1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: host Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the wire to 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: Hunt Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: about blood trailing, or more specifically, what you should do 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: when you're actively on the trail. If you didn't listen 8 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,319 Speaker 1: to the last week's episode, I urge you to do 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: that before you listen to this one. That episode is 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: all about understanding how to kind of interpret your initial 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: instincts after you've taken a shot, and how to get 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: started on developing a good blood trailing plan. This week 13 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: is you know, it's a continuation of that, which is 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: really going to involve everything you might want to think 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,639 Speaker 1: about when you've waited long enough off and it's time 16 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: to actually take up the trail. I honestly think this 17 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: is one of the more valuable Foundations podcast I've ever written, 18 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: so I hope I'm not way off base on that one, 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: So listen up, learn, and hopefully you'll find more. Dear, 20 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: my friends, about five years ago, I was standing at 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: the bus stop with my little girls. The neighbor girl 22 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: and her dad were there as well. It was the 23 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: time of spring when the songbirds really start to make 24 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: their way north, and I heard a familiar bird call. 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: I told the girls to listen up because there was 26 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: a cardinal nearby. My neighbor said nope. So I said, 27 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: what the hell are you talking about, Keith, And he said, 28 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: that's not a cardinal. I told him that, I swear 29 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: I've looked at cardinals, you know, dead in their eyes 30 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: while they made that exact sound, and he said, nope, 31 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: that's a chickadee. I can't tell you how right I 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: knew I was. So I went to YouTube, and amongst 33 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: the German death metal videos and the basic how to 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: fix it around your house kind of stuff that popped up, 35 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: I started watching live birds actually calling, the way that 36 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: live birds actually call. And do you know what, Keith 37 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: was right. Somehow, my whole life, I had falsely attributed 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: a bird call to the cardinal when it belonged to 39 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: a totally different species. The worst part was that I 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: would have been a stupid amount of money that I 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: was right and he was wrong, and if I had 42 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: I'd have lost a stupid amount of money on a 43 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: stupid bet made by well, a stupid guy who doesn't 44 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: know shit about songbird calls. It's the things in life 45 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: we think we know that we don't that are the 46 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: most dangerous. Ask anyone who works at a bow shop 47 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: or worse, I don't like the gun counter at Cabella's. 48 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: What it's like to deal with confidently wrong people all 49 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: the time, and you'll hear a pile of horror stories. Now, 50 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure we all have these issues in one way 51 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: or another, but you know where they are most damaging. 52 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: While we're blood trailing, when you decide that wounded bucks 53 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 1: always go downhill, or that the blood on the leaves 54 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: definitely has to be lung blood, even though you're three 55 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: quarters of a mile into the trail and it's anything 56 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: but pink and frothy, then you're in trouble. This, if 57 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: nothing else, is a warning. Last episode, I told you 58 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: to trust your initial instincts on the shot, and I 59 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: meant that, but I also said trust the actual evidence more. 60 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: In that case, it was the evidence on the arrow. 61 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: In this case, it's the blood tracks and whatever else 62 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: you can use to inform your trailing efforts. Trust the evidence. 63 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: Trust the evidence, Trust the evidence. I mean it. This 64 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: is the best way to curtail too much optimism and 65 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: to set a pace for the trail that might allow 66 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: you to pick up on as many clues as post 67 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: a bole. Now, I guess before you can trust the 68 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: evidence too much, you have to understand what that means. 69 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: We've all heard, or we all know that pink and 70 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: frothy blood means lungs, but it could mean one lung, 71 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: or it could mean to and the difference is often 72 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: a seventy five yard easy blood trail versus a much longer, 73 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: much rougher, much less guaranteed to end in man hugs 74 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: blood trail. The evidence in this case could be lung 75 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 1: blood on one side of the trail, or on both. 76 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: It could be long blood for two yards and then 77 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: just less blood or only sparse red non long blood. 78 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: That means that you didn't get both lungs, and the 79 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: short easy one is not in your future. But what 80 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: about I don't know, dark red blood. That might be liver, 81 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: but the liver is big, and no two liver hits 82 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: seem to go the same way. If you look at 83 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: the liver when you shoot a deer and I think 84 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: you should. You'll see that it's a funky shaped organ 85 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: with all kinds of lobes on it. How you hit 86 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: it and where you hit it can mean the difference 87 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,799 Speaker 1: between a three hour weight and a two yards successful 88 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: track job, or an eight hour weight that turns into 89 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: a nail biter after you jump him from his bed twice. Now, 90 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: dark red blood is sort of like, I don't know, 91 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: like a gray area. Heart blood is often rich and dark, 92 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: and I bet that there are more than a few 93 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: hunters who can't really tell the difference between the two. 94 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: After all, it's kind of the same blood all over 95 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: in the deer's body. If you hit a vein or 96 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:36,799 Speaker 1: a muscle that isn't the heart, the blood is gonna 97 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: look an awful lot like it came from the heart. 