Can someone explain how you track a deer through thick cover without a blood trail? I'll be the first to admit I don't know how to do that.

If you want to improve your tracking skills, come prepared to track. You will need a roll of fluorescent flagging tape, a compass, a headlight, a field notebook, and a plan. After the shot, take a compass bearing on where you saw the deer when you shot it, and where you last saw it. Write those bearings down in your waterproof field notebook. When you come down, flag your stand tree high enough to see over the underbrush. Now you can walk a line to the kill site to look for blood and hair. If you find any, start tracking. If you dont, then walk the other line to where you last saw the deer. Look for blood or overturned leaves. Remember that a running deer can cover a lot of ground in a few seconds, so even heavy blood and tracks may be in spurts that are yards apart. Flag each blood spot or leaf disturbance. Be sure to look for blood on trees, bushes, and tall grass up to deer shoulder height Once you have a line of flagging established, the next spots are most likely down that line. If they disappear, look for a turnoff. Because my buddies always seem to be aimless wanderers, I do not involve them except for a last resort grid search. And if all else fails and you call the dog, at least it will only have to deal with the confused trampling of one hunter.

When I shoot a deer that falls within sight, I practice doing all those things to see if my tracking will take me to the deer. I look at the deer's wound and try to associate it with the blood and track pattern. The more you can learn, the better you get. You learn how deer react to different shot placements. You learn the value of patience and persistence. Most of all, you learn to trust your own abilities.

Holy cow. that sounds like a batman utility belt (compass and waterproof field notebook?) I'm just kidding, but I guess I need to step up my game. I just use the toilet paper in my pocket and hope the fried chicken or chili the night before doesn't use all my marking paper.

CNC, I've got an honest question, and maybe I'm dead wrong about what I'm assuming, but what percentage of tracking jobs that you get called on are for bucks vs does?

You Sir are correct, when it comes to Bow / Cross Rifle (I am not slamming anyone who uses a cross bow due to health or age) so many of the young folks coming up are too lazy to devote the time to become a proficient bow hunter so they pick up the cross rifle and believe the ads....three inch groups at 100yds!!! I have trailed many deer through the years and by far cross rifle shot deer are harder to trail whether the shot was good or not. You wonderful Gentlemen in Al. will also see a huge difference in the adrenalin factor of deer around feeders, the first year wont be so bad but moving forward as the deer determine the feeder is NOT a safe zone you will see and additional surge of energy of these hyped deer that will cause your trailing to be much longer. The worst part of this is you cant tell these corn bag littering millennials anything, they seem to be experts on everything out of the womb, I hate to see our sport take this direction it doesn't look good for the long term.

[quote=JustinJ]How is shaming folks for not having superior tracking skills any different than shaming them for not being big buck killers? There’s a wide range of skill level amongst hunters.

While I am not in the millennial generation I am going to stick up for them here. I'm guessing that group lacks the political power to get the law passed in the first place. My bet is the boomers had a big hand in the new baiting law and the push for crossbow use across the USA.

99% of the calls are for bucks……A good portion of them are for “the best buck I’ve ever shot at”…..You get a good number of calls too for kids first deer and that kinda thing.

No one has answered my question though….How is shaming folks for not having superior tracking skills any different than shaming them for not being big buck killers? There’s a wide range of skill level amongst hunters.

Honestly though….I get just as many calls from very experienced hunters as I do from ones who aren’t. The first buck I found this year was for someone who’s probably killed 200-300 deer with a bow. They’ve just been a part of watching a dog work on numerous occasions and understand how superior they are to a human. So they call in the superior tool to help recover their deer. They’re not concerned with all of this nonsense about proving themselves like I feel like this is being made out to be. It feels like just another chest poking, dick measuring contest about who’s the real hunter. Who cares? I like Matt Brocks comment…..The goal is to find the deer and how it’s done is of no real concern.

That being said; are people worse shots these days or does anyone know how to actually track a wounded animal? Or both? (... snip ...) What the he!! Is happening to our sport that “hunters” won’t even try and find their own damn deer?????

99% of the calls are for bucks……A good portion of them are for “the best buck I’ve ever shot at”…..You get a good number of calls too for kids first deer and that kinda thing.

No one has answered my question though….How is shaming folks for not having superior tracking skills any different than shaming them for not being big buck killers? There’s a wide range of skill level amongst hunters.

Honestly though….I get just as many calls from very experienced hunters as I do from ones who aren’t. The first buck I found this year was for someone who’s probably killed 200-300 deer with a bow. They’ve just been a part of watching a dog work on numerous occasions and understand how superior they are to a human. So they call in the superior tool to help recover their deer. They’re not concerned with all of this nonsense about proving themselves like I feel like this is being made out to be. It feels like just another chest poking, dick measuring contest about who’s the real hunter. Who cares? I like Matt Brocks comment…..A recovery is the desired outcome and how it’s done is of no real concern to me.

why process your own deer if you can drive it up the road a piece & drop it off with somebody to do it for you? see my point? times/things change ... i've known GREAT hunters for years who've had dogs to "track" deer ... IMO what's happening now since social media/interwebs exploded is you've got marketing of tracking services to hunters ... so why bother?

i would not hesitate to call a tracker -- much like the Pinhoti guy did in his recent video -- if my best efforts had failed & i knew i'd hit the deer with my shot

As I said in the very first sentence; I have no issue with the use of dogs. My issue is with people going into the woods with the intent of shooting an animal that they have very little chance of recovering WITHOUT the use of a dog.

I wasn't trying to take a shot at you, or at using a tracking dog in general.

I wasn't trying to take a shot at you, or at using a tracking dog in general. Guy I buy my welding gas from is big into running hog dogs, and got into blood trailing a couple years ago. I have his number in my phone should I ever need it, and wouldn't hesitate to call. Almost called him on a hog I shot with the bow last spring, but I ended up finding it first.

In the mean time, I will continue to bring my kids small game hunting, teaching them how to blood trail, and woodsmanship to the best of my ability.

I think the fact that 99% of the calls you get are for bucks is very telling, and part of what bugs me about it all. So is no one ever making bad shots on does? My assumption, sadly, is people just don't care enough to go through those efforts to recover a doe. I guess putting your hands on that big doe to get that picture out on social media is just not as important.

I don't disagree with you bamaguitardude, but I think your example kind of undermines your argument. Big Game Hunter is saying he wishes the sport was more traditional and you give an example of a show produced for entertainment.