How to Track a Deer After the Shot: Blood Trail Guide

How to track a deer after the shot? Watch and listen, mark the spot where the deer stood and the last place you saw it, then find your arrow or first blood and read it. Wait before you follow: at least an hour for most hits, longer for liver or gut hits. Then follow the blood trail slowly, marking each spot, until you find the deer.

This guide walks through the steps, what blood color tells you, how long to wait and when to call for help. Heading to the stand? Browse our camouflage hunting shirts.

How to track a deer after the shot: step by step

1. Watch and listen. Mossy Oak advises: "After the shot, watch and listen intently. Make note of the last spot you saw the animal" (Mossy Oak GameKeepers).
2. Pick landmarks. Choose a tree, rock or bush for where the deer stood and where it disappeared. Things "will likely look much different" once you are on the ground.
3. Keep listening. Breaking branches, splashing water or a fence can show the direction of travel. "Keep listening for several minutes after the shot."
4. Find your arrow. Blood color, hair and smell on the arrow "can often tell you exactly where you hit."
5. Wait. Give the deer time based on the hit (see below).
6. Follow the trail. Start at first blood, mark each spot of blood, and look ahead for the next sign.

What does blood color tell you?

Shot placement makes tracking easier from the start. Read our guide to where to shoot a deer with a bow.

How long should you wait to trail a deer after shooting it?

"Unless you saw the animal expire, I suggest leaving it for at least an hour," writes Mossy Oak. For a gut shot, "back out and give the animal at least six hours." For a liver hit, "I suggest at least three hours." If you give the deer that time, Mossy Oak says you will likely find it "in its first bed, which should be less than 200 yards from the hit."

Two exceptions in the same article: a muscle hit, where the author suggests getting on the trail "fairly quickly," and incoming rain or snow, which can wash out the blood trail. Weigh these with your own experience and local conditions.

How do deer react after being shot?

Reactions vary. Some deer bolt; others barely move. Mossy Oak notes that with sharp broadheads, a deer "may not react at all – until they topple over from blood loss." That is why marking the exact spot where the deer stood matters even if it seems unhurt.

Tips for a better blood trail

• Lighted nocks and bright fletching make your arrow easier to see in flight and to find afterward.
• Mark blood with flagging tape or toilet paper so you can look back and see the line of travel.
• Move slowly and talk quietly; do not push a wounded deer.
• Follow every trail until you have exhausted all possibilities.
• Check your state's rules on tracking dogs, trailing at night and recovering game across property lines before you hunt.

What to wear when you track

Tracking often means hours in the woods, sometimes at dusk. Follow your state's blaze orange rules during firearm seasons. Our camouflage hunting shirts come in deer camo prints with a custom name; style options such as hoodie, long sleeve shirt and T-shirt vary by design, so check each product page. A camo print does not replace required blaze orange. See also what colors deer can see.

FAQ

How long should you wait to track a deer?

Mossy Oak suggests at least one hour unless you saw the deer go down, at least three hours for a liver hit and at least six hours for a gut shot.

What does pink, frothy blood mean?

Pink, frothy blood almost always means a lung hit, according to Mossy Oak.

Will deer come back to the same spot after being shot at?

It depends on the deer and the pressure in the area. A spooked deer may avoid the spot for a while, so many hunters rest a stand after a miss.

What if I lose the blood trail?

Go back to the last blood, line it up with where the deer stood at the shot, and search in widening circles. Mark every sign you find.