After the Bowhunting Shot

Right now you're about as excited as a person can get without having a massive coronary, in fact, some have had after putting an arrow in a buck that big. Take a deep breath, calm down and do what every bowhunter has the patience for: wait.

Okay, one must admit, that it isn't patience that keeps the bowhunter waiting in his or her stand after a successful shot. What keeps them still is the knowledge that it's essential to successfully retrieving their downed game. In addition to the wait, the following tips for after the shot will help greatly in this endeavor.

During your initial waiting period keep in mind that the only thing the animal knows at this point is that something very bad has just happened. It just doesn't know exactly what and has the feeling that there is nothing in its general vicinity to fear. Unless, you, the savvy bowhunter starts galloping around making noise. This is why it is important to remain silent and put.

While you're waiting take stock of everything you can remember about the shot. Did you see the arrow hit, if so: Was it in the kill zone? How much penetration did your arrow achieve? Did you see your arrow pass through? Remember the exact location of where you last saw the animal; this will be where you need to begin tracking.

The first thing to look for when you start tracking is blood. The color of the blood you find will give an indication of where the arrow struck. Greenish or brown matter mixed with dark blood gives the impression of a gut shot deer, the hardest to track and the hardest to retain edible meat. You don't want to see any of that. Bright red blood is a great indication of a solid heart shot and pinkish red blood that is a little bubbly shows that you've punctured at least one lung.

Once you've located the blood trail, never walk directly on it in the event that you need to back track. By walking on it, you erase it and lose it forever. There have been many bowhunters who have failed to harvest a downed deer simply because they failed to realize the importance of not messing with the blood trail.