Advice on locating game after the kill

[codyadams]

I use on x exactly how lance does, I also video all of my long shots through a phone scope, then I take a pic of where the animal went down, and use that in conjunction with a range back. The video helps confirm shot placement and pick out small land features that can be referred to while searching for the animal, same with the picture. The range back helps immensely as well. Lastly, the on x works beautifully and has never let me down either. I was recently able to walk directly to a deer we shot at 940 yards across a canyon, took us 2 hours to get there and it snowed/hailed 3" in places in that time. Combine these things and it makes it much easier I have found

 

[eric1115]

With a handheld GPS you can project a waypoint to an exact yardage and heading.

I can typically walk to within feet of where an animal was standing when I shot using this method. Doesn't rely on terrain features or ranging back and hoping you stay on the correct line. I do use my handheld GPS less and less since getting OnX, but this is still a very useful feature. Have not found a way to do it quite so precisely with a phone app.

 

[SavageHunter11]

With a handheld GPS you can project a waypoint to an exact yardage and heading.

I can typically walk to within feet of where an animal was standing when I shot using this method. Doesn't rely on terrain features or ranging back and hoping you stay on the correct line. I do use my handheld GPS less and less since getting OnX, but this is still a very useful feature. Have not found a way to do it quite so precisely with a phone app.

I will have to check and see if my Garmin Rino 530 has that feature. Would be real nice if it did

 

[bearcat2]

"-I carry a small compass that I will place in top of the turret, and take an azimuth sighting down the rifle barrel. "

What kind of scope and rifle barrels are you using? I always set my gun down and take a couple steps away to take a compass bearing. Any magnetic metal like steel will change your compass bearing.

 

[Riflehunter1776]

I hunt eastern woodlands, so by the time you climb out of your stand, turn around and look out at the same view, the entire picture looks different from the ground. So, after I take the shot and know that I hit, I pull out a compass in the stand and take a reading of the last known position. Then I climb down and take the reading again. I have an idea of how many yards out the animal was and therefore where the shot connected, so staying on course with the compass, I walk until I reach that vicinity, then mark it and start looking for a blood trail.

 

[Coyote_Hunter]

If not hunting alone, leave someone at the shooting spot who knows the range and direction and can guide you to the spot. Then mark the spot with flaging tape and start your search if necessary.

If hunting alone, the GPS solution mentioned above is a good one. I've also left my pack with orange flagging tape on it at the shooting site when I didn't have good landmarks.

In any case, it is important to be able to identify the shooting spot, direction and range of the shot in case you have to go back and start over.

 

[tdot]

What distance are you shooting? What power is your scope?

You might consider turning your scope magnification down to help increase your situational awareness.

 

[Thescandinavian]

This is not always possible as some times an animal just jumps up and you have to shoot.

Is it gonna kill you or are your family gonna starve if you don't shoot?
You never have to shoot and you should never regret a shot you did not fire.

We had similar problems as the OP in the past and the government simply banned hunting without dog that has passed practical tests at following blood trail.
I do not have this so I have a contract with someone owning a dog and I have to call them if I lost an animal and they will be there within a few hours(mostly 45min) and start looking. Even if this is not the law there I can't see a reason you can't make a deal with someone who has a dog. I do however see the landscape so I suspect it's not practical for anyone to drive for hours to help you out.

I hunt mostly in full moon (thermal optics and artificial light is illegal here, but hunt at night is not) so I know how hard finding game can be. Every change in vegetation looks like a dead deer if not looking to a high quality scope. I often walk towards 4-5 low bushes before I actually find the shadow that is a deer and this is open grassland at ranges less than a 100yards.

 

[SavageHunter11]

What distance are you shooting? What power is your scope?

You might consider turning your scope magnification down to help increase your situational awareness.

Ranges are anywhere from 150 yards to the 600 yards I shot my buck at last year. I've seen deer further out but unless it's an absolute monster I don't plan to shoot further than 800 yards. I hunt with a 2.5-15 power scope but I don't think I've ever turned it past 10. My 150 yard shot I was at something like 4 or 5 power if I remember correctly.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Great OP question. I'd keep focusing on your shooting as it sounds like your plenty good enough. You now have many good suggestions for keeping some sort of landmark before shooting and ideas for tracking. It is a reality to go even a bit off target with recoil, which emphasizes the role of as spotter if you have one.

 

[usmc1383]

So hunting season is almost here (for me at least) and I'm hoping to get some advice on an issue that's plague me since I started hunting big game. When the time comes for the shot, I get so focused on the reticle and the animal in front of me that from the time I pull the trigger to when I pull the rifle down then animal has disappeared. Last year I searched two hours for the buck I dropped dead to rights in a patch I was certain I dropped him on only to find him 60 yards further away. I am so focused at the time of the shot on doing everything else right that my brain refuses to remember just exactly where the animal is (and I range and dial/holdover for all my shots too and this somehow keeps happening). Going into my 6th year of whitetail and this has happened on 3 of the 4 deer I've shot. Hoping to find a tip to have this not happen again. I always seem to misjudge about 50 yards to where the deer was standing. Any help would be appreciated.

I was talking to a young age being Indian by my grandfather attract animals I recommend during the offseason to learn how to track them that way you can find out where they at enduring game season you're able to track them as well I never personally lost the game on tracking never used dogs that just wasn't not the way I was doubt and I want a lot of brush to get a lot of deer whatever you decide to do stick to the game plan the practice offseason on tracking that away during season you'll be right there with it.

 

[Backcountry sports]

So hunting season is almost here (for me at least) and I'm hoping to get some advice on an issue that's plague me since I started hunting big game. When the time comes for the shot, I get so focused on the reticle and the animal in front of me that from the time I pull the trigger to when I pull the rifle down then animal has disappeared. Last year I searched two hours for the buck I dropped dead to rights in a patch I was certain I dropped him on only to find him 60 yards further away. I am so focused at the time of the shot on doing everything else right that my brain refuses to remember just exactly where the animal is (and I range and dial/holdover for all my shots too and this somehow keeps happening). Going into my 6th year of whitetail and this has happened on 3 of the 4 deer I've shot. Hoping to find a tip to have this not happen again. I always seem to misjudge about 50 yards to where the deer was standing. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Backcountry sports]

Make a better clean shot placement and a better bullet

 

[Orange Dust]

Another tip. Its dark and the blood trail is sparse. Go find a girl, your wife, daughter, whatever. Their eyes are different and they can see blood about 10X better than you, especially at night. Just another reason not to leave them at home when you go hunting!!