But another shot wouldn’t be necessary.
The bullet had struck above and just forward of the animal’s front leg, immediately dropping it into the thick yellow, straw-like grass. With his rifle set to “safe” Graham quietly made his way through the 70 yards of winter dried vegetation to inspect his trophy, an animal he had tried to take for several months.
As I waited behind, I watched Graham’s posture and shoulders give way in a display of disappointment and disgust. Instead of finding the culmination of so many hard days spent afield, all Graham found were a few fleeting drops of blood. The buck had some how gotten away.
Unfortunately, situations such as this are more common in hunting than not. Regardless of much practice is performed before the hunt, stray or “off” shots will occur. The purpose of this piece is not to identify the causes of such situations, but to offer a few methods of locating a wounded animal that may not be readily known.
The first thing a hunter should do after an animal turns up missing is relax. Dwelling on a bungled shot won’t help in finding a wounded animal; patience and determination will. So will any number of the following.
Luminol
Once known only to police and others in law enforcement, thanks to the popularity of television shows like CSI, the properties of luminal are now well known. When mixed correctly, a fine mist of luminal can illuminate even the most miniscule drops of blood. Luminol can be a Godsend in locating downed game in thick and dark cover.With the aid of a flashlight or latern the chemical can be extremely helpful in lowlight situations as well. Luminol is easy to use and fairly inexpensive with eight ounces starting at around $15. Try www.crimescene.com/store
Game Finder units
Utilizing “Selective Sensing” technology, these relatively small hand held units help locate lost game by sensing the surrounding environment for flucuations in temperature. Alerts of a detected heat source are giving with either a bar graph or a series of audio signals in less than three seconds depending upon which unit is being utilized. Although humidity and air temperature are factors in how far the units “see,” some models will penetrate up to 50 yards into thick cover, such as underbrush, and several hundred yards in relatively open country.Newer models now come equipped with LED lights, making tracking lost game in darker conditions much easier. Game Finder units are not inexpensive, with some models running in excess of $300 (less powerful models such as the Junior can be had for under $150) but the results are extraordinary. Try www.game-finder.com
When all else fails
Enlist a friend Although not the latest technology, there are advantages to enlisting another hunter to aid in the recovery.- Two sets of eyes are always better than one. With a friend in tow, small drops of blood, tufts of hair, and other generally overlooked clues can be more easily located.
- A friend can also help in giving a visual perspective of where the animal was in relation to where it was shot than can your memory.
- A human body stands out a great deal more than florescent tape or other marking material. Have a friend stand next to the last clue found while you perform a search for the next one.
Check out more information on deer hunting supplies .