Tips & Tactics

Deer Marker Arrow

Deer Marker Arrow

By Christopher Anderson

How often has this happened to you?

You’ve just shot a deer with your bow or crossbow, and in your excitement, you’ve climbed down from your treestand to start blood trailing before taking note of exactly where the animal stood.

When you reach the spot where you thought the deer was standing, you have great difficulty finding it.

You’re off to a bad start in the trailing process because everything looks different from the ground than it does from 20 feet or more in an elevated treestand. This is especially true in places where ground cover is thick.

For these reasons, I carry an extra trail-starter arrow in my quiver.

Deer Marker ArrowImmediately after shooting a deer, I nock my trail-starter arrow and shoot it into the ground where the deer was standing when I shot it. This gives me a solid starting point of reference to begin my search — a deer marker.

I like to use an old arrow or bolt that I don’t use much anymore, but isn’t beat up too much to fly straight — perhaps an arrow you have already taken a deer with.

Also, be sure to use a field tip on this arrow, and put it in the hardest-to-get-to place in your quiver so you won’t mistake it for a hunting arrow tipped with a broadhead.

Editor’s Note: If you have a unique or special tip you’d like to share with Buckmasters fans, please email it to huntingtips@buckmasters.com and, if chosen, we will send you a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, along with a knife!

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