placed shots. It can happen to anyone.
My Dad and I took the archery hunting class at northwest archery back in the early 90’s. It included an excellent portion dedicated to blood trails and tracking.
It’s to bad they don’t offer this somewhere still.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 19, 2018, 04:46:14 PM: Elk seem to head for nearest water if able.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Jonathan_S on December 19, 2018, 06:01:20 PM: Pouring rain, 10-15 minutes and track.

The positive thing about pouring rain is it is easier to sneak in for a second shot.

Nothing beats fresh snow though
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: JWEBB on December 19, 2018, 08:38:00 PM: Quote from: Jonathan_S on December 19, 2018, 06:01:20 PM
Pouring rain, 10-15 minutes and track.

The positive thing about pouring rain is it is easier to sneak in for a second shot.

Nothing beats fresh snow though

That’s exactly what it looked like after I killed my elk this season. Can’t beat tracking in the snow!
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: Forks on December 19, 2018, 08:56:08 PM: Take your pooch for a walk.
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: elkfins on December 20, 2018, 02:30:05 PM: flagging tape, hydrogen peroxide are must have's. I like the TP idea too.
I will almost always go immediately to the spot the animal was standing when I shot and start looking for blood and signs of a hit then follow it to where I last saw the animal. Whether I follow any further will depend on a number of factors... How much blood if any and what does the blood look like? did I hear a crash like it fell down in a heap or did it keep running for a bit. Make note of the direction of any noises i hear. Were other animals with it? Did i see the shot hit or not and if so, where was it hit? Was the animal aware of me when I shot?
Title: Re: Tracking game in pouring rain?
Post by: throttlejocky20 on December 20, 2018, 03:11:20 PM: I always go to the point of impact try to find my arrow and decide what to do from there.