98 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: But you'll know pretty quickly if that's the case or not. 99 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: The worst scenario here, and this happens a lot, is 100 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: the more muscle you hit, and the heart is a muscle, 101 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: remember that, especially low muscle, the more you'll get heart 102 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: looking blood for a while, But then you won't, and 103 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: you'll find yourself confused and sad and probably a lonely 104 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: given that quick and probably not all too adequate description 105 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: of some of the different types of blood you'll see 106 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: in enough seasons of hunting. I really want to reiterate something. 107 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: If you believe you hit liver and the blood supports it, 108 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: make a retrieval plan around that information. If you get 109 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: into the blood trail on the evidence, stop supporting that, 110 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: it's time to change your plan. For example, if that's 111 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: the case and you give him six hours, but then 112 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: you go out and you jump into fifty yards into 113 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: the trail, you went too early. You know that now, 114 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: So what do you do? Give him more time. Time 115 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: on a blood trail is your friend, even if you're 116 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: fighting the urge to push on through because of the 117 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: weather or some other factor. Now I should say this 118 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: here because I've heard this story a lot. If you 119 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: go hunting and you don't have enough time to blood trailer, 120 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: poorly hit dear for whatever reason, be real careful on 121 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: your shot selection. I don't know how many times I've 122 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: heard someone say that they hunted, you know, a quick 123 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: one right before work, and then they hit one, but 124 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: they didn't get to go out until their kids basketball 125 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: practice was over that night or some other reason by then. 126 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: Who knows, But In that case, time actually might not 127 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: be your friend if it's too much time, and no 128 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: matter what the evidence suggests, once you start on the trail, 129 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: go slow, designate somebody as the leader, and if you're 130 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: with someone else, have them just back you up. They 131 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: can be the trail marker, which is pretty easy to 132 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: do with just some toilet paper or flagging tape. Being 133 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: able to look at your markers tends to make the 134 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: path forward clear because you can see the direction your 135 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: dear is heading. Also, if you need to turn on 136 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: your tracking on your on X, this helps a lot 137 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: to show you the direction the dear is going and 138 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: helps to read the terrain to see where it might 139 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: end up. Now I should say this too, if you 140 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: do use flagging tape during your blood trailing efforts, please 141 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: please go back and pick it up. I don't know 142 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: why this is, but it sucks going into the woods 143 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: seeing evidence of other hunters, even if you know other 144 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: hunters have been in there a lot. Just seeing some 145 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: flagging tape or a discarded water bottle or sent wick 146 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: or whatever takes away from the experience a little bit. 147 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: And I can't really explain why. I know, I just 148 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: don't like it. And I know other hunters probably don't too, 149 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: or don't as well. Now, as you move along the 150 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: trail slowly, try to really understand how much blood your 151 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: dear is likely to lose. We often see a decent 152 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: amount of blood right away, and we overestimate how much 153 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: it really is. Now. Good rule of thumb here is, 154 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: for every pound of live weight the deer has, So 155 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: let's say it's a hundred and sixty pound deer, it's 156 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: gonna have one ounce of blood in it. So a 157 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty ounces one point two gallons, that's a 158 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: lot of blood in that dear. And seeing blood on 159 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: the ground doesn't necessarily mean that a lot of blood 160 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: came out of that dear. And if you don't believe that, 161 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: hang around with my kids for a little while while 162 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: they spill ship all over my kitchen. And I promise 163 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: you even a little cup of milk looks like a 164 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: lot of milk when it's all over your floor and 165 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: splattered all over the place. All right, that was a 166 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: little side ran. Anyway, when you go on a no 167 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 1: doubt double lunger heart shot blood trail, you realize how 168 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: much a lot of blood really is. This only gets 169 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: more obvious in snow and other conditions that just highlight blood. 170 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: But overall, you've got to be careful not to overestimate 171 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: how much blood loss is actually happening. But you gotta 172 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: also try to understand it's very likely that the blood 173 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: loss hasn't stopped. Even if you do lose the blood trailer, 174 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: you can't find the next drop. Now, I know, blood 175 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: law can and does stop in certain situations, blood clots up, 176 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: things get in the way. You know, a little bit 177 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: of intestine or fat in the exit wound can change 178 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: things in a hurry, But mostly it probably hasn't stopped 179 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: on the blood trail you're on. This is crossroads time 180 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: on blood trails, and if you haven't been there yet, 181 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: keep shooting. It will happen. The blood seems to dry 182 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: up at some point, and that's when people start to 183 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: go a little rogue. You do have to try to 184 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: find the next blood, but most people seem to think 185 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: that's an immediate sign they should start looking for a 186 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: whole deer carcass. This also gets them into the mode 187 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: of walking pretty fast and looking, and while there is 188 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: time for grid searching, it's not usually when you haven't 189 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: found a new drop of blood in the last few minutes. 