How To Track A Deer - Georgia Deer Tracking

The Do’s and dont’s of deer tracking

follow our guide for the best chance to find your deer!

Find your deer

Tracking 101

When you first shoot a deer, everyone’s first reaction to rush to the site of the shot, look for blood, and follow the blood trail. It isn’t wrong to look for blood immediately, but it can hurt you if done too quickly.

Follow These Steps

1. Go to the site of the shot
2. Check the area/arrow for blood
3. Determine what type of blood is on the arrow/Area (refer to guide below)

Please, never do a grid search! Grid searches contaminate the area for the dog’s nose and can push wounded deer further away! If you cannot find and/or lose the blood trail, do not push forward! As the saying goes, “When in doubt, back out.” Bumping a wounded deer is one of the worst things you can do, let the professionals come in to help retrieve your deer!

Pink/Frothy Bubble

This is unmistakably lung blood, which typically means a fatal hit. Give the deer 30 min – 1 Hour before pursuing! As long as you have a good blood trail, go claim your trophy! If you are having a hard time finding a blood trail, the deer may be just retaining blood in the body cavity. It is best to call a professional to track the deer! Please, never grid search!

Bright Red “Drip”

This type bright red blood I like to call “The Drip”. If the blood is directly underneath where the deer is running in drops, this may indicate a muscle hit or blood is staying in the cavity of the animal. A muscle hit normally is not a fatal hit, unless the shot has crippled the deer. It is best to call a professional immediately to find out where the deer is bedded to sneak up for a follow up shot.

Bright Red “Spray”

This bright red blood means that the blood is highly oxygenated! Usually, it means a heart or artery shot! The tell-tell sign is the “spray”. If the blood is spraying on surrounding vegetation, ground, logs; that’s a good sign! Give the deer 30min – 1 Hour and follow the trail! This is normally the easiest trail to follow! If the blood trail stops, be sure to mark the last blood with flagging tape, big log, or something reflective and call a professional!

Yellow/Green

Everyone knows this is not a good sign. This indicates a gut shot. You will normally find some drops of blood at the shot site, and along the trail with a fowl smelling yellow/green liquid. These shots can be fatal, but deer can go for a long time with this type of hit, so it is imperative to call a professional immediately to try to locate the deer ASAP for a follow up shot. Do not try to track this deer without help, unless you have no other choice!

Dark Red

Dark red blood usually indicates a liver hit. This is normally a fatal shot, but the deer will need some time to expire. Some deer expire very quickly with these shots, so give it 30min – 1 Hour and slowly follow the trail. If you lose blood, mark the last known blood and call a professional! Most of the time these deer will bed down and expire, so be careful not to push them!