Elk Tracking Tips

[WapitiTalk1]

I'm sure many of us have had difficult tracking experiences; it goes with the game. What are some of your tips for tracking elk once the arrow (or other projectile) has found its mark? Let's skip past the standard ones that most big game hunters know (try to determine what type of hit it was, mark where you shot from, mark where the elk was standing and visual direction of travel, wait XX minutes before proceeding, mark every spot of blood). I'll throw out a couple.

1. Move slowly when tracking a hit elk. Stop often and listen.

2. An elk, even when hit well, may not bleed significantly outside the body for some pretty long stretches (depends on the hit, the hit angle, going uphill, downhill, etc.). Learn to tune in to the tracks of the target elk as much as the blood sign. This is crucial.

3. Realize that bright red/frothy blood does not necessarily signify a lung shot.

OK, these are just a very few. Tracking an elk after the shot is kind of an art and something that is learned through many years of doing it. Please throw out a few of your after the shot tracking tips that have worked for you.

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[Swede]

I have observed that a badly injured elk will try to follow the herd for as long as they can then make a sharp 90* turn and bed down uphill nearby. A dying elk can fall into the awfullest place around without even trying.

[>>>---WW---->]

Two of my favorites:

(1) Hydrogen Peroxide in a small spray bottle. Spray a squirt of it on anything that looks specious. If it is blood, it will foam up instantly. I've used it on dried up blood several hours old and it still works!

(2) Toilet Paper: Tear off a piece and place it on every speck of blood you find. It will mark the trail and help determine the general direction of travel the animal is going. And the nice thing about it is you don't have to go back and pick it up. The first light rain or heavy dew will dissolve it.