Photo: Finding and staying on a blood trail is difficult enough in the daylight, but after dark it can be nearly impossible. This tip will help you keep rolling along.
One thing I always carry with me on hunting trips is unscented toilet paper. But it might not be for the purpose you are thinking.
Bright white toilet paper is perfect for tearing off small bits to leave beside drops of blood when I am tracking a wounded deer.
It’s highly visible, contrasting against darker leaves and dirt.
When backtracking or restarting a trail, you can look back (or ahead) and easily get an idea of the path a deer is taking. This might help you figure out what its next move might be.
After dark, toilet paper shows up nicely in the beam of your flashlight.
Toilet paper is biodegradable and disappears after a few rains, depending on the quality of toilet paper you choose.
Heavy dew is all it takes disintegrate some brands, but better paper lasts longer, which is what you want.
If it rains between the time you begin tracking and the time you resume tracking, high quality paper will stick around. This is important, provided you must back out on a wounded animal overnight.
Toilet paper also makes good makeshift earplugs if you left your earmuffs or foam plugs at home. Just pinch off a little and roll it up tightly between your thumb and forefinger.
Keep toilet paper in a ziplock bag in your backpack, and don’t hesitate to bring a lot.
T.P. takes up very little room, and you can never have too much in case you need some for its intended purpose — for those times nature calls.
— Photo Courtesy of Tim H. Martin
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