texasmac wrote on Nov 6
th, 2019 at 12:47pm:
I bet back in the days when muzzle loaders were the main firearm there was a lot of injured or dead game left in the woods.
Wayne
Yes, I'm sure there was some of that, but most were hunting for sustenance rather than sport, so they learned from an early age how to track and trail.
My last deer was hit right where it should have been with a .30-30 (it was a Winchester sponsored hunt), and it left no blood trail to speak of. When the guide came back to pick me up, he was certain that this little dude from CA had botched the shot.
It was dark, and my flashlight was pooping out, so he left me his and walked off muttering as he left to pick up another hunter. By the time he came back, I had found the buck. He looked at the impact on the deer, then asked me to show him how I trailed it.
I pointed out how there was a TINY drop of blood here and there, how I marked those with trail tape and used that to establish a line of flight. When the sign died, I was forced to walk in ever increasing circles until I found sign again.
Now I'm no Nessmuk, but after we looked at the trail, I got a slap on the back from the guide, and he treated me "right friendly" for the balance of that Texas trip.
Good on 'ya for expending the effort to find your deer!