July NEWSLETTER 2010 |
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have topic you would wish to be discussed in a future newsletter, let us know and we will
consider it.
If you do not want future newsletters, please email or write us advising so and you will be
removed from the list.
Write to: Disappear Hunting Products Inc., PO Box 414, Wadsworth, OH 44282
Email: discoverscent@disappearhp.com
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HUNTERS
This month, I would like to conclude our discussions about tracking wounded deer, by describing the actual
circumstances of some of the deer I have tracked to the finish. These experiences vary somewhat and show
what all can assist you in gaining a successful conclusion to your hunt.
It was opening day of archery season and when I got home that evening, there was a message from my
youngest brother to call him immediately. He related to me, that a doe had came in directly below him, as he
sat in his stand. He buried an arrow into it’s back, but it did not exit. He was sure he hit at least one lung
with his shot. The deer had bolted and after the appropriate wait, he starting trailing the deer. There was no
blood trail, so he followed scuffed leaves and patches of hair left on trees, for a little over a 100 yards to a
point where the deer crossed a logging road. He completely lost the trail on the other side and darkness
forced him to give up and go home. By now it was after 10:00 PM and the place he was hunting was 2 hours
away. Since is was a rather crisp evening, I suggested we wait and be there at first light in the morning. The
area he was hunting was an area that I had hunted for years and I was intimately familiar with the deer
movements on that property. On our way there, I asked him exactly where the deer had crossed the logging
road and as he told me the location, I knew if he had hit the deer where he said he had, we would find it
within minutes. When we got to the place my brother had lost the trail, I turned about 45 degrees to my left
and in less than a 100 yards, found his deer. His mistake was assuming the deer continued straight across
the trail, but my past experiences had shown me, they normally turned left at that point heading for a swamp.
Knowing the area as well as I did, is what found the deer.
A group of us were hunting the anterless rifle season in WV and I volunteered to be a driver. When
everyone was in place I started in their direction. I had no sooner begun, when a group of deer exploded out
of a downed tree, with some heading toward the standers and some the other way. One stopped about 80
yards from me and as I knelt down, I thought I had a clear shot. After my shot the deer took off, and as I
examined the area where the deer was standing, I discovered my bullet had passed through a 2 inch sapling
before hitting the deer. There was a sparse blood trail and one of my buddies agreed to assist me. We saw
the deer jump from it’s bed after about 150 yards of trailing and there was a small pool of blood in it’s bed.
Then the going got real tough. There would only be a drop of blood every 20 to 50 yards. It took us over 5
hours to cover the next 300 yards. We were on an old road by now and when we reached a pasture angling
down hill, we lost the trail. I sat down and studied the situation. At the bottom of the pasture, there was an
old oil well path heading into the trees and then toward a creek. On a hunch, I told my buddy, “Let’s go
check that oil well path”. Sure enough, we found a drop of blood. We cautiously eased our way along and
within 50 yards, spotted the deer, bedded, looking at us. One shot through the neck ended it. My original
bullet had broke in two, after passing through the tree and one piece had nicked the liver. Again
understanding the habits of deer and their desire for water when wounded, helped me find and recover this
deer.
One of my buddies young son, had just got his first shot at a deer. He was using a muzzleloader and his dad
thought he gut shot the deer. They had trailed it down the ridge, but lost the trail going up the other side.
When I arrived, I finally picked up the trail following a bench around the side of the ridge. The drops of
blood were about 10 to 20 yards apart. Then they stopped. An hour or so later, I found a drop of blood on a
leaf that could have only gotten there if the deer had reversed it’s direction. Sure enough, that deer had
backtracked a little over 100 yards and then headed up hill. I kept the young man with me, we spread out the
rest of the group and slowly started up the ridge. Within 50 yards the deer jumped from it’s bed by a stump
and headed back down hill. It soon stopped and I told the young man to take his time and shoot. He was
shaking so hard he missed. The deer went just a short distance and stopped again. This time, I had him rest
the gun on my shoulder, take a deep breath and squeeze. Hunt over.
Patience and perseverance were and are the keys to each of these situations and any that are likely to
come in the future. Studying and understanding deer movements are of extreme importance as well. Expect
the unexpected and never rule anything out unless evidence tells you to. Be super careful not to destroy the
sign the deer leaves, so you can always come back to restart the tracking. Questions and comments are
always welcome and I certainly wish you well with any of these situations you may encounter.
