Lost deer after dark

[SCHINK]

COYOTES????  not one of my favorite words.....if they sense a deer down it won't take them long to get to it......and they always seem to eat the hinds first.....OF COURSE......my boy shot one this year on thanksgiving right at dark and the exit hole plugged with a big chunk of fat.....lost blood trail.....the next morning right at light we found her with half of her rear gone....his shot was pretty good right through the ribs and didn't hurt any meat with the shot so we still managed to save most of the deer......in fact heading out right after work to see if I can manage the pack a little bit.....little buggers are though to get to come in close......but I LOVE the challenge and if all works out.....I LOVE THE REWARD......DEAD DOG

[Patriot]

LL7,
Thanks so much for freely sharing your experience with us.  As a bowhunter, we've all had similar circumstances (or will be soon).
 
Do not feel like a failure.  Treat it as a learning experience.  From your detailed explanation and tone of your message, it sounds like you have many years of success ahead of you!
 
Keep your chin up and keep us posted on your experiences!
 
Regarding tracking advice...I don't have much to add.  You received great advice above from Nubs, Cut N Run and others.

[kellory]

It is easy to loose a trail in the fading light. I carry 6 chemical lights (break and shake) white in my pack. Pick a good marker from your stand before you get down, and note the direction as far as you can see it. With the light fading, put 1 light at the kill site, and follow tracks, blood, or the direction the grasses are pushed from something passing. When you are sure you are on the right trail/blood/tracks, hang a second light at eye height, and you can sight the deers path. When you lose the trail, or the light is too low, hang a third or fourth light at the last sure point. Even if they are dead by morning, they will still mark the path. Connect the dots, and you have a pretty good idea where the deer is going. Don't fixate on one type of tracking, but look at the overall picture, A couple of tracks, a drop or two, and some bent grass can be all you need. Deer seldom just run, he will either try to hide or double back and hope you pass him bye., so watch for sharp changes in direction. I have tracked deer through grass or corn where their path looked like a star of David! Or close to it If you have a partner, it also helps to get back in your stand and direct him to play deer, and place him as close to the deer's path as you can see from the stand. Often times, that will help put you on the trail. Good luck !

[Cut N Run]

A good friend of mine got a Labrador Retriever as a family pet, but he taught it to track deer instead of hunt ducks. When it was a puppy, he'd put a deer tail or lower leg on a string at the end of a long pole and drag it through the weeds & woods with a treat at the end. It didn't take long for that dog to realize his job. There's no telling how many deer that dog has helped track, but he has successfully helped recover dozens that otherwise would have been lost.

Of course, my friend gets all kinds of calls from lots of hunters looking to use the services of his tracking Lab, but if they agree to pay in money or meat, he helps.

Jim

[kellory]

GOOD DOG!