New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

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Elrique64
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New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

Post by Elrique64 »

I just searched around, and haven't seen this anywhere else.

With the range finding binoculars, it comes with a crosshair. When you are looking through them, and click the left mouse button, it makes a HM mark on the map and HM. (This also works with the non-range finding 8x42 binoculars. I would guess it works with the spotting scope and the regular range finder, too.)

So what I have started doing while tracking a wounded animal is to mark the spot right after the shot with the binos. Then proceed to the spot and start tracking. If I lose the tracks, I'll go back to the last known, and again mark that spot with the binos, and start a spiral search until I find the next track. I'll do this until I get the animal. I lose maybe one out of 100 (and that's with the flee bag tracking dog along with. He only sees tracks that I get domes visible already... Not really worth his kibble at this point...)

This is similar to using a GPS for tracking IRL. Some hunters will mark the blood spots on their GPS for each and every found track. In this way, they get a direction of movement, and have a way to return to a spot by just returning to the GPS coordinates.

Prior to hand held GPS receivers, we had to use things like marking tape, pieces of paper, florescent or reflective marker dots, string or similar things to mark tracks. I still have a wad of bright pink yarn in my pack for this very purpose. (Put the yarn on the spot, at eye level, if possible. I liked to tie it off on tree branches or the tops of tall grasses near the blood trail. Makes it real easy to see a direction when you look back along your track.) Bow hunters also used this trick to mark a trail in to their blind or stand. (I'm sure many still do.)
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Levado
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Re: New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

Post by Levado »

Thanks, but most of are already marking the spot where we want to start tracking and do circular search when we can't find the next clue. I don't understand why you would mark that last clue, when it's already on your hunter mate.
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Tod1d
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Re: New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

Post by Tod1d »

I usually mark the spot where I last saw the animal, rather than the 'first blood' spot. You can then use the 'draw' tool to mark the map, and then mark the shot spot. You can usually see the blood stain on the ground for a short time after the shot.

I also use the 'draw' tool to manage multiple animals. I'll put a circle with a direction line around the spot where I last see a fleeing animal or an animal I want to follow later, and an X on a dead animal.

pre-GPS, we used to use cheap biodegradable (septic friendly) toilet paper. A lot of really cheap marking flags, and mother nature takes care of cleaning it up. ;)
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Picoronut
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Re: New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

Post by Picoronut »

Thanks for the tip, it really helped me a lot. I really like
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SoftShoe
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Re: New tip for hunting and tracking wounded game.

Post by SoftShoe »

This is the method I use both in game & in RL.

1) Follow the last known direction looking left & right until you are sure you have lost the trail (easily recognizable in game by the dashed line).
2) Make a 90deg left & go 30yds (I turn left because I am right handed & tend to drift to my right when doing land navigation. Lefties should turn right).
3) Make a 120 deg left & track back in to last location you had sign looking left & right.
4) Make another left & track out looking left & right. 98% of the time I will have picked up the trail again by this point.
5) If still no sign in desperation loop back around your last sign hoping to cut its trail again.

A visual referance in case what I am saying doesn't make sense.

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Tod1d wrote: pre-GPS, we used to use cheap biodegradable (septic friendly) toilet paper. A lot of really cheap marking flags, and mother nature takes care of cleaning it up. ;)
I still do use it even with a GPS. Its great for visual reference plus its dual purpose. Leaves chafe... :lol:

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