190 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: In this situation, remind yourself that the blood likely did 191 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:01,079 Speaker 1: not dry up, but instead you're just sing it. That's 192 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: the most likely scenario. Instead of walking ahead twenty five 193 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: yards and shining your flashlight around, spend time at last blood. 194 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: Get on your hands and knees, Look not only at 195 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: the ground, but at the vegetation around you. Think about 196 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 1: what you might be getting wrong, Like maybe your bucks 197 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: seemed to be headed straight for the river, which would 198 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: make sense, but now there seems to be no more 199 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,199 Speaker 1: blood in that direction. Did he decide not to follow 200 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: the rules and go somewhere else to lay up? Was 201 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: he never really headed there to begin with. I've seen 202 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: wounded deer do everything they weren't supposed to do, go uphill, downhill, 203 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: cross water, cut straight back on their trail, which is 204 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: the worst. They do all kinds of stuff. They have 205 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: a brain, they have four legs, and they are in 206 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: a serious survival situation after we shoot them. In this case, 207 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: if last blood has you really stumped, start circling nearby, 208 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: not twenty five yards out, but maybe like three yards out. 209 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: Try to pick up the direction your dear went, because 210 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: it went somewhere. If it backtracked, it will eventually peel 211 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: off the original trail, which is when your sign marketing 212 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: job really comes into play. Now, if you didn't mark 213 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: the original blood well, you might find yourself really confused here. 214 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: It's also important to note that, depending on the entrance 215 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: exit and the type of hit, uphill travel or downhill 216 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: travel might greatly slow the flow of blood or increase 217 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: it level travel might as well pay attention to what 218 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: the blood looks like on every part of the trail, 219 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: so you know whether it seems to increase or decrease 220 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: due to some direction, and what the overall frequency seems 221 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,319 Speaker 1: to be at those times. Now, this might seem like overkill, 222 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,199 Speaker 1: but it's so much better to always be on blood 223 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: than to ever not be on blood. If you do 224 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: truly lose the blood and you feel like you've exhausted 225 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: your options near last blood, then then it's time to 226 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: think are the conditions right for a grid search? Yet? 227 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: Is the deer going to be fine if you back 228 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: out and wait till morning to pick it up again 229 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: in daylight? How far has the deer actually gone? What 230 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: kind of headspace are you in a few years ago, 231 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: I shot a good buck on public lane in Iowa. 232 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: I hit him through the shoulder, which was not ideal, 233 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: but it also looked like it shouldn't matter. The penetration 234 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: was pretty good, and he looked like a dead deer 235 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: running away. When I started blood trailing him. The whole 236 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: thing looked like a really done deal until he got 237 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: to a part of a trail that went up a 238 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: slight bank along the river. There I lost the blood, 239 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: and with my head lamps, I looked and I looked, 240 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: and I looked, and I got frustrated. I got angry 241 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: with myself for not making a better shot. I finally 242 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: just left. I knew i'd have better luck in the morning, 243 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: and I felt like that was a dead deer out 244 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: there somewhere, but that I was also around a bunch 245 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: of coyotes and was just full of anxiety that comes 246 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: in such situations. In the morning, I had to wait 247 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: for another hunter to wrap up before I could go in, 248 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: because I didn't want to mess up his hunt. And 249 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: when I did, I walked into the last blood and 250 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: I looked over and saw my buck dead as disco, 251 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: as Randy Newberg likes to say, laying not ten yards away. 252 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: I honestly must have walked by that buck twenty times 253 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: in the night, but I wasn't really looking, if you 254 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: know what I mean. The whole thing got a thousand 255 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: times easier in daylight for obvious reasons. Even though he 256 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: was kind of hold up in some really tall grass, 257 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: I still should have found him. If you can't wait, 258 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: or you feel like a nighttime grid searches right, then 259 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: keep it tight. People often get way too far apart 260 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: and the thing is wounded. Prey animals often hide as 261 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: best they can when they are as vulnerable as they are. 262 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: After we shoot them, they'll tuck into dead falls occur 263 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: up in the tall grass like that Iowa buck did. 264 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: They are surprisingly easy to overlook. Hell, I shot a 265 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: dough one time in Minnesota on some public land here 266 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: in the Cities while I was muzzle loader hunting. That 267 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: just absolutely disappeared on me. I felt like I tend 268 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: ringed her and I didn't see her take off with 269 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: the rest of the deer, but I couldn't find her 270 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: