Opening day of Muzzleloader season found me sitting on the edge of a swamp in Johnston County. About 8:20am I had a large body deer come down a trail to the left side of the stand I could make out two points on one side of his antlers. The trail he was taking he would only offer me a small window of opportunity. Once he stepped out from behind the tree I dropped the hammer on the primer and the gun roared. He dropped like a ton of bricks but as the smoke drifted off he jumped up and raced off. After sitting and replaying the shot in my mind I got down and reloaded my gun and walked over to the spot where he had dropped. Other then a few brown hairs (The least amount I have ever found on a deer I hit) and the tore up leaf litter there was little sign of what had happened. I slowly worked my way down the trail he took and about 10 yards down it I found a small drop of blood. I marked the spot and left the area to return an hour latter to begin the trail. The blood trail was not very strong I was finding small drops about every 10 feet and the occasional areas where there was a bit more. Tracking was difficult at time because of such little blood, a lot of it I would find the blood drops by noticing the ants attracted to it.
My thoughts looking at the sign I was seeing I thought I might have a neck shot. I was finding blood on trees and brush it was bright red with no visible bubbles. I had a knot in my stomach because this buck was trailing the wrong direction for a fatal hit. He ran about 150 to 200 yards parallel with a swamp and then turned up hill. He seemed to move away from a primary water source. Well he knew a place on the side of the ridge where there was water. I found him within 100yards of this water hole which was little more then a mud puddle. I discovered I hit him a bit forward on the shoulder and got no expansion on the bullet it passed cleanly through. The muscles in the shoulders were blocking the entrance and exit wounds and only when the legs lined up just right would blood come out. I was glad to track him and find him. He was a good size deer he was about 150lbs and had a fork antler on one side and a spike on the other.
Blood Trail Photos
Ribbon line of blood trail. Longer strips help when trailing byself to check backtrail for direction of travel and see in thick coverage.
Blood on bushes and trees helps you tell where the wound is on the animal.
Small waterhole that the buck went to after the shot. He passed much larger areas in the swamp
End of a long trail
Entrance wound
Exit wound Hair covered it not much of opening for bleed out
