10/12/2026
#1 for Gypsy this year (picture for attention to post as well….
I’ll add this this year as well... please like, comment, and share this. I don’t post much anymore and don’t really need extra business but I want as many people as possible to have the information available:
Ok guys, it’s that time of year again, and, as I’m prone to do, I wanted to put this out there for some advice after your shot…
First off, after you squeeze the trigger, take a minute to replay things in your mind while it’s fresh so that you can recall any details you may need should the situation of needing a tracker arise. Secondly, don’t use a tracker as an absolute last ditch effort… take time to realize sooner, as opposed to later, that you may indeed need some help. Of course every single situation is different, but don’t let pride make what could be a relatively easy track for a dog turn into a lost cause. Also, no matter how many deer you think you’ve tracked, be willing to at least entertain your tracker’s interjections and thoughts… chances are he/she has tracked many more than you have and seen many different things (I’ve tracked over 600 deer myself). Also, realize that no matter how badly you want your Booner to be hit perfect, chances are, if you’re having difficulty finding him, it’s likely that he isn’t. With this being said… here are some things I’ve learned to look for over the years that may help you find your deer, or may make the decision to call for a dog a little easier. If you shoot a deer (primarily with a gun, but I’ve seen it happen with a bow a few times) and he hits the ground, then gets up and runs off… be ready for a tracker. No matter if he jumps up immediately, or lays there 30 minutes, this is seldom good. If you find any bone, but specifically large chunks, you’ll likely need a dog. MOST of the time if you’ve tracked more than 150-200 yards, you may want to start thinking about a dog. After you’ve visualized your shot a few times and you’ve located landmarks to help you find exactly where your deer was standing, proceed to get down and inspect for blood, etc. But don’t do so haphazardly… always bear in mind that any blood you walk through, whether you see it or not, you are then tracking as a potentially fresher blood track than the actual deer. It won’t ruin your chances, especially with a solid dog, but it can make life more difficult for certain. Once you find blood, do your best to determine what kind of blood you’re looking at. Lung blood is the common answer I get, but it’s seldom lung blood if we’re on the phone. Lung blood is pink and tends to be frothy, sort of like foam. If it’s dark, it’s likely to be visceral, maybe even have big bubbles in it. Obviously if there’s bile, or food, or f***s, then it’s stomach/gut. Typically speaking, the farther back a gut hit is, the longer the deer will live. Stomach can be deadly very quickly as where the small intestine hit would be one that definitely needs time before tracking, and probably the certainty of a dog. Notice also, if there is hair at the sight of impact. A lot of hair typically signifies a grazing shot (although depending on the deer’s position, it could graze one area and hit solid elsewhere). Were there multiple deer there? How did the deer react? If you find a lot of bright red blood, it’s likely arterial, which is good, but if it starts running out, remember that there are only 3 reasons arterial blood ceases… 1) He’s about out of blood, 2) He’s starting to clot, or 3) He’s still loosing blood, but it’s gone from externally to internally which may also indicate how and where he’s hit. A few more things. Remember that if you shoot a deer with an archery type weapon, the vast majority of the time, he dies from hemorrhaging, so if blood starts drying up after a few hundred yards, that can mean a completely different issue than a gunshot wound. As aforementioned, please listen to your tracker, most are very professional and knowledgeable. Also, be prepared to answer a list of questions when you call him/her. If you call me, a typical list of questions might include: Bow/gun? Expandable/fixed broadhead? Solid/ballistic tip bullet? Distance? Was the deer broadside, quartered either way, or straight on/away? If gun, I’ll definitely ask what caliber. I’ll want to know what you found as far as blood, bone, meat, gut, etc. How far you may’ve tracked blood. How long and far did you track after you lost sign. How many people have helped track, etc. These are all things I’ve found to be relative in determining what kind of track I’m looking at. Also, please be patient, you stand a much better chance at recovering your animal. Please understand that while this might be the only deer you’ve been concerned with in 20 years, I likely have a half-dozen calls ahead of you, have potentially already tracked 4-5 ahead of you on any given day, I may have swam a river, fought a deer, my dog may be exhausted or hurt or any multitude of other scenarios may play out, but one thing you can always count on if you call me… I’ll do my absolute best to help recover your deer! I’ll call other trackers, I’ll help you look myself if the dogs done, or give advice, or most anything I can to help, just be patient and understand that there’s only one of me, but you can rest assured, anything I do in life, I give it my all. Hopefully this post can help some guys out this season! One last thing, people tend to always ask about money… I’ll assure you that I’m as cheap as they come, and seldom charge for an unrecovered deer, but please understand the costs associated with tracking (GPS, gas, dog food, vet bills, time, etc) and also remember the cost you have involved in your hunt… UTV, r***e, scope, feeders, cameras, leases, etc. If you aren’t willing to spend a few bucks recovering a wounded animal, then don’t pull the trigger to begin with. Thanks, and much success to you all!
