I’ve seen lights advertised to help track deer (i.e. make it easier to see blood). Do any of them really work?

Hopefully I will not get any comments about wounding deer with poor shot placement, I’ve seen deer that were shot in the heart go quite a ways. I've also seen deer with solid broadside double lung shots leave almost no blood trail (just a drop every 8 - 12 yards).

It’s not always just shot placement. So, if they work it seems a good tracking light would be very useful.

I already have a bright LED light (which generally works fine). Just trying to see if there is anything that would speed the tracking process.

(Before I get a comment about a dog - My buddies tracking dog is now so old she's retired and I don't know anyone else with a tracking dog.)

I have tried a couple, don’t remember which ones specifically, but they didn’t work at all... way worse than a good bright white light.

Never seen them work.

Mark where you hit the deer, use bright white light to look for blood, track accordingly.

Gimmick

Bright white lights are the best. And then a dog.

I always have a dog with me, never lost any big game and very few others. Takes some work to keep your dog from taking off on his own, but once you have won that battle, you got it made.

When they first came out I bought one, total waste of the money, up a good bright flashlight or get a dog.

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Oooo, they work great!!!

The trick is attaching them to the buck's antlers or the doe's tail before it scampers away. And if you have the time, attaching bear bells helps too!


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One note on the bright white light:

If you are going to use an LED flashlight, it's best to find a "high CRI" one.

CRI is "Color Rendition Index." Essentially, cheap LEDs don't produce an even spectrum of color compared to sunlight. In particular, they are usually missing a LOT of red.

Blood is red. It doesn't show up as well (the color is much duller) with a low-CRI light as compared to a high-CRI light.

A thermal imager would be the best way to track the critter or any trail it leaves behind.

I haven't seen any other electronic device help in any way.

I chose to hunt in the morning to avoid this issue. I felt it was easier to walk in the dark than to try and find and process a deer in the dark.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I chose to hunt in the morning to avoid this issue. I felt it was easier to walk in the dark than to try and find and process a deer in the dark.

That's a pretty drastic measure to eliminate something thar doesn't happen all that often and is really not that difficult.

But I respect trying to eliminate lost game.

I don't like field dressing in the dark either. On the other hand we usually found Coleman gas lanterns a pretty good light for locating blood spots

Flashlight and a pointer (quail hunting dog) always worked for me!

Having tried one years ago I'm in the "it's a gimmick" camp.
Best thing to do is make a big exit wound. The rest takes care of itself.

I am always amazed at the gimmicks that sell and sell well. Talking to a friend who sells sporting goods he tells me that it is the gimmicks that keep him in business,same for the print material a place to sell adds. It has been that way for years. I remember the first man to sell dandruff hair soap had to first sell folks that dandruff was bad, then his shampoo sold. Create the perception of a need, for your product and you have a market!

Off subject... kind of like all this hair restoration for men.... what the heck is the big deal with losing the hair on your head?

You don’t need gimmicky devices beyond the MK1 optics. The answer is proper shot placement and patience. I’ve found every single deer I’ve shot in the last 24 years I’ve been hunting; all have been within 50 yards of the tree stand, max. If I don’t have a broadside shot at the heart/lung sweet spot, I don’t take the shot. A .44 from a 16” carbine (all I hunt with anymore) will give a through and through with copious exsanguination from 2 holes about every time.