Hunting helps to connect humans with nature and in the process it helps to instill a respect for wildlife. With that said, one of the most challenging aspects of hunting is making sure that when an animal is wounded, it is tracked and recovered as quickly and humanely as possible to avoid suffering on the animal’s part. An ethical and clean recovery not only prevents animal suffering, but it also ensures that you, as a hunter, fulfill your responsibility to both the ecosystem and the game you are hunting as well.
Being able to properly and accurately track a wounded animal takes sill that comes only through experience, knowledge, and your own intuition. This skill takes time to learn but can be done by learning more about animal behavior, practicing, and mentors in the hunting field.
In this article, we will explore the different principles for tracking a wounded animal, any tools that you may need, and the steps that you should take to ensure a clean recovery in the field.
Why Do I Need to Track Wounded Game?
Beginners to hunting often ask why they need to track wounded game and often wonder if it would just be better to let the animal go. To start, ethical hunting is about making sure that the animal’s life is taken with the least amount of suffering. This means you want to make sure the kill is quick and clean.
When hunting, hiccups do happen, even to the most experienced of them all. Wounds can occur and what you may have thought was a good clean shot turns out not to be. If this happens, it is okay and the way you handle the situation after the shot is made is what matters the most in the moment.
Hunters must respond in an ethical and proper manner when an animal does become wounded as opposed to killed. Remember, a clean recovery means that when you hunt you do it in a respectful manner and you ensure that an animal does not endure unnecessary pain and suffering.
Furthermore, allowing a wounded animal to run off and suffer can weigh heavily on your consciousness over the days following, so you want to make sure you make every effort to track the animal and make a clean recovery.
Learning and Understanding the Behavior of Wounded Game
To track game, you must understand and learn their behavior when they are injured. Wounded animals, especially those that have sustained serious injuries, will often have unpredictable behavior. Being able to recognize these behaviors will assist you in determining the animal’s overall state, how to track it, and its chances of survival.
Here is some behavior to watch out for when taking notice of wounded game:
- Shock: Animals that have been seriously injured may go into shock. This is a type of physiological response that can happen due to the trauma, and it often causes them to act erratically. You may find that the animal moves around in circles, or it may attempt to walk and collapse several times. Overall their physical responses to stimuli are inconsistent and some animals, depending on the species, may move around while others may remain still
- Flight response: Just like humans have a fight or flight response, animals share the same. When wounded, you may find that the animals, especially species such as elk and deer, will run immediately. They tend to run away when injured and is part of their survival mechanism. Depending on how serious the wound is, the injured animal may run quickly, or they may start out quick and then start to slow down as shock sets in
- Blood trails: A blood trail can help you determine which way an animal went once it was injured. The amount and appearance of the blood will also help you determine the animal’s condition
- Hide and seek out shelter: Many animals, when wounded, will seek out shelter and hide from the threat. It is helpful to check some common hiding areas such as dense brush, hollow logs, and other areas that you may think the animal could fit into to get cover (many of these hiding places can be identified when you scope out the terrain before you hunt)
Helpful Tools for Tracking Wounded Game
Utilizing tools to help you track wounded game is an excellent way to make sure you secure a clean recovery and make the process faster.
Here are some helpful tools to consider:
- Flashlight: Since most hunters do hunt in the early morning hours or close to night time, it is possible that you will find yourself tracking down game when light levels are low. A flashlight can help provide you with the additional light needed to locate blood trails, hiding areas, and more. If you do not want to carry a flashlight around, you could also wear a headlamp to provide the additional light
- GPS or compass: Often times, you may find yourself getting caught up in locating and recovering the wounded game that you lose track of where you are. Keeping a GPS or compass on you can help you navigate unknown or unfamiliar terrain
- Binoculars: Binoculars are an excellent tool to help you see better. You can identify where an animal may have gone, see blood trails, and you may even be able to see the animal still running away in the distance. Good optics are an invaluable tool and will help you in more ways than just tracking wounded game
- Tracking dog: Tracking dogs are an excellent tool for tracking and recovering wounded game in the field. If you have a trained dog, you will find that they can pick up on scents, follow blood trails, and even cover larger distances than you can
- First aid kit: A first aid kit for you is essential when you are out tracking wounded animals. You never know when an accident or injury may occur and being prepared will help you handle any issues that pop up as you are tracking
- Field dressing and recovery kit: If you do find the wounded animal, you will need to be able to field dress it right there. You want to make sure that you have the proper tools such as saws, knives, bags, and gloves. Ensuring that you can recover the meat ensures that you have completed a sustainable hunt
Steps to Take to Ensure a Clean Recovery
Being able to track a wounded animal requires observation, patience, and an understanding of the right techniques and steps to take.
