Lesson Learned - No Blood Tracking / Meat Spoilage - Personal Examples

[sram9102]

This happened to me last year on my first elk hunt. Shot a bull in CO and he folded up like a lawn chair and rolled down the mountain a few times. I pack up and hike down my ridge and back up the far ridge and when I get up to him he gets up and ran off. Decent blood where he was laying but nothing in the snow he ran through and enough tracks from the herd that tracking a single elk wasn't happening. I looked high and low all that day and much of the next. No sign or birds anywhere. Pretty dejecting feeling still a year later.

 

[Rich M]

These are all gold. Keep em coming.



I thought about this. Still not sure I feel confident taking that shot or know where to place it, but something I definitely have now considered.

I just want to clarify that i am only talking about taking a hip shot as a backup on a wounded/shot animal.

It also seems like you would have looked harder if you knew you hit it.

 

[Robobiss]

This is a good tip. I’ve found two deer we’ve been struggling to blood trail by smelling them.
Even if you don’t hit guts, animals still have a pretty distinct smell if you’re close enough to them

This. I’ve smelled a ton of animals before I’ve seen them. That’s dead ones that I’m looking for and live ones that are headed my direction but are upwind of me.

 

[go_deep]

This happened to me last year on my first elk hunt. Shot a bull in CO and he folded up like a lawn chair and rolled down the mountain a few times. I pack up and hike down my ridge and back up the far ridge and when I get up to him he gets up and ran off. Decent blood where he was laying but nothing in the snow he ran through and enough tracks from the herd that tracking a single elk wasn't happening. I looked high and low all that day and much of the next. No sign or birds anywhere. Pretty dejecting feeling still a year later.

Did this very thing this year in my bull. Dumped him in his tracks, I stayed on him, about 1 minute later he got up ran straight at me, quartering towards me I shot him in the chest, he pulled about 30 yards later.
First shot was high shoulder, just into the tops of the blades, took the tops off the vertebrae, but didn't break the back.
My buddy that was with couldn't belive what he watched happen.
Not picking on you, but I told him, probably a lot of guys would watch an elk go straight down and think it's dead, very few elk fold like a lawn chair, I knew exactly what I did and he likely was getting back up.

 

[sram9102]

Did this very thing this year in my bull. Dumped him in his tracks, I stayed on him, about 1 minute later he got up ran straight at me, quartering towards me I shot him in the chest, he pulled about 30 yards later.
First shot was high shoulder, just into the tops of the blades, took the tops off the vertebrae, but didn't break the back.
My buddy that was with couldn't belive what he watched happen.
Not picking on you, but I told him, probably a lot of guys would watch an elk go straight down and think it's dead, very few elk fold like a lawn chair, I knew exactly what I did and he likely was getting back up.

It probably took me an hour before I got over there. I had left my pack a ridge back then had a shit walk over there. It was a learning opportunity for sure. Him laying there for an hour was what confused me. My next opportunity will probably get 2 rounds regardless of reaction to the first one just for good measure.

 

[CMF]

When I grid search I put on the “track” function in OnX the whole time I’m searching. It helps to see holes in your grid after you make several passes.

That's a good tip right there, I do that too.

I thought about this. Still not sure I feel confident taking that shot or know where to place it, but something I definitely have now considered.

If you're confident in the first shot, you don't need confidence in follow-ups, just do what you can to get another one in him.

Not picking on you, but I told him, probably a lot of guys would watch an elk go straight down and think it's dead, very few elk fold like a lawn chair, I knew exactly what I did and he likely was getting back up.

I'm probably more skeptical of a hit on an animal that drops than one that runs off. Most animals will run with a vital hit, but anything high or in the back seems to drop them, but not always be fatal. Of course, depends on animal, cartridge, etc., most deer I shoot with a 45-70 drop.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Teach yourself how to track an animal.
I've tracked and found several animals without blood. Other things will clue you in too, grass pushed forward, tree or bush branches pushed or broken just to mange a few.

This.

I always find it interesting when hunters immediately start looking for blood instead of other obvious signs.

It’s a severe lack of education that doesn’t get taught or handed down.

 

[Ross]

The only way we learn is mistakes.

75 yard shot and died within 200 yards. Experience says there was evidence of a hit, but it was missed. Blood trailing is not easy and unless very obvious is not fun and difficult. Blood can easily be missed, unless you’re often on knees slowly searching and grinding it slow and steady. It is easy to get in a hurry. There was another post about blood trailing, I would recommend reading it. Good luck on the next one,

 

[Idagnome]

Man it’s reassuring to read these. I had a similar no blood story last weekend. Shot rifle at my max effective range (was a little rushed) but thought it was a good shot.

No blood, or any sign, in snow no less. Searched for 2 hours, turned tacking on and looked down to find I had walked 1.5 miles in a 300 yard radius. Decided I missed and moved on, which massively rattled my confidence as I’ve been shooting my bow a lot more than rifle this summer.

Later that day, ranged an animal three times and reset my position for a perfect shot, only for that to take too long and the elk left.

Next day, stalk in on an elk, get within a comfortable range. Wait for a clear shot and take it. Thing keeps standing so I take a follow up shot. Second felt better than the first. About 45 minutes later, I’ve retrieved my backpack and made it over to the shot site only to find NO BLOOD.

I was wondering if my zero had moved, did I just suck at shooting, should I hike out of the woods. I walked into the woods in the direction Isaw it go, cursing myself. Setting myself up to grid again (I usually start as high as I reasonably think and work downward). Just as I’m about to begin, there’s an elk laying dead 60 yards above where I shot it. Both shots hit, though a little low. Did see that coughing blood, within 5 feet of where it died.

Pumped that I tagged out and found that one, but now I’m second guessing if I looked long enough for the first one, or if I did cleanly miss.

 

[Conrad101st]

Almost every elk I have shot has locked up and stood there. I usually get at least 2 if not 3 into them. I always go for double lung and keep shooting. These are not whitetails. Hit ‘em hard.