Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Sundance on February 03, 2011, 09:27:45 PM

Title: looking?
Post by: Sundance on February 03, 2011, 09:27:45 PM: Your thoughts...
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: hoyt2002 on February 03, 2011, 09:33:41 PM: I usually sit down and reflect on the moment for about a half hour to an hour then move up to the spot the animal was standing. I inspect the area for signs that the shot was good or bad the start trailing the animal.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: MAVsled on February 03, 2011, 09:35:05 PM: archery hunting; I like to wait at least 45 minutes after a good feeling shot.
hit a bit farther back, perhaps the liver, I'd wait an hour or more. But never stuck one far back yet (knock on wood).

One December archery season, I made the good 30 yard shot on a 3pt blackie with 10 minutes of daylight left. Well, waited those 10 minutes (hmm maybe 5 in my excitement and impending darkness) and entered the reprod from the clearcut edge. Buck jumped up 20 yards away and took off. I backed out, it was dark and went back to camp. Returned the next morning to find the buck 80 yards farther in than where I jumped him the night before. A good double lung shot too. But then the temps were in the mid to low 30's.

on the other hand, the last 3 muley bucks I've shot with my 300 win mag never went more than 10 feet from where they were standing.
Exception: one went 200 feet....rolling head over ass downhill ;)
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: Antlerking on February 03, 2011, 09:37:29 PM: Depends on were you are hunting, if you are hunting the clockum then you run it down so no one else tags it. I have personly had elk takin away and tagged by someone else, I have now left that area and have never returned
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: hoyt2002 on February 03, 2011, 09:51:07 PM: that sucks king. what the hell are they going to tell there hunting buddies that they stole and elk or come up with a lie about how they killed it. they will always know it was a lie every time they see those horns.
I don't know how they live with themselves. I found a legal buck this year I ran into the hunters alittle later and walked them to there buck. that's how it should go IMO.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: hoyt2002 on February 03, 2011, 10:23:52 PM: down south I wouldn't want to leave one over night. up here it even depends on the year. Ive seen some very poor field care that i wouldnt want to have dinner at the peaples house if they were serving those animals. some peaples just don't care or don't know what there doing. I'm betting the peaple on tv are not eating them anyways its going to shelters or something.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: alecvg on February 03, 2011, 10:35:47 PM: All depends on how good the shot is. My bear this year I watched drop and roll over 100 yds, and I knew exactly where it was, in a bush behind a stump. So as soon as we knew my brothers bear was down as well, we headed over to mine, probally within 15 minutes of shooting it, we were rolling it down the hill to where my brothers bear was. If I am not 100% sure of where it is, or if it is down, I will wait at least 30 min before heading over to it.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: MIKEXRAY on February 04, 2011, 05:02:17 AM: 2009 I shot a cow @ 30 yards a little high in the chest. I waited an hour, went to where I hit her & found a great blood trail with bubbles. I followed the trail & jumped her out of a bed a 100 yards from the shot. I sat down for 15 minutes & with the blood in the bed & still on the trail I decided to follow again. 200 yards down the trail I found the next bed abandoned presumably from me coming along. If I would of waited longer initially & at the first bed I wouldn't of chased her for a longer trail. It was my first blood trail ( all other animals died in sight ) and the amount of blood fooled me / got me excited. I learned a good lesson & any hit less than perfect I am sitting 2 hours for sure, also following slower. Mike
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: ICEMAN on February 04, 2011, 05:05:18 AM: To be honest, I usually take off immediataly for the game. I have never waited.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on February 04, 2011, 05:43:59 AM: Kevin doesn't mess around he gets it done. Actually it depends on the weapon and circumstances.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: ICEMAN on February 04, 2011, 05:52:51 AM: Adrenaline pumping thru the veins....I don't see how you guys can wait... :chuckle:
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: Hunterman on February 04, 2011, 04:21:57 PM: I just have to walk up to them..I haven't had to track an animal in over 25 years,,(I hate tracking)...When I get to them, their heads are missing some much needed things..

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: dirty24d on February 04, 2011, 04:53:45 PM: I'm with iceman on this one . I dont wait more than a few minutes if the animal leaves my sight. i just prep myself and move very slow.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: bow-n-head on February 04, 2011, 05:57:03 PM: I don't like to wait either. If it is a good hit the animal usually expires in a matter of minuets. Why wait. I made a bad shot on a cow elk, waited 5 hours to go in to where I saw her bed. She ran out of there leaving no blood trail to follow. That was the last I saw of her. I have got right after poorly hit animals and that kept the blood pumping. It made for a long day but we ended up with the game. Once on a 6 pt bull and once with an antelope.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: sakoshooter on February 08, 2011, 01:33:35 AM: Since you put this thread in a gun column, I'll answer it - Right away. Cuz he's usually layin dead about 2 seconds after the bang.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: jason4429 on February 08, 2011, 07:43:06 AM: This is the deer hunting forum.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: 400out on February 08, 2011, 09:06:06 AM: Quote from: sakoshooter on February 08, 2011, 01:33:35 AM
Since you put this thread in a gun column, I'll answer it - Right away. Cuz he's usually layin dead about 2 seconds after the bang.
:chuckle: :chuckle: Yep Bang dead !let the work begin
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: sakoshooter on February 08, 2011, 01:07:57 PM: Quote from: jason4429 on February 08, 2011, 07:43:06 AM
This is the deer hunting forum.

