How skilled are you at tracking?

There's an app for your phone called Track N Trail that works great. It helped me find a buck last year in archery season much quicker than using my own skills. Here's a link to a video using it. There is an nominal fee but IMO its worth it if you need it to find a deer or bear.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/sear...0FE.wU2Ni&sigt=QctHDHSi4koE&sigi=lxvH04vWbeC_

Mike Matteson said:

I had one that I gut shot. It dropped like a rock. Figure is was down. Man was I supprised when I got to the spot. What I didn't want see green body fluids. I was in dry and small rock area. It took me awhile to follow his track of what I could see. Found where he had bedded down. The deer crossed a divided 4 lane Fwy to the other side. I kind of feel where he had gone. Had a long walk be to my car. No water, had to ge back and get water. Then went back to where I felt he cross at. Man did I find a rattlesnake. I think I would have won the Jump Hop and leap that time. Finishs it and back to tracking. Mostly by gut feeling, and some sign. Found where he had bedded down again. Track him over a hill on to the other side. Getting dark now. Figured I had about all I could do, and didn't fine much in tracks either. Going by gut feeling. with one run a round with a snake I figure I better get back while I could see. Went back the next day, but didn't come up with anything. I think I did fine a possible Indian burier site. Do to how some rock were placed.
I did lean something that day. Make sure you have water, and after making a shot and animal goes down. stay and watch for 10 minutes or so, before heading out to the kill. I could have made another shot if I have stayed in place, and watched, for a few minutes. I still think about even now. What I did wrong. That's the only one I believe I losts that I shot. I have tracked other people animals, some found and some not. I have sent all day looking for someone else animal. Again so wins, and lost. Even if I think or feel I missed a shot, I still go to the site and check it out.

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Mike,
I never go to look for a deer until 30 minutes after the shot, unless I see where it is. And rven then, I usually wait the 30 minutes.
Not only does it give them the chance to fully die without being bumped, so many times I have shot another one or two while waiting.
One of those "rules" I taught my son and grandchildren.

Bobby Bailey said:

Mike,
I never go to look for a deer until 30 minutes after the shot, unless I see where it is. And rven then, I usually wait the 30 minutes.
Not only does it give them the chance to fully die without being bumped, so many times I have shot another one or two while waiting.
One of those "rules" I taught my son and grandchildren.

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A good plan…..depending upon location!

There are a few places where waiting 30 minutes…..may have something else claim your deer before the 30 minutes is over!

Rare, yes…….but something to be aware of! memtb

memtb said:

A good plan…..depending upon location!

There are a few places where waiting 30 minutes…..may have something else claim your deer before the 30 minutes is over!

Rare, yes…….but something to be aware of! memtb

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Rare enough I've never had that problem. LOL

Bobby Bailey said:

Rare enough I've never had that problem. LOL

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Me either, but I chose not to rely on past good experiences by waiting not waiting 30 minutes! Then after 30 minutes there's possibly tracking or field dressing time added. That time can allow a hungry predator to join you when tracking or arrive soon after.

Some have lost their game or their lives after taking deer or elk during the field dressing…….perhaps having a partner could have prevented this. Of course……this isn't a guarantee either! memtb

memtb said:

Me either, but I chose not to rely on past good experiences by waiting not waiting 30 minutes! Then after 30 minutes there's possibly tracking or field dressing time added. That time can allow a hungry predator to join you when tracking or arrive soon after.

Some have lost their game or their lives after taking deer or elk during the field dressing…….perhaps having a partner could have prevented this. Of course……this isn't a guarantee either! memtb

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True.
We just don't have that trouble with our panthers and black bears.
We have those genteel predators down south.

