What The Color of Deer Blood Means When Tracking a Wounded Deer
Finding blood after a shot is one of the most important clues you have when tracking a wounded deer. The color, consistency, and location of the blood can help you determine where the deer was hit and how aggressively you should continue the track.
While blood patterns are useful, they are not an exact science. Deer react differently to different wounds, and blood can change as it travels through vegetation or mixes with dirt and water. Use the blood trail along with your shot placement, the deer's reaction, and other signs to make the best decision about how to proceed.
What Different Blood Colors Can Tell You
You might not know the exact area you hit when your deer took off. Using the color of the blood on the ground and vegetation can help give you a clue as to how lethal your shot was.
Bright Red Blood
Bright red blood is generally associated with oxygen-rich arterial blood. A trail containing bright red blood, especially when it appears in larger amounts or sprays onto nearby vegetation, can indicate an arterial hit.
A strong arterial blood trail often provides a good indication that the deer is losing blood quickly. However, don't assume that every bright red blood trail means a fatal hit. Continue evaluating the amount and pattern of blood as you track.
Dark Red or Maroon Blood
Dark red blood often indicates a hit involving veins or organs with less oxygenated blood. A dark, steady blood trail can be associated with a liver hit.
A liver-hit deer may not leave a dramatic blood trail immediately. Give the deer plenty of time before beginning the track, as pushing a wounded deer too soon can cause it to travel farther.
Pink or Frothy Blood
Pink or bubbly blood can indicate that the lungs were hit. The bubbles or foam come from air mixing with blood as it leaves the respiratory system.
A lung hit often produces a consistent blood trail, particularly when blood appears on both sides of the trail or on vegetation at different heights. If you see pink, frothy blood, carefully follow the trail while looking for additional signs of a lung hit.
Dark Blood With Tissue or Hair
Blood accompanied by tissue can provide additional information about shot placement. Pieces of lung tissue, for example, can support the possibility of a lung hit.
Hair can also provide clues. The length, color, and texture of hair found near the impact site can help hunters determine what part of the deer was struck. Look closely at the first few yards around the point of impact before moving down the trail.
Pay Attention to the Blood Trail Pattern
Color is only one piece of the puzzle. Pay attention to how much blood you are finding, how frequently it appears, and where it is located.
Blood on both sides of a trail can indicate a pass-through shot, while blood on one side may indicate the arrow or bullet did not exit. Blood sprayed on nearby vegetation can also reveal the direction the deer traveled.
Mark the location of each significant blood spot as you go. If the trail becomes difficult to follow, these markers can help you work backward and determine the deer's most likely path.
Know When to Stop and Wait
One of the biggest mistakes hunters make is rushing the recovery. If you believe you made a liver or marginal hit, give the deer time to bed down before beginning an aggressive track.
If the blood trail becomes sparse, stop and reassess rather than immediately assuming you have lost the deer. Look for disturbed leaves, tracks, broken branches, hair, and other signs that can keep you moving in the right direction.
Make Deer Tracking Easier With a Thermal Drone
A thermal drone can give hunters another tool when a blood trail becomes difficult to follow. The DJI Matrice 4T and 4TD use thermal imaging to detect the heat signature of a wounded deer, potentially making it easier to locate an animal that has moved into thick cover or an area where traditional tracking becomes difficult.
Instead of relying solely on a fading blood trail, a thermal drone can provide an aerial view of surrounding fields, woods, and bedding areas. For hunters who regularly recover deer across large or difficult properties, the Matrice 4T and 4TD offer a faster and more efficient way to search for a wounded animal.
Always check your local regulations before using a drone for deer recovery, as laws regarding drones and wildlife vary by state.
Thermal Drones from Buckfinder
Buckfinder offers the latest thermal drones to support hunters and land owners looking for more efficient ways to locate deer, dead or alive. Check out our ready-to-go kits that provide pilots with everything they need to start scouting, tracking, and locating.