Keith Dotterer
This month, I would like to conclude our discussions about tracking wounded deer, by describing the actual
circumstances of some of the deer I have tracked to the finish. These experiences vary somewhat and show
what all can assist you in gaining a successful conclusion to your hunt.
It was opening day of archery season and when I got home that evening, there was a message from my
youngest brother to call him immediately. He related to me, that a doe had came in directly below him, as he
sat in his stand. He buried an arrow into it’s back, but it did not exit. He was sure he hit at least one lung
with his shot. The deer had bolted and after the appropriate wait, he starting trailing the deer. There was no
blood trail, so he followed scuffed leaves and patches of hair left on trees, for a little over a 100 yards to a
point where the deer crossed a logging road. He completely lost the trail on the other side and darkness
forced him to give up and go home. By now it was after 10:00 PM and the place he was hunting was 2 hours
away. Since is was a rather crisp evening, I suggested we wait and be there at first light in the morning. The
area he was hunting was an area that I had hunted for years and I was intimately familiar with the deer
movements on that property. On our way there, I asked him exactly where the deer had crossed the logging
road and as he told me the location, I knew if he had hit the deer where he said he had, we would find it
within minutes. When we got to the place my brother had lost the trail, I turned about 45 degrees to my left
and in less than a 100 yards, found his deer. His mistake was assuming the deer continued straight across
the trail, but my past experiences had shown me, they normally turned left at that point heading for a swamp.
Knowing the area as well as I did, is what found the deer.
A group of us were hunting the anterless rifle season in WV and I volunteered to be a driver. When
everyone was in place I started in their direction. I had no sooner begun, when a group of deer exploded out
of a downed tree, with some heading toward the standers and some the other way. One stopped about 80
yards from me and as I knelt down, I thought I had a clear shot. After my shot the deer took off, and as I
examined the area where the deer was standing, I discovered my bullet had passed through a 2 inch sapling
before hitting the deer. There was a sparse blood trail and one of my buddies agreed to assist me. We saw
the deer jump from it’s bed after about 150 yards of trailing and there was a small pool of blood in it’s bed.
Then the going got real tough. There would only be a drop of blood every 20 to 50 yards. It took us over 5
hours to cover the next 300 yards. We were on an old road by now and when we reached a pasture angling
down hill, we lost the trail. I sat down and studied the situation. At the bottom of the pasture, there was an
old oil well path heading into the trees and then toward a creek. On a hunch, I told my buddy, “Let’s go
check that oil well path”. Sure enough, we found a drop of blood. We cautiously eased our way along and
within 50 yards, spotted the deer, bedded, looking at us. One shot through the neck ended it. My original
bullet had broke in two, after passing through the tree and one piece had nicked the liver. Again
understanding the habits of deer and their desire for water when wounded, helped me find and recover this
deer.
One of my buddies young son, had just got his first shot at a deer. He was using a muzzleloader and his dad
thought he gut shot the deer. They had trailed it down the ridge, but lost the trail going up the other side.
When I arrived, I finally picked up the trail following a bench around the side of the ridge. The drops of
blood were about 10 to 20 yards apart. Then they stopped. An hour or so later, I found a drop of blood on a
leaf that could have only gotten there if the deer had reversed it’s direction. Sure enough, that deer had
backtracked a little over 100 yards and then headed up hill. I kept the young man with me, we spread out the
rest of the group and slowly started up the ridge. Within 50 yards the deer jumped from it’s bed by a stump
and headed back down hill. It soon stopped and I told the young man to take his time and shoot. He was
shaking so hard he missed. The deer went just a short distance and stopped again. This time, I had him rest
the gun on my shoulder, take a deep breath and squeeze. Hunt over.
Patience and perseverance were and are the keys to each of these situations and any that are likely to
come in the future. Studying and understanding deer movements are of extreme importance as well. Expect
the unexpected and never rule anything out unless evidence tells you to. Be super careful not to destroy the
sign the deer leaves, so you can always come back to restart the tracking. Questions and comments are
always welcome and I certainly wish you well with any of these situations you may encounter.
Keith Dotterer
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