Waiting 30 mins or more like stated above it the best option when archery hunting but I've never waited when hunting with the rifle.
That being said I have this story to tell you guys: About 10 years ago I was archery hunting and in a treestand on an evening hunt. I had a couple anterless tags in my pocket and just before the end of legal shooting time two nice fat doe came mosying by. When one turned broadside I drew and slipped a broadhead tight behind the shoulder and they both took off. I sat down and called my buddy and told him I'd wait for him to get there before I started tracking her. I knew she was dead already because I heard her crash. My buddy showed up in about 20 mins and we started on the blood trail that wasn't hard to follow, even in the dark with flashlights. Now I'm quite a bit deaf from all the years of shooting without protection and my buddy said "did you hear that" I didn't and he told me something just took off thru the woods. We continued on the trail and came up to the doe. There was a hole just in front of her hind quarter on the same side I shot her on. I said that's not right. We examined the area and it looked like something was dragging my doe for like 10' before we came up on her. He said "something is circling us" but I couldn't hear it. After a speedy dressing job and tying the drag rope to her I proceeded to drag her out while my buddy cleared the way throwing fallen branches out of my path. We were moving on at a pretty good clip when I said "Slow down Jim , You ain't dragging over 100 lb behind you." He responded with "well when it starts pulling back, let go" ! We made it back to the vehicles without incident. We figure it was a black bear that thought it found an easy meal. Good thing he wasn't too hungry or should I say hangry!?!

I like the instant gratification of a deer or elk dropping where you shot it. When that doesn't happen, I wait 30 minutes before tracking. My hunting buddy (old Marine) shot quite a few elk and deer that needed tracking, and he is color blind. I got better at tracking.

Leupold makes a range finder that will put a pin on On-x at the spot you are ranging. I haven't had a chance to confirm that it works, but I love the concept.

I learned the hard way to tie orange flagging at the point you shot from. More than once I've had to go back to where I shot to figure out where the animal was. Ranging back to that spot helps.

I shot an aoudad, and the rest of the herd stayed close, so I was sure I had hit it. My buddy was coming up behind me, so I didn't want to spook the herd. I went around the hill and ended up in the wrong canyon. I spent 4 hours looking before I decided to go back to where I shot. As soon as I did, I realized I was in the wrong canyon. The ram had dropped where I shot it. Common with Bergers.

I've never figured out how to track a wounded elk in a herd. I can track an elk as long as it is running, but in rocky country, I have a hard time after that.

I am just so-so but have learned to go slow and not hang up on the theory that it went in one direction and didn't veer off. I like stalking so tracking is part of it. I also have a new purchase leaf brand thermal sight that will be hand held if needed this fall for whitetail. It will help me slow down if I lose a track. Can be used to harness and control my ADHD or anxiety or whatever that keeps my attention bouncing. Be Well Brothers, Packy.

Memtb good to hear from you. I go by a different name on the 'far. Were you also on Accurate Reloading? Be Well Brother, Packy.

Good morning Packy! Good to hear from you!

Yes Sir, I was on Accurate quite a few years ago…..but, left them. Been on the "far" since 2002 (I think). I don't spend as much time there as I once did …..they have several (too many) younger guys that seem to have a serious problem with "boomers"! They've pushed my tolerance level to it's end!

Found a pretty good home here, many great folks with a wealth of knowledge……and of course a few "stick in the mud" types!

What is/was your handle over on the "far"? memtb

Packy.

Packy said:

Packy.

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I misunderstood…..I thought that "Packy" was a new handle used here! memtb

xsn10s said:

I'd say I'm okay. I mostly only get to hunt coyotes and badgers in the sage brush these days, if I'm lucky. Last coyote I tracked to was only 458 yards away. I didn't have a compass with me so I walked across the desert to get to it. I couldn't keep line of sight with it because I needed to scan for rattlesnakes and scorpions the whole way. I walked up to the wrong sage brush, they all look the same lol. So I started circling the spot until I came to the impact site. Then I followed the tracks and blood for 20 yards. I guess I could of used my phone to shoot an azimuth to the coyote.

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Would a buddy watching from the location you shot have been a help?
We call them spotters.