Okay – you’ve just shot a great deer. The shot looked good, maybe just a tad high, but still well within the vitals. You watched the buck kick high into the air and bound off into the woods. Mentally you marked the spot where you last saw him. Now what?

Sit still! Be quiet, listen and try to hear the buck fall or a least listen for the last place you could hear him. This could be helpful if you have trouble picking up the blood trail. Sit at least 30 minutes before climbing down. This will likely seem like the longest half hour of your life, but don’t rush it. Give the deer time to lie down.

After the wait – double check one more time to mark the spot where you last saw the deer, then climb down and walk to the spot where the deer was standing when you made the shot.

Look for tracks where the deer dug in on the take off to find the exact spot. Look for hair and blood.

A lot can be determined by the hair and blood found at the spot of the shot. A lot of white hair may indicate a low shot, longer darker hair may indicate a shot high in the back. 

Next, look for blood on the ground and vegetation. Hopefully you will find the arrow nearby and can inspect the blood on it. Pinkish frothy blood is a good indication of a lung hit and you should find your deer shortly. Bright red blood could indicate a heart shot or even a muscle shot. If it’s a heart shot, you won’t have to wonder long. Dark red blood often means a liver hit and if this is the case, you need to quietly back out of the area and give the deer at least a couple of hours to expire. Even longer might be better. 

If you find green matter on the ground or arrow you may have made a gut shot. Again, back out of the area and give the deer some time. Unless rain is expected, give the deer eight hours or more for a gut shot. Do not push a gut shot deer, give him plenty of time.

Next week, we’ll discuss following and marking the blood trail.

And this is your Bowhunting North America Tip of the Week!

John Shelley

Pro Staff

Bowhunting North America, LLC