Advice on locating game after the kill

[rugers]

They are absolutly illegal to have. The SD GFP specifically marks it in their hand book that you are not allowed to be in possession on this type of optic (handheld and firearm mounted alike) while hunting. It is not illegal for me to own in my state but it is illegal to have with me while hunting

I live in south dakota, talked to game warden about it he seems to think thermal is ok as long as it has no reticle or sighting ability and is not mounted to rifle, but they are perfectly legal to hunt varmints at night 223 and under on private land with owners written permission, or in the company of land owner.

 

[thwatson2]

I think a rangefinder is the easy answer. Range animal then range back from where you shot. You will be in the right neighborhood

 

[tdot]

I wonder if using a drone would help alleviate this problem???

You get caught in BC with a drone and a gun at the same time and they'll take everything from you. From underwear to truck. It doesnt matter the story. Dont know what it's like elsewhere

 

[flylo]

You get caught in BC with a drone and a gun at the same time and they'll take everything from you. From underwear to truck. It doesnt matter the story. Dont know what it's like elsewhere

That's why I live in the U.S.A.

 

[bigngreen]

That's why I live in the U.S.A.

It's not legal to use a drone for any hunting activity in the many US States.

 

[cohunt]

It's not legal to use a drone for any hunting activity in the many US States.

CO is one of those states

 

[Bucklowery]

I make myself decide on what the target is near before I start deciding on the range or anything else. I observe first and then start adding information like range etc. it took awhile but this has really helped especially on the LR shots

Thanks

Buck

 

[floyd kittrell]

USE YOUR COMPASS !

 

[ajkellerusmc]

Put the thermal game finder in the bottom of your pack! After your shot unload your rifle and leave it behind, then you are no longer hunting! You would of course have to forget about the possession issue.

In hunter ed We taught that after the shot, RELAX and look for 2 things. #1 where the animal was standing when you shot and #2 where the last place the animal was when you seen it last, which could be 2 different locations if you saw the animal running away. Then get out a small notebook and draw a diagram of the scene with the 2 locations on the diagram. Then mark your shot location with your orange flagging tape which is in your pack. While doing all this you give the amimal the 30 min to an hour to expire if you did not dump him on the spot.

I took a mule deer on a mountain side at 334 yds in an opening 30 yds in diameter on a juniper choked hill side one year. I called my pal on the radio and he took 20 min to get to my location. during this time I drew my diagram because there were other grassy openings on the hillside as well and I continually focused on the one where the deer was standing in and I did not want to get the openings on the hillside confused.

When My pal showed up He said lets go find Him and I said no. I showed him the diagram and got him focused on the correct opening on that hill. he guided me up to the opening with our radios in the 30 ft tall cedar trees and I found the deer dead in his tracks. Without a diagram and my friend I am certain I would have lost that Buck.

 

[SavageHunter11]

Maybe a drone could be adapted to locate and provide a GPS fix for the search. I hunt in areas where it is easy to locate the target area but we still have to deal with an animal that runs (some do not bleed). Lost one last week: the buzzards (Louisiana Eagle) found the doe the next morning. A blood dog is best but lots of people don't want dogs around.

Unfortunately drones, along with thermal optics, are illegal to be in procession of while participating in hunting activities in my state.

 

[bigngreen]

I think the simplest solution is the best, like Lance showed with the OnX or a simple compass and range. The best is to shoot the buggers in terrain where you are looking straight across at them belly up but I've shot the hay fields too, and whitetail seem to run like a bat out of hell without a heart!!

 

[nicholasjohn]

This is actually an awesome idea. I wish I could have thermal optics in the field to locate game but South Dakota's GFP has strictly banned all thermal, night vision, and lighted reticle optics of any kind for big game hunting.

Back in the day, as the old-timers say, we had to double-check the accuracy of GPS/INS waypoints on our flight plans for trans-oceanic navigation in aircraft. The captain uses lat/long coordinates for his check, and the co-pilot uses azimuth & distance. For your purposes, a simple compass reading - like this guy is suggesting - coupled with your range-finder's readout ought to work like a charm. The spot you shoot from is quite likely to be as featureless as the area where the deer is, so you would need something to hang on your tent pole or tall shooting sticks that is reflective enough for your rangefinder to get a good reading. If it's 273 degrees and 642 yards to the deer, when you are reading 93 degrees and the same yardage, you should be standing very close to the dead buck's location.

There are probably functions on some of the GPS navigation units where you could build an azimuth/distance waypoint where your animal was shot, and back this up with the method cited above. You would then be doing exactly what we did to navigate across oceans in a Boeing. Practice with your buddy in the office season and see if you can find him lying in the tall grass from several hundred yards out. Just don't shoot him first.

 

[hseII]

That's why I live in the U.S.A.

Harrumph

 

[SavageHunter11]

Well it doesnt sound like you're over magnified. Though lower would help to increase your field of view.

When I read your first post, it sounds to me like you are very focused on the rifle, it isnt automatic. Do you practice often? do you have proper follow through after the trigger break? Possibly a milder cartridge with less kick? Possibly something with more stopping power?

What cartridge/bullet/placement are you working with?

Agreed with the above post, there's lots of good ideas on locating the site where the deer was standing. But there maybe something else going on too.

was using a 6.5x55 Swede with 143gr ELD-X's, but this year I'm using a new 280 Ackley. I practice fairly often (couple times a month) never have problems making little holes in target...i think it's a combination of a bit of buck-fever and a featureless landscape. The compass method others have suggested is one I think will be helpful.