Finding animal where you dropped it?

viper

viper

Active member
This may sound like an easy question but, in Indiana where I grew up if you shot an animal it was easy to know where to go get it. But out West with every cactus and rock looking the same and the fact you walk up and down canyons or ridges to get over to it, how do you mark your shot? I try to look where it was and see what’s around there. But by the time you get their everything looks the same! Any wise tricks to make this easier?? Thanks
 
Umm simple, its called shooting an azimuth with a compass and a distance with a rangefinder or guess (error on the long side).

Buy a military compass, learn how to shoot an azimuth. Go to a known measured distance track, i.e. local high-school track. Start walking and every time your left foot hits the ground count it. Do that several times to get a flat ground average pace count. Once that's established do it on hill ground. Your strides will be shorter so your pace count will be more than level ground. RECORD THESE NUMBERS!! This is your personal pace count.

I learned this skill many years ago as a private in bootcamp at Infantryschool at Ft. Benning. Most infantry soldiers has their pace count written down inside our patrol cap. We also have Ranger beads to aid in long distance navigation. Those basic skills as an infantryman has came into play all over the world my entire life since, from navigation in theatr, in state parks, to finding my car in a new city!

Night hunting is simple with a lazer, simple have it slaved to your scope zero and walk strait to your dead coyote.
 
Ok I have compass Kino and range finder. But in most places I can’t walk a straight track to it. If I know the animal is 300 yard by range finder and at 270 degrees. But if I have to walk around a large wash where I come out I can’t just get back on the line again unless I am directly in the initial line?
 
When I did a lot of night hunting, we would use a laser pointer on a tripod. The light guy would keep his eyes on the last spot he saw the eyes at the time of shot while the shooter set up the laser pointer.
 
Originally Posted By: viperOk I have compass Kino and range finder. But in most places I can’t walk a straight track to it. If I know the animal is 300 yard by range finder and at 270 degrees. But if I have to walk around a large wash where I come out I can’t just get back on the line again unless I am directly in the initial line?


So when you get to an obstacle simply box around it. When you are standing at the edge of the obstacle shoot another distance across so you know how far so travel to get around. Add or subtract 90degrees to make your turn.


Another trick is to shoot an azimuth to the animal and range your distance. LEAVE an orange hat or something highly visible at the location where you took your shot FROM then if you get off you can shoot a back azimuth to get back online.

Hopefully that makes sense, I take navigation for granted because I've done it so much, PM me if it doesn't and you can call me and ill explain better on the phone.
 
Kino that would work I can’t box around because it’s Tucson Desert nothing is square here, up’s down’s and drop off’s. But taking the compass heading and range then putting up some thing bright should help!
 
If it isn't illegal for some reason, you could get a lower end or used thermal scanner. Good for finding not-so-well placed arrowed deer, etc.....too .
 
Practice is what will help you the most. There is almost always some object that I'll take a mental picture of that I can find my exact spot if it is 100 yards or 1000 or more than a mile away. I've learned not to just rush over to a spot that I know will be difficult to locate an animal without scanning the area with my binoculars. I've made the mistake too many times thinking I could find the exact spot only to be walking circles and questioning myself because I've rushed over to a spot and was overconfident. Using my rangefinder will also help give me confidence when I'm getting close. I will also take a picture with my phone before walking over to a spot. When I hunt big game, I'll often take some pictures through my spotting scope before I make a stalk.
 
Originally Posted By: Kino M

Another trick is to shoot an azimuth to the animal and range your distance. LEAVE an orange hat or something highly visible at the location where you took your shot FROM then if you get off you can shoot a back azimuth to get back online.

Hopefully that makes sense, I take navigation for granted because I've done it so much, PM me if it doesn't and you can call me and ill explain better on the phone.

This is similar to what I'd do. If I shot something way out that looked like it might be some work to recover and I knew it was down, I'd immediately look beyond it for a landmark that is inline. Could be a tree, rock or a big bush...even a mountaintop, something I could easily spot in the distance. Then at my stand I'd leave my shooting sticks with something easy to spot (I used a red bandana) propped up in the air.

As you said, once you walk out and start zig zagging around easy to get off line. I'm sure all of us have walked back to our shot site trying to get our bearings after unsuccessfully locating a critter. By marking it first I can align myself in the correct direction. If I don't walk right to it, it's usually a little further or a little closer than I thought but I'm usually pretty close inline.
 
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Originally Posted By: tawnoper

This is similar to what I'd do. If I shot something way out that looked like it might be some work to recover and I knew it was down, I'd immediately look beyond it for a landmark that is inline. Could be a tree, rock or a big bush...even a mountaintop, something I could easily spot in the distance. Then at my stand I'd leave my shooting sticks with something easy to spot (I used a red bandana) propped up in the air.

As you said, once you walk out and start zig zagging around easy to get off line. I'm sure all of us have walked back to our shot site trying to get our bearings after unsuccessfully locating a critter. By marking it first I can align myself in the correct direction. If I don't walk right to it, it's usually a little further or a little closer than I thought but I'm usually pretty close inline.


That's pretty much how I go about it.

- DAA
 
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