Below, you will find a general approach to tracking wounded game and can help you if you are out in the field and in a situation where you need to track a wounded animal.
Avoid Rushing to Chase Down the Animal
The most important thing to remember once you have wounded an animal is to resist the urge to chase after it immediately. If you pursue a wounded animal immediately, you will often make the situation worse causing the animal to run further away or stressing it out.
To best track the animal, you should wait about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how serious the wound is. You can often predict the severity of the wound based on your efforts to look at blood trails and so on.
By waiting for the recommended time above, you will allow the animal to calm down a bit, relax, and possibly find a place to lie down thus making it much easier for you to track and locate it.
Determine the Severity of the Shot and Direction
This next step is intertwined a bit into the first step above. You can start looking at the animal run away through binoculars or even observe some of the blood trail nearby with binoculars to help give you a clue as to where the animal has gone.
During the time that you are waiting for the animal to relax a bit, you want to try to determine the extent or severity of the wound and the direction in which you want to start tracking.
Track the Wounded Animal Carefully and Slowly
As you start to track the wounded animal, start out slow and do not rush the process. You want to focus on scanning the ground for any signs of disturbed vegetation or blood trails. You should keep an eye out when you come across brush or bushes to see if there are any signs that the area has been disturbed. Some signs of recent activity include foliage on the ground and broken branches.
If you are going to use a tracking dog, simply allow the dog to lead the way and keep an eye out as the dog takes you in the direction of the scent it picks up on.
Follow Blood Trails
One of the most valuable tools in tracking a wounded animal is the blood trail as it will often lead you right to the animal or very close by.
Here are some things to keep in mind based on the color of the blood that you see:
- Frothy or light pink blood: Can indicate that the wound is to the upper lungs or the chest
- Bright red blood: Often indicates a wound to the lung. These types of shots are often lethal which means that the animal is unlikely to travel a long distance
- Dark or black blood: This type of blood indicates that the animal has been shot and these types of shots often are not lethal, and the animal can usually travel a good distance
Make sure that as you are following blood trails, you pay attention to the color and amount of the blood – all of these can give you clues to where the animal might be
Patience is a Key Virtue
Remember, tracking a wounded animal is not a fast process and it can take time. If the animal is indeed still alive, it may be able to travel a far distance before it ultimately stops moving around. It is also possible that the wounded animal may sense when you are close and attempt to flee again. These are things you need to keep in the back of your mind too.
Always be as patient as possible and never rush to track a wounded animal as this may only stress the animal out more.
Proper Meat Handling is Important
If you do find the wounded animal, ensure that it is killed both humanely and quickly to end its suffering. You do not want to prolong its suffering any longer than it needs to be.
Once you have completed the process, you will want to field dress the animal to prevent spoilage or waste of the meat. Always keep the meat both cool and clean to ensure quality.
When Do I Stop Tracking the Wounded Animal?
Ideally, you would stop tracking the wounded animal once it has been recovered, but this is not always possible. There may be some instances where you spend a lot of time tracking the animal only to come up short and not be able to find it. If this happens, you can stop tracking.
Do bear in mind that when it comes to hunting, you want to minimize suffering of the animal and hunt in the most ethical way, so use your best judgement to determine when it has been enough time.
Hunting Requires Responsibility and Ethically Handling Wounded Animals
Tracking wounded game is a skill that you must develop as a hunter, and it will take some time. You do not want to immediately chase down the wounded animal but remain patient, be responsible, and remain respectful of the life taken.
Having a good approach, utilizing helpful tools, and understanding animal behavior can help you be efficient in the tracking and recovery process. Furthermore, this will ensure that your hunt is as ethical as possible.
By following the above steps and keeping the above tips in mind, you will minimize suffering of a wounded animal and maintain the highest hunting ethics. Tracking wounded animals is not always easy, but it is your responsibility as a hunter.
