Because it is when they are most active, many deer are shot near dusk. However, finding a wounded deer after dark can be frustrating and often unsuccessful. There are a few tips and tricks that can increase your success at blood trailing a deer after dark.
1. Only take ethical shots. Quartering shots should be taken with great care with regard to shot placement. Direct head-on shots should rarely be taken, and a shot should never be taken at a deer walking directly away from you. I recommend every hunter find a reliable shot placement guide or diagram and study the best spot for different shots.
2. Know your bow or rifle, ammo ballistics and your optics. No one should ever go hunting without first zeroing their rifle or adjusting their bow sight. Practice matters, especially with a bow.
3. Watch the deer’s reaction to the shot. Do they mule kick? Do they hunch? Tail up or tail down? This can give you an indication of how well placed your shot was.
4. Watch the deer’s direction of travel after the shot and listen. After your shot, watch the direction the deer travels. A wounded deer will often exit the area using the same trail they used to enter the area. Also, listen closely for the sound of the deer crashing into trees or falling.
5. Establish the spot where the deer was located when you shot. This is easier said than done sometimes because darkness makes locating the spot much more difficult. After the shot, pick out a distinctive tree, a hay bale, rock or some other feature near where the deer was standing. Then, when you go to look for blood, you’ll have a starting point.
6. Be patient. We’re all anxious to see if we can find evidence we hit the deer. However, rushing to the area the deer was located when you took the shot can push the deer, making them much more difficult to locate. If not pushed, a wounded deer will usually lie down in an area with cover and will often expire in that spot.
7. Get help. Of course, the best help is a blood trailing dog. But if you don’t have one available, one or more people helping you can dramatically increase your odds of finding the deer. However, avoid having everyone launch off in different directions with flashlights; the search should be coordinated. Stumbling around in the woods can destroy a blood trail by rustling over leaves.
8. Have a system. A good flashlight is essential. A headlamp and a separate high-lumen handheld flashlight are ideal. A topo map and a compass can also help identify land features such as creeks, ridges and other areas that should be searched. The best starting point is to try to locate evidence you hit the deer. If you can find blood or other evidence of a hit, put something in that spot to mark it. A single square of toilet paper, a glow stick or a reflective trail marker works well. Proceed slowly from this spot in the direction of the deer’s travel after the shot. Place a marker at each place you find blood. If you lose the blood trail, don’t begin randomly walking in the area looking for the trail. Instead, go back to the last marked spot and try to pick up the trail. When following a trail, remember that deer often brush against trees when crashing through the woods after a shot, so don’t confine your search for blood to the ground.
9. Be prepared for a final shot. Never try to grab a live, wounded deer. A wounded deer can be dangerous. Also, a wounded deer can lope along faster than you can walk and can travel a great distance. So for bow and gun hunters, have a single designated shooter (usually the hunter who shot the deer) with a loaded weapon (on safe of course). A shotgun loaded with buckshot is a good choice. If a shot opportunity presents, the same gun safety rules apply: Make sure you know your target, have a clean shot, and make sure you know where everyone helping you is located. A deer lying down can usually be finished with a well-placed neck shot.
10. Remember some general rules. Wounded deer often bed up in a fallen tree top or thicket. They will often head for water. Even with a well-placed shot, they can travel much further than most hunters realize. Get permission before entering an adjoining landowner’s land when blood trailing. If you hear the deer get up and begin running, back out and give it more time before continuing the search.