I shot a nice 10 point this past Sunday. The shot hit in the ribs and basically turned into a gut shot. I can't see blood, and couldn't find the deer so I called a buddy and lucky he was able to track the deer. If he wouldn't have been home when I called, I'm afraid I would have lost the deer.
He suggested I buy a flashlight to help with seeing blood and tracking.

What's your experience with blood trail flashlights? Do they work? If so, any brands you recommend?

I have no experience with the kind of lights your talking about, but I noticed several years ago tracking a hog at night that I could see blood with the light from my brothers LED flashlight than I could from the yellowish light of my maglight.

I have a UV light that they say helps but I've never had to use it.

Coleman lantern is what we used to use.

Pics of 10pt or get out!

Glad you found the deer. Most of the reviews I've heard on such lights is that they're junk. IMO get a really good LED light and do work.

Colman lantern with a shield on the back of the glass,aluminum foil will work. Take a roll of toilet paper and mark the blood trail. It will guide you back Pick it up as you leave. This will work in deep woods and black nights

This is the best way I have ever seen or used for tracking. Something about the light off of a gas lantern that really shows the blood up. Also the tissue paper is a great marker that will dissolve and be gone after the next good rain. It also lets you look back and see the directions the animal was traveling and lets you find the last drop incase you get off track.

Yup! Toilet paper and a good light. I had to track one this year, though it wasn’t far, and I used a Milwaukee shop light that I had bought at Home Depot for travel trailer use. The light lasts a long time and you can slip an extra battery or two in your pocket. I think it’s an M12 light.

Pretty much any good light will do. I did find out though, that it could be too bright of a light. While tracking the buck my son shot the last weekend of the season, I grabbed one of those portable spotlights from the garage that has umpteen million candle power. The deer was only 30 yards away, and I could see it, but I made my boy track him anyhow. Good for practice. The ultra bright light just drowned out everything. Could not see even good blood with it.

+1 to you two on the TP. A good bright light and a patient tracker. Find some, mark it. Find more, mark it. Don't over run the signs. Get on your hands and knees if need be. White Rock and cactus show blood and gut material nicely. Use your nose as well.
My daughter shot at one at the water trough. I missed him dad......from six feet up I'd appeared do. Nose to the ground, I found white hair and VERY small bits of flesh. No blood. Survivable wound. We searched for an hour and found nothing more.

Papalote

Color blind guy next to us has a hot little one who can track blood... She found his 147 inch buck for him. Not for sale though.

Get a GSP. Great tracking dog, retriever and pointer in one.

Like others have said, a Coleman lantern and LED lights have worked best for me. I have found that the really bright LED lights you can get now can bleach everything out to the point of somewhat handicapping you. With the really bright LED lights (probably around 500 lumens and up) with a well defined hot spot in the center, I've found it better for me to keep the light a little off center of the hot spot. Also, The ones with the clean white light have worked much better for me than the ones with a blue tint.

My suggestion when you are having trouble tracking blood or at night is to call someone with a tracking dog. They have a couple guys online that will drive out to help.

Or, wait until morning if that is at all an option. You may push him.

I agree with this, the strong white light helps contrast red blood better than a yellow or orange color light.

I have had that light for a decade. Doesn't work and might actually make it harder to see blood. I do like the red light for walking to/from the blind in the dark though.

the UV lights are good for finding scorpions ...

I'm color blind and need every advantage I can get. Tried one of the inexpensive blood lights and it didn't help at all. One trick that works though is to have a small spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide. You can spray it where you think blood should or may be (even if you can't see it or pick it out) and it will bubble on contact. Even we color blind guys can see bubbles.

I have tried a few of the lights and haven't had any work better than a good flashlight and actually haven't had any work well at all, even as a good flashlight. I even tried the moonlight spray stuff that was supposed to make the blood glow in the dark. It worked meaning it made the blood glow in the dark, but it better be really dark to see the glow. Even a little moon light washed it out.

We used to use the coleman lantern but I don't anymore. I use my streamlight more than any other light. I agree 100% on marking the trail.