Tracking

[sleek]

Say you shoot a deer in a 75% chance of rain. It rains after leaving the deer sit for 30 min. How do you track that?

[Marc St Louis]

Tracks

[Eric Krewson]

Most of the time you don't, if it is starting to rain after a shot I get right on the trail before the blood washes away. I lost one of my first bow kills because I shot it in the rain, I couldn't find it that night and found it the next morning, it was a warm night and it had spoiled.

Because of that loss I quit bowhunting in the rain or if rain was imminent. I hunt evenings mostly and don't want to be looking for a deer after dark in the rain.

[jeffhalfrack]

Tough question ,,,this will get you all sorts of answers,,,,,,but there is times to hunt,,,and times to stay home and sharpen broad heads good luck I mean this with all due respect! JeffW

[sleek]

Tough question ,,,this will get you all sorts of answers,,,,,,but there is times to hunt,,,and times to stay home and sharpen broad heads good luck I mean this with all due respect! JeffW

This is a hypothetical, one I'm learning from. Hope to learn better ideas and techniques than just following the red dots.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Don't take the shot. Like Eric, I wont hunt in the rain or when there is a rain storm coming within hours. If you keep ethics and love for the critters #1, you will always be making good decisions. 

[Ed Brooks]

I’ve used a spray bottle with peroxide in it to help find blood, but rain can be a blood trail killer. Ed

[sleek]

I’ve used a spray bottle with peroxide in it to help find blood, but rain can be a blood trail killer. Ed

Now hows that work?

[sleek]

Don't take the shot. Like Eric, I wont hunt in the rain or when there is a rain storm coming within hours. If you keep ethics and love for the critters #1, you will always be making good decisions.

A solid attitude and mentality

[Deerhunter21]

 

I’ve used a spray bottle with peroxide in it to help find blood, but rain can be a blood trail killer. Ed

Now hows that work?

When peroxide hits blood/body fluids it fizzes. It will fizz and will take the exact shape of the blood spot. Hope i explained that right.

[Outbackbob48]

Sleek If it is raining I don't go but have also been caught out in the rain. You have to become more of and African tracker not just a blood trailer. Also do some research on using a tracking stick, basically a couple of rubber bands or marks on a stick or bow limb, One mark for width of stride, one for length of stride an one for length of hoof or foot, find the next track by placing stick in last found track and look ahead just the length of stride and so on. I have found a few deer also by getting real low to ground almost laying down and notice up turned leaves from this low angle. It is easy to follow a 6" wide blood trail but there is so much more to being a real tracker, It takes lots and lots of dedication and practice and luck doesn,t  hurt to unravel a bloodless trail. Wish I was better and started at a much younger age on this endeavor. Also just be much more observeant of our envoirment, Sadly in our hurry up society we are losing our natural instincts and senses. Can you smell your prey or enemy. Some point man in Vietnam swore they could smell Charlie. Just some things to think about when the trail goes cold Sleek. Bob

[jeffhalfrack]

Sleek I hope you didn't take that the wrong way ? The tracking stick is a good way too good luck jeffw

[sleek]

Sleek I hope you didn't take that the wrong way ? The tracking stick is a good way too good luck jeffw

No bud, why would I? I agree, I wont hunt in the rain, that I can think of, but I wanted to pose the hardest tracking scenario to learn how to do it otherwise.

[helmet]

I love tracking and I think outback is talking my langage. I wont add to the hunt or not to in the rain discussion, but tracking can be a very involved set of skills. Sleek if you like reading there is a good book on trailing called practical tracking by Liebenboerg, Louw ans Elbroch it coveres the techniques for trailing big game.

[Hawkdancer]

Some good information and ideas here!  Thanks, guys.  I always thought I was a good tracker, and I picked up some new ideas and methods. 
Hawkdancer