Following-up after the shot is critical to successful wild game recovery. After the shot, it may be unclear as to whether the shot was accurate, poor, or resulted in a clean miss. Wild game animals will sometimes act or behave a certain way when hit and these visual cues can be valuable prior to tracking. For example, a well-placed shot on a deer may cause it to drop instantly, or result in an immediate bolting (fleeing) reaction. In some instances, there may be little if any reaction at all. Stumbling or crashing sounds as the deer exits usually indicates a fatal hit. In most cases, a fatally wounded deer will prefer to run downhill rather than up for two reasons. One, it is the path of least resistance, and two, the deer will seek water sources in an attempt to quench thirst brought on by decreasing blood volume. Some knowledge into understanding how hunting implements dispatch a deer can offer insight into what to look for after the shot. Firearms like rifles and shotguns, shooting high speed single projectile ammunition, cause massive tissue damage, blood loss, and trauma. Often, but not always, a well-placed shot from a rifle or shotgun immediately immobilize a deer on the spot requiring no tracking or trailing. Bows and arrows, however, rely much more on promoting massive blood loss caused by the razor sharp cutting edges of the arrowhead. Deer taken with bow and arrow must first bleed-out and are rarely immobilized on the spot unless the spine is severed. Any shot that does not result in immediate immobilization requires that hunter’s follow-up and track. The ability to make well-placed shots into the vital organs will go far toward quick recovery and the prevention of crippling losses. Ethical law-abiding hunters make every attempt to follow-up after the shot in order to avoid wanton waste of any wild game.
Before attempting to search for sign, it is important to mark the location with a biodegradable material like tissue or napkins before proceeding to the other locations mentioned. Using a biodegradable material, rather than clothing or equipment, helps to avoid loss of items, while at the same time won’t contribute to littering. Types of sign encountered at the shot location may include: tracks, blood, tissue, hair, skid marks in dirt or forest debris, marks on trees from the bullet or arrow (the arrow itself), or absolutely nothing. Many hunters prefer to go immediately to the spot where a deer was last seen before disappearing into the woods or brush. This is because the shot location often contains little or no sign at all. In fact, it may take 5-10 yards or more for a deer to begin expelling blood from the wound and or nose and mouth if mortally wounded. The following is a general list of what a hunter may expect to find when trailing after the shot:
Bright crimson blood (arterial blood/high oxygen content). Bright bubbly or frothy blood: (lung blood/high oxygen content). Dark blood: (venous blood/lower oxygen content/could be associated with liver or muscle hit).
Bright crimson blood (arterial blood/high oxygen content).
Bright bubbly or frothy blood: (lung blood/high oxygen content).
Dark blood: (venous blood/lower oxygen content/could be associated with
liver or muscle hit).
Partially digested vegetative material with minimal dark blood (stomach/abdominal hit). Dark brown hair/no blood (high on body/could be a non-fatal graze). Medium brown hair/no blood (mid-body/could be non-fatal graze). White hair/no blood (under belly/under neck/could be non-fatal graze). Nothing (potential miss).
Partially digested vegetative material with minimal dark blood
(stomach/abdominal hit).
Dark brown hair/no blood (high on body/could be a non-fatal graze).
Medium brown hair/no blood (mid-body/could be non-fatal graze).
White hair/no blood (under belly/under neck/could be non-fatal graze).
Nothing (potential miss).
Field Dressing and Transporting Wild Game (PDF)
Game Recovery Tips (PDF)