The only thing more disappointing than missing the perfect shot at a once in a lifetime trophy is making the shot but being unable to recover the trophy due to poor tracking skills. But tracking your wild game is about more than simply recovering a trophy. If you cannot track an animal after the shot then you are wasting that animal and depriving other hunters of their own possibility to harvest it instead. Recovering every animal possible is your responsibility as an ethical hunter.

Start at the beginning

One of the biggest mistakes poor trackers make is trying to anticipate what a wounded animal will do and going to where they think it will be rather that following it to where it actually is. The only true method of finding a wounded animal is to follow it from the point where it was shot with your rifle or crossbow to where it expires or beds too weak and exhausted to continue. This means your start where the shot was made, follow to the point you lost sight and then continue to follow it until you find it. Doing anything else is like reading book by starting at chapter 10.

Blood tells the tale

The first step to tracking a wounded animal is determining how seriously injured the animal may be. This not only tells you how far it may go but also provides insight into how long you should wait to start tracking it. If you start too early it is likely you will continue to spook the animal pushing it from hide to hide and unnecessarily extending the track. The blood you find at the point of impact is the first clue you will have.

Blood Appearance	Injury Type	Wait Time Before Tracking
Pink, Frothy	Lung	30 minutes to 1 hour
Dark Red	Liver or Kidney	2 to 3 hours
Bright Red	Large Tissue Area	3 hours or more

As you begin tracking your target you will also need to evaluate the blood trail itself. How much blood you observe, and where along the trail, will provide additional clues for you to follow.

Blood Pattern	Clue it provides
Heavy spray on both sides of trail	Major pass through injury, extensive injury
Heavy spray on one side of trail	Major injury without a pass through, not immediately fatal
Droplets that increase as trail grows	Internal bleeding with increased sigh as body cavity fills
Heavy blood on passing brush etc.	Hit high on body, large wound but not likely any organs

Once you have identified the type of blood present and the spray pattern you will have a better idea of the injury type and pattern to search for. Continue looking for this pattern and any changes which may indicate a change in behavior.  If you see an increase in visible blood chances are the bleeding has intensified and your trophy should be close. A decrease in blood or signs the animal has bedded and move again indicates a less serious wound and you may need to back off, giving it more time to succumb.

Good luck and good hunting!

A growing number of rifle and crossbow hunters are preparing and eating the wild game they harvest. For some it is a simple matter of subsistence, they need the meat to supplement their food supplies. For others it is part of the overall hunting experience. Regardless of the reason it is truly a shame, not to mention a waste of fine meat, to allow your wild game to spoil prior to processing. Proper care of your wild game starts the minute it is harvested and whether you will be butchering yourself or taking it to a processing center a few simple steps are necessary to insure it remains edible.

Field Dressing

Spoiling is the result of bacteria growth, which is the result of heat and moisture. Therefore, the most important steps in protecting your meat from spoiling are the removal of both heat & moisture. Start by removing the entrails and blood as soon as possible. Hoisting the carcass from a sturdy tree limb will make even simple field dressing much easier. The body cavity should then be washed and wiped try if possible. It is also recommended that the body cavity be propped open to allow free circulation of air, which will also aid in removing excess heat quickly.

Transportation

When transporting the carcass for processing, either by a local butcher or at your home, it is vital that you protect the meat from dirt, insects and excessive heat. If at all possible you should avoid removing the hide until the meat is to be butchered as the hide itself is the best protection. Larger game may require quartering to facilitate transportation, if this is the case it is recommended that each piece be placed in a meat bag or wrapped in cheese cloth for protection. NEVER use trash bags to transport wild game as many are treated with harmful chemicals. The carcass or wrapped meat should then be protected from direct sunlight, and placed on ice if temperatures are above freezing, to suspend bacteria growth. Remember to check local regulations concerning proper transportation of wild game, many jurisdiction prohibit removal of sex organs or hide for identification purposes.

Butchering

If you will be butchering your own game insure that you do so immediately or keep the carcass cool until you can. You also need to protect the meat from dirt and hair, especially while skinning. The easiest way to do this is to clean your tools and the meat often with fresh water throughout the process. Each cut of meat should then be wrapped in butcher paper or placed in airtight food grade bags prior to freezing.

With a little effort and some pre-planning any hunter can insure that they too have an opportunity to experience the whole hunt. Not only will you enjoy the chase and successful hunt you will also have the ability to complete the cycle by preparing tasty, nutritious meals that you prepared.