I shot a doe last night about 30 minutes before dark. First off I will admit I think it was a bad shot. She was broad side to me when I shot but she lunged to the left at the same time as the shot and it looked like the arrow went in a little far back on the right but angled towards the front left shoulder. I feel like it had to have hit some vitals. There was only about 6" of arrow sticking out when she ran off. When I went later to track her i didnt find blood for the first 30 yards then I found a descent amount of blood for about 15 feet then NOTHING. I searched every where and went back this morning and searched even more. NO arrow and No more blood and no deer. My main question is: someone told me about a light that would make blood show up better in the dark? and is there anything else you can do to help you see blood? What do I do? Losing a deer is the worst feeling ever, but when I cant find blood whats next ?

If you absolutely can't find any sign you can always start walking the brush in a circle starting from where you last found blood. You might stumble across her. If you are in a county that allows tracking dogs that might be an option as well. You don't have much to lose at this point anyway.

A friend and myself walked the whole area for quite a distance in a back and forth pattern last night and again this morning. We completely covered the area for about a hundred yards in every direction. Not sure about the county / dogs rule. But I dont know of any one with dogs either. Just wandering if any one has a secret to finding the small blood trails or making them glow or something that will help you to see them. The only thing I can think is she just quit bleeding for a ways and we didnt know which direction to key in on.

I've been told the tracking lights work very well. I've never used one though and can not atest to one.

Get a little dog...any dog...if you know someone that's got a terrier of any kind set them down and see what they'll do. I've got a weiner dog that's a tracking machine. I think that if you've got blood and the dog hits the initial track the deer is found. Give it a try.

I think there is only a few hour window on tracking dogs

do like cody said, just get anykinda dog.

I have a gerber carnivore tracking light and its not worth buying. I dont even use it cuz its not that bright and i can see better usin one of my many surefires

At this point I wouldn't worry about getting a dog out there. What are you going to do if you find it? Meat is ruined.

My wife has a weenie dog, but she is so fat and out of shape I dont think she would be able to get through the briars and over the logs. Plus she said " YOU ARE NOT TAKING MY BABY OUT IN THEM WOODS TO GET BIT BUY SOME SNAKE OR SOMETHING !" But like I said even in the daylight today I couldnt find any more blood.

I know it is ruined now. I guess other than wanting to know if there is something to use in the future if it happens again, would be the satisfaction of knowing where she went. Like I mentioned before, losing the deer is bad enough even though I guess now it is a food chain thing for the yotes. Just basically wanting to know if there is/was something I could have done more than a complete grid search.

X2

Ricky You said you looked 100 yds.in every direction.Expand your search pattern much further;maybe you can at least find her. Kix

another good trrick ive learned is that wounded animals will go downhill and towards water.

Not too sure about that downhill part...in fact I think it's complete BS...JMO

I know for a fact that if the area is heavely brushed of wooded the deer will fellow a beaten path because it will be to hurt to try and blaze a way though the crap. So look in known paths for blood.

Watch for buzzards circling.

Yes, there are lights available to help you see the blood easier. I have one from Bass Pro. They absolutely help find blood trails.

But they are useless after the blood dries. Got to be used in the first few hours...

I agree...

A real blood tracking dog can follow a trail for much longer than you think. For a Deutsch Drahthaar to pass the VGP they must follow a 20 hour old and a 40 hour old blood track 400 meters with 250ml of blood. These type of blood tracking dogs are rare. If it is close, most tracking dogs can find it.

As for the light, I have used the gerber carnivore and it was junk. I could see the fresh blood much better with the $20 Brinkman from Walmart. It is a surefire knock off.

nothing worse that losing a deer, especially one you feel like you hit good. I shot a doe last sunday and when i last saw her i would of bet money i smoked her. arrow hit tight to the shoulder, maybe a little low. (she was staring at me and i tried to compensate for a little drop) i found about 12 inches of my arrow about 20 yards up the trail. then she left an easy blood trail for another 150 or so yards, then nothing!! i walked all the well beating trails, road crossings, fence crossings, walked circles wider and wider. I have no idea what happened. very frustrating

Let er go. Save your tag and move on...just move on!!!

i have the Gerber light given to me. it's a piece of junk, guess that's way it was given to me.

i lost a deer one time. followed the blood until it ran out. i was worried sick, found the dang thing in the brush 20 yards from where i shot it 2 days later. it made one big circle.

So you didn't lose it, you just found it too late. At least you got closure.