Correct. But there IS a bowhunting forum on this site.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: WSU on February 08, 2011, 02:01:50 PM: I always wait at least a half hour if I don't see the animal fall. After having learned the hard way I think it is foolish to do otherwise. :twocents:
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: steen on February 09, 2011, 02:09:31 PM: I hunt with a rifle. I usually sit just for a minute and think about deer reaction, let the adrenalin pass a bit, watch where the deer goes. If it goes in a draw I watch to see if it comes out but for the most part I look pretty quickly. This year I saw my deer's reaction as a good shot but doubt set in when in the dim early morning light I couldn't find blood. I started looking where I last saw him and headed down to the bottom and just guessed where I thought he'd go and how far with a lunge shot. I went west cause that was the angle he headed down and found nothing, at least as far as I thought a lunge shot deer would go. Then I headed the other way on the same game trail and found him as far as I thought he'd go. I did find the blood trail after the light was better. It amazed me how the color of blood does not show up in the dim light, (I shot my deer 30 min. after shooting hours started in the AM.) and how obvious it was at 10:00 am after my help came to drag him out.
We have looked for more than one day for deer and well into the night. In the NW rain can damper a trial pretty quick so most of the time the quicker you get on them the better. Lots of good flashlights.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: Hangfire on February 10, 2011, 06:11:59 AM: There are a lot of variables. I use modern rife and muzzleloader. I like to go to the spot where the animal was immediately. I then, if the animal not visible, I go back over, did I hit it, how did it react, can I get to a point of visibility for the area and watch, how soon until dark etc.

If I got to the area, found hair, no blood and last light, no snow. I would go home and come back in am. If raining and good light I would start trailing slowly, being very observant watching ahead. Each case is different.The normal is get to site, hair and blood, dead animal in less than 100 yards.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: D-Rock425 on February 10, 2011, 07:42:11 AM: I normally mark where I was when I shot then mark where animal was and then first blood. Then I make a decision on how long to wait depending on what kinda shot I made and the animals reaction. 30 minutes is about the normal for me.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: muleracks on February 10, 2011, 08:07:12 PM: Rifle hunting 90% of the time it drops, go over quickly, cut the mountain oysters off, remove the leg glands, cut and drain immediately and open it up so it can begin to cool. Sit down and begin to wonder how I'm going to get this thing out of here. Bone it out and start packing; often the next day after cooling all night. Sometimes it is easier but the best bucks/elk are frequently not standing above the road.

Gut/rump shot :bash: Sit for at least a half hour then start on the trail. Dress out immediately.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: CAMPMEAT on February 10, 2011, 08:13:39 PM: Oh, I go back to the lodge, have dinner, get drunk, get up the next morning, 8 hours later, and go look for my deer. That's the way because all of the high fence movie stars on TV do it. It must be OK.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: colockumelk on February 15, 2011, 08:09:28 PM: With a bow unless I see or hear it crash Ill give it an hour. I typically hunt in places where there isn't much if any hunting pressure so I know my animal isn't gonna get taken by someone else.

In 2003 I shot a cow elk with my muzzle loader. She went down got back up and ran off. In my excitement I ran over to where I shot her and found blood and hair So figuring she must be dead and couldn't be too far off I immediately went in after her. I found two of her beds with blood in them. I never found her until 2 days later all bloated up. It was gut wrenching and I vowed that would never happen again. I learned from that mistake and so far (knock on wood) I havnt done that since.
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: chester on February 16, 2011, 05:45:31 AM: Quote from: muleracks on February 10, 2011, 08:07:12 PM
Rifle hunting 90% of the time it drops, go over quickly, cut the mountain oysters off, remove the leg glands, cut and drain immediately and open it up so it can begin to cool. Sit down and begin to wonder how I'm going to get this thing out of here.

Gut/rump shot :bash: Sit for at least a half hour then start on the trail. Dress out immediately.

yea pretty much sums it up. I also scramble to the nearest high point once i find the animal praying for cell service. :chuckle:
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: coachcw on February 17, 2011, 06:37:29 AM: From a bowhunters perspective . I'll get right on the blood if its raining hard so not to loose the trail . In other situations I'll wait 5-10 min if I know its a lung shot and if its not good or a little back I'll wait three hours . one other point is I always try to stat quiet after a shot on a elk I'll cow call and try to calm the animal down thats worked many times once I had a bull stop and bugle back at me after a poor liver shot , he then just turned and walked slowly away and I was able to watch him bed up . I havn't hit any animal through both lungs that went more than 100 yards .
Title: Re: How long after the shot do you go looking?
Post by: WSU on February 17, 2011, 07:59:14 AM: Quote from: colockumelk on February 15, 2011, 08:09:28 PM
With a bow unless I see or hear it crash Ill give it an hour. I typically hunt in places where there isn't much if any hunting pressure so I know my animal isn't gonna get taken by someone else.

In 2003 I shot a cow elk with my muzzle loader. She went down got back up and ran off. In my excitement I ran over to where I shot her and found blood and hair So figuring she must be dead and couldn't be too far off I immediately went in after her. I found two of her beds with blood in them. I never found her until 2 days later all bloated up. It was gut wrenching and I vowed that would never happen again. I learned from that mistake and so far (knock on wood) I havnt done that since.

Exactly how I learned the lesson, although it was a muley buck in my case. Good blood, but jumped him out of his bed and went along way. It then started raining and I lost the trail and the deer. Had I given him time he would have died very close to where he was originally hit.