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AzDiamondHeat

Pinpointing downed animal

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What method(s) do  you use to help find downed animals when you are by yourself? Lets say you shoot across a canyon, knowing you have a good hit and a downed animal, how do you get yourself to THAT spot efficiently to start your search?

This is of course assuming there are no power lines use as a point of reference....

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3 minutes ago, AzDiamondHeat said:

What method(s) do  you use to help find downed animals when you are by yourself? Lets say you shoot across a canyon, knowing you have a good hit and a downed animal, how do you get yourself to THAT spot efficiently to start your search?

This is of course assuming there are no power lines use as a point of reference....

Compass, GPS, rangefinder and landmarks. Take a reading of direction towards the animal with your compass and rangefinder, GPS coordinate of where you took your shot. Start hiking and when you are 180 degrees direction back to your shot location, you need to extend or decrease your range along that line.  I usually tie something conspicuous to a bush/tree so I can find my shot position with my glass. Good luck.

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My last rifle buck was 435 yards across a canyon at last light. I did exactly as above without the 180 degree part, just placed a point on the big oak that matched my rangefinder/GPS/compass. When my hunting partner joined me for the search and at the point of "he should be right h..." my partner found him piled up before I could finish my sentence.

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Old school way with a map and compass and a pencil. Find three known locations, shoot an azimuth with your compass to them, convert magnetic north to grid north, draw a back azimuth on your map from those 3 locations, where those lines intersect that is your location. Shoot another azimuth to where you think the animal went down, convert magnetic to grid north again, plot the 180 azimuth on your map to your location, then go get it. Or I'm sure one of those newfangled GPS units will do the same thing. Or make a mental note of where it went down, walk over to the spot and if it's not there lay down a marker of some sorts on the ground then walk in a circular pattern til you find it.

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2 hours ago, arizonian said:

Compass, GPS, rangefinder and landmarks. Take a reading of direction towards the animal with your compass and rangefinder, GPS coordinate of where you took your shot. Start hiking and when you are 180 degrees direction back to your shot location, you need to extend or decrease your range along that line.  I usually tie something conspicuous to a bush/tree so I can find my shot position with my glass. Good luck.

Ditto for me as well easy pezzy usually come within 10 yards or less of the kill 

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I empty the rest of my ammo into a nearby tree and try to blow all the bark and foliage off and better yet start a small fire with the sparks.  Then when you get over to the area you can reference where you shot from by the big shiny pile of brass.  

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This is no easy task. I have taken bucks at 418, 660, 381. All solo

It’s an adrenaline dump so keep your wits about you till the tag is on the deer.

all solo hunts. First thing I do is leave the rifle right where it was when I pulled the trigger. Through the scope find land mark that is near the downed animal.

 

Back out and Find another land mark without binos. Looking over your rifle set up.Set up binos on tripod and start mapping out your pathway.

 

 

always keep checking your downed animal. They may get up and move 10yds out of sight. Might as well be A mile.

 

all animals were with 300ultra only one went down in plain view. The other two went approx 10-20yds with no blood trail.

Another thing is practice shooting alone. And being able to get back on target with out help. 

 

One buck i ck I was so close I could smell venison down wing when he was actually above me.

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My brother ties a piece of flagging to a branch from his shooting location.  He then gets in front of or behind by about five or ten feet and ties another flag  so they line up and point directly at the animals location.  That way when you get across the canyon (which looks entirely different from that side) you look back at the flags and keep moving till you line up the two and viola.

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