in a field of knee high grass. It was odd 271 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: until I realized, in the melee of the shot and 272 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: with all those animals scattering, that she had run damn 273 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: here next to me and tipped over. I mean she 274 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: was like right next to me, and I was missing 275 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: her looking too far out and overdriving my headlights, so 276 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: to speak. All right, back to grid searching. Keep it tight, 277 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: keep it planned, turn on your tracks on on X, 278 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: mark your spots, go slow. Don't just focus on looking 279 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: for a whole dead deer, but also keep an eye 280 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: out for more blood or for running tracks. Do this 281 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: especially when your grid search takes you across some kind 282 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: of obvious deer trail. There's something out there that could 283 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: clue you into keeping the whole trail going. You want 284 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: to find it. If you grid search at night with 285 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: no luck, get back in there at first light and 286 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: carry your binoculars. I carry them during all daylight blood trailing, 287 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: so I can scan the trail ahead for blood and 288 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: can scan the woods ahead for a dead deer or 289 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: a bedded wounded deer. Dealing with the wounded deer is 290 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: another story, likely fodder for a follow up podcast at 291 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: some point, so I'm not going to get into it here. 292 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: Suffice it to say, the farther away he is when 293 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: you spot him, the more options you have for a 294 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: follow up. If it's at all possible. It's also worth 295 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: saying a few other things that I absolutely believe good 296 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: lights are your friend. I keep a whole blood trailing 297 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: tote in my truck all season long, and you better 298 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: believe I carry good lights and extra batteries. Giving up 299 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: on a blood trail because I don't have enough juice 300 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: to power my lights is not an option, and it 301 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: shouldn't be for you either. I like a bright headlamp 302 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: at all times, but also a really bright handheld flashlight. 303 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: I usually keep a small backpack in my blood trailing toad, 304 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: and while I rarely remember to stock it with gutting gloves, 305 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: that's a good idea too. It's also, as I've mentioned, 306 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: a really good idea to have backup batteries or whatever 307 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: size your flashlights use. There are some quality lights out 308 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: there that are rechargeable, too, but I don't like them 309 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: for blood trailing. On the brightest setting, they tend to 310 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: burn out pretty quickly, and that's not ideal. They are 311 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: great for around camp and getting into an out of stands, 312 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: but for real nighttime blood trailing work, I like something 313 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: that operates off of batteries that can be replaced in 314 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: twenty seconds. During the track job. And it should also 315 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: be said, if you have the option to bring in 316 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: a dog, do so. It's not legal in every state 317 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: and the rules very quite a bit, but generally speaking, 318 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: a well trained tracking dog is going to make the 319 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 1: best human tracker look like a joke. The key there, though, 320 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: is well trained, and it depends on how much you've 321 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,880 Speaker 1: messed with the trail already. It's also dependent on being 322 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: able to call someone who will be available if it's 323 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: an option in your neck of the woods. Keep a 324 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: tracker's number handy, and keep yourself ready to back out 325 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: quickly if you feel like the trailer is going to 326 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: be a tough one. As long as the deer is 327 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: dead and the dog is decent at the job, it's 328 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: almost almost a guarantee they'll figure it out. Now, the 329 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: time that has passed, the rain that has fallen, and 330 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: probably some other factors I'm not thinking of, can complicate 331 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: the whole thing and take it from a no doubt 332 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: find to a finger crossing ordeal. That's reality, but it's 333 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: not an excuse to not try everything possible to find 334 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: your deer. Lastly, I'll say this knowledge is great, but 335 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: experience is king. If you have the chance to blood trail, 336 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: do it and pay attention. Learn from each blood trail, 337 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: the easy ones, the difficult ones. Get experience. The more 338 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,880 Speaker 1: you do, the more confident you'll be when things suddenly 339 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: start to break bad and it's midnight and you're in 340 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: the middle of the wood. It's with a frustrated buddy 341 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: who two hours ago thought he'd be calling a taxidermist 342 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 1: and is now thinking that maybe he was meant to 343 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: play pickleball instead of hunt. Good luck out there on 344 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: those blood trails this season. I hope they work out 345 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: for you. I really do, and I hope you tune 346 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: in next week because I'm going to talk about what 347 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: the options are for getting your dear out of the 348 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: woods once you do find him. That's it for this week, 349 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: my friends. I'm Tony Peterson has been the Wire to 350 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought to you by First Light. 351 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: As I always thank you so much for your support 352 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 1: and if you want to get a little bit more 353 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 1: of a white tail fix, feel free to check out 354 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: Mark's new show on the Meat eat Or YouTube channel, 355 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: which is called Deer Country. You can also visit the 356 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: Wire to Hunt YouTube channel for how to videos. And 357 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: go to the meat eator dot com slash wired to 358 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: read all kinds of white tail related articles.