Lesson 6 - Tracking a Wounded Animal

Tracking a wounded animal is sometimes a difficult process. As a Professional Hunter you must be proficient at this task. After the shot is made, either by bow or rifle, and you see the animal is hit but does not go down, you should not follow immediately. Generally, you should wait for 20 minutes to 45 minutes before pursuing the animal. (depending on how bad the animal is wounded) Usually if not pursued right away the animal will bed down when wounded.

When starting after the animal, find the spot where the hit took place and follow the blood trail slowly. Sometimes you will have to get on your hands and knees to find the small specks of blood. Sometimes the trail is easy because of profuse bleeding. If you loose the trail, go back to the last spot that you had the sign and try to pick up the trail again.

Sometimes the wound will close, or bleeding will slow so much that tracking becomes almost impossible. If you quarter around from the last place that you had blood, and can't find any blood or sign of the animal, you may have to go by your gut, and just travel the direction the animal is going, checking every thicket or place they could hide along the way. I have lost very few animals this way. You have to be determined. AND NOT GIVE UP!