Blood Drive

The opening in the pine thicket was small, but my rifle was stacking Federal lead in dime-sized groups at 250 yards. I was confident I could make the shot, but the bull was gone when the rifle thundered and I came back into my scope. 

I was hunting solo; no one watched through optics to tell me how the story unfolded. I figured the bull went down in a heap and rolled to the left or right. The pines were thick, and the shadows dense; I couldn't see much.

When I got to where the bull was standing, all I could find was hair and a few drops of dark red blood. This was my second elk and third year of hunting, and I had zero ideas about what to do. So, I started blood trailing immediately.

Big mistake. As it turned out, my shot wasn't so good, and I'd hit the bull in the liver. I bumped the bull out of his bed less than 200 yards from where I'd hit him. Had I known that dark-colored blood typically meant liver, I would have backed out, and that bull would have expired within 6 to 12 hours. I didn't know a thing about blood trailing, and after blowing that bull out of his bed, I looked for three days and never found him.

I’ve since learned there is a science to tracking wounded game. Follow these steps to recover more animals you hit.

Slow Down & Replay

If you don't see the animal go down, even if you're confident the hit was perfect, stay where you shot for at least 30 minutes. Focus your eyes on where the animal went and listen intently. More than once, I've caught another glimpse of a hit animal sneaking out of cover, and multiple times I've heard timber crash as the animal toppled to the ground. This is especially true with big animals like elk. These are all essential pieces of the process and will make finding the animal much easier once the search starts. 

Your next move is to mark in your mind the exact spot you saw the animal disappear. Then, pull up a digital mapping app and drop a pin in that spot.

Next, have a seat, chug some water and get a snack. Let the mind calm down for a minute before doing anything else. Now, replay the shot in your mind over and over again. Was it perfectly broadside, or was the angle quartering to or away? What was the reaction of the animal after the hit? The more you can recall, the better. Plus, doing these things helps that half-hour go faster.

Be A Forensic Scientist

When you reach the location where you shot the animal, slow down. First, locate where the animal was standing. Remember the view through your scope, and find the tree, rock, stick, cactus or landmark the critter was standing by. Details matter. Next, look for tracks and signs of a hit. Sometimes, especially when rifle hunting, blood isn't prevalent right away. This is why I like to look for prints in the dirt. A mortally wounded animal will typically sprint away, especially when hit in the heart or lungs. Tracks will be farther apart, and the fleeing animal will kick up dirt and debris. If you can get on tracks, start moving slowly, looking for signs of blood. 

When blood isn't present immediately, look for broken vegetation. An animal that has been shot isn't worried about being quiet and will bust through brush and trees like a freight train. Most will also take the path of least resistance once they stop and start walking. 

When you find blood, analyze it, but don't overcomplicate it. Here are some simple rules to go by:

• Bright red blood with bubbles usually indicates a lung hit. If you find bubbly blood on the left and right when blood trailing, chances are reasonable that you caught both lungs, and the animal will expire in minutes, if not seconds.

• Bright red blood with bone and no bubbles can mean a muscular hit. Muscles bleed like crazy at first, which can be mistaken for lung blood. If you see pieces of bone and hair, and the blood has no bubbles or is a tad watery, you likely hit a leg or are too far forward in the shoulder. These hits can be fatal, but never take up the trail too soon. I give a leg or shoulder hit 24 hours if possible. 

• Dark-colored blood typically indicates an abdominal hit. If you find only dark blood, chances are the animal is liver hit, and depending on how much of the liver was damaged, the animal will typically expire within eight hours. 

• You have a paunch hit if you find dark blood and pieces of grass, vegetation, and any brown-colored smear. Paunch hits are fatal, but you must give the animal 18 to 24 hours before taking up the trail. Animals shot in the guts or liver typically bed quickly. 

Don't Bring An Army

One of the biggest mistakes I see hunters make when tracking blood is bringing an army into the field. A bunch of buddies is excellent for a grid search but not for tracking blood. When monitoring blood for the first time, return with only one person. 

I've seen it happen too much. A pile of guys and gals show up to track blood and start wandering this way and that. One or more trackers can miss a drop of blood and kick dirt or debris over that blood, or someone can step on a heavy track and blot the track out. More people tromping means a better chance of blood molecules getting on boots and clothing and spreading about the landscape. What happens if a tracking dog needs to be brought in? The dog will have trouble getting on the right trail.

When you first take up the blood trail, pull up your hunting mapping app and mark the first blood. Then, turn on the tracking feature. Have one person run the app while the other leapfrogs ahead to search for the next bit of blood. The person on the app doesn't move until the next blood spot is found. In addition, I recommend using flagging tape or toilet paper to mark the blood trail. This provides a great visual reference you can go back to time and time again.

During the blood-trailing process, be sure to stay on the trail and try and stay behind the blood. If you move too fast, there is a risk of covering up blood, making it difficult for a tracking dog if you need to use one. During the process, flip-flop between blood tracker and app runner. Fresh eyes are a good thing, and often, the next man up will find a speck of blood that was missed. Keep this process going until you find the animal or lose blood completely.