Finding The Shot Site

Marking the shot position and finding the strike area with least damage or contamination.

 

Do not walk the red zone to the bullet strike and shot site all you do is destroy evidence and then lay more tracks with blood, particles and everything you pick up on clothing from the shot site unknowingly.

 

Walk each side at by least 3m so you are clear of any particles.

 

Have the shooter in the seat or at the shooting position guide you in to shot site.

 

Carefully approach the area till you are in the correct position. 

 

Once located you can now look for the strike area and debris this may take a while to build up a picture of what has happened.

 

Once determined you can now plan for the next course of action.

 

 Questions to ask yourself

• Which way did the beast run?

• Which calibre used?

• What bullet?

• Distance?

• Reaction?

 

If you saw the beast run and have little to go on at the shot site slowly move to the way it ran often animals don’t leave the bone actually on the shot site but as they move legs or parts start to swing, this will leave bone particles and blood behind.

 

Certain calibres leave less sign at the strike than others but after a short while blood and bone will be present.

 

The bullet makes a huge difference to leaving shot site evidence. Is there a difference between a lead bullet and a copper one?

 

Distance is another part to play in the shot sight If standing, can you see the bullet path?

 

Reaction, not many see this but it does help. Did the beast run off walk off?

 

Keep a dog away from the area at the start to give yourself a chance to work out what happened do not go in straight away not knowing what you are tracking, lots of blood at the strike is not always a good indicator of a good shot, unless lung tissue is present then a short wait to follow up on a dead beast.

 

The only two positive indicators on blood are lung shot and another positive id is the spleen.

 

Everything else can look like another when looking only at the blood.

 

Follow up on any wounded animal is determined by the evidence you find and leaving a beast sometimes 4 hours plus is the best course of action to recover or dispatch that animal.

 

Call for assistance on the number above, if needed, we are always here to help, leave a message on our free phone number