Top_Heavy's World

"He was HUGE! Atleast a 10 or 12 (point) and really wide... 22 or 23 (inches inside spread) and really tall"; thus began a conversation with a hunter last night about 7:00. I was watching my children as my wife played indoor volleyball, and I was being recruited to help in the tracking job. He retold me the story and as he did he turned red and his arms got covered with "goose bumps". I laughed as he kept talking faster and faster until white foam built up in the corners of his mouth and he started spitting. I listened for the important details that would aid in recovery of the buck and once again was shown how little detail most people see or pick up during tense situations.

We drove into the field where the meeting occured. Sure enough, there was an arrow, fully covered in heavy blood and some splattering on the short grass around it. His ladder stand was in a good location and it was a wide open 12 yard shot. "What did the arrow smell like" was my first question. "I don't know, what do you mean, what should it smell like..." my question started a flurry of return questions. I started at the beginning and tried to make it simple and logical... he was already emotional so I hoped some of it would stick! I knelt and smelled the arrow and immediate area and the "class" began.
"The blood has a sickly sweet smell and makes my stomach quiver, this means there is no guts or stomach. Grit on the arrow would also mean stomach and maybe guts, and grit with almost no blood means lots of stomach. Pure blood with bubbles means lungs and possibly a quick track. Dark blood usually means liver hit and means wait a couple of hours at least. Pure grit or lots of grit means wait 12 to 18 hours. My belief is wait as long as you can stand and when you just can't handle waiting anylonger, go watch a movie! Basically you can't wait too long."
I shortened the details and simplified it for writing, but we worked across the field and I found blood about 10 steps into the timber. 3 drops led the way to 2 very small spots where the buck stood. The left spot was a touch forward of the right side... "I thought the buck was broadside or a touch quartering away when you shot" I was brief. "I think it was"... I showed the blood and his story changed... "I don't know for sure, I was shaking so bad". Composure is the first step in any situation; it allows you to shoot with out confusion or rush, it allows you to stay focused to identify where the actual impact was, it helps keep the mind clear to pick up details of the deers body thus showing results of the arrow or bullet. Composure is the thing most often lacking for most hunters.
We lost blood at the 2 small puddles, actually the spot where the buck stopped and perhaps a dozen drips landed on the same leaf. We split up and I left my water bottle at the last blood. I picked up the next blood on a major trail about 75 yards away. I sang out and the others came running. 3 large drops about 6' apart and then it was blank. I found blood again about 20 yards farther up, 2 spots where he stood again with small puddles like described before. The mist set in and the other guys were tired of looking. 200 yards from the stand and some blood and they were ready to give up.

I know, I am a jerk, but this track continues later!