Primos Bloodhunter HD Shadow Free Blood Tracking Light

[Sir-diealot]

So last year I learned that I can no longer see blood for whatever reason, I had people there helping me track and they were seeing it clear as day but even when they put their lights on it to show me my eyes just would not pick it up. That is a major problem that I need to have resolved. I was wondering if anyone has used the Primos Bloodhunter HD Shadow Free Blood Tracking Light and if so what were the results? I have read reviews online of others and this seems to be the best of them.

If I can't trail a deer anymore then I am going to have to give up hunting them, I do not want to leave an injured/dead animal behind, it is bad enough the rest of my body is telling me I don't have to many years left and now this. Thanks for any help given. By the way, I know about the Colman lantern trick but with my balance carrying something around that could start a fire in the woods if I trip and fall which is very likely makes it for me is not a viable solution.

[Southerngobbler]

I have tried several of those style lights (not that one specifically) and do believe they are all a gimmick. Never any good results. Train your dog to track wounded deer, it's easy. My dogs tracked 4 in the last week, I'm getting where its funner to track them than to shoot them. The old school replaceable razor type broadheads like muzzy make it unnecessary usually anyways. The one I shot this morning took 4 steps and fell over, dog wasn't very pleased with me.

[Sixes]

I am one of the unfortunate men that have red/green color blindness.  Unless a blood trail is painted, I have a difficult time following a trail. With that said, I rarely do not find a deer that I shoot and if I don't, it is from a bad shot.

The key is to make a good shot, a deer shot low through the lungs will not travel but a few seconds and not very far. Most fall within 60-75 yards and a lot of times in sight.  That is with a bow.  Good shot, watch the travel of the deer, go to the last place you saw the animal and start looking from there, most take a trail or path that is familiar.

With a rifle, a high shoulder shot on a broadside deer is devastating.  Most will hit the ground at the spot and those that do not cannot travel far with no running gear.

In your situation, if you are truly concerned with following a blood trail, limit yourself to morning hunts and be willing to give up an evening hunt earlier in the afternoon.

A BRIGHT light is the key after dark, but for me/us, unless the leaves are dry, then a blood trail is still difficult, but in dry conditions, the bright light will show the wetness of the blood.

My buddies are always amazed at how easily I can find deer without blood trailing, but a good pair of binoculars, following trails and "looking" for the white belly will find most all deer.

Last November, the 17 y/o son of a friend was sitting about 350 yards from me down a gas line.  I saw the buck come out at dark, managed to text the son and tell him to kill that buck ( I used a lot stronger language in the group text that everyone still laughs about), he was looking the other way. He turned, saw the buck, took aim and I saw the buck mule kick and heard the boom. I climbed down, walked to the spot the deer went into the woods while he waited on his Dad, Uncle and Grandpa to get there to track. They found no blood.  I walked into the woods on a defined trail with my light, spent about 6-8 minutes looking and then started down a hill to what would be a natural path and what should be about 75 yards from the shot.. I saw the buck laying stone dead within a couple of minutes.

Here are a couple pics our now infamous "Shoot that Effing DEER" group text

[Happy]

Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle can help immensely. As far as lights go I have a Dewalt 20v light that shows blood really well. Its a pain to pack so I just keep it in the truck. Stay away from the bright/white lights. Its been my experience that well hit deer typically only make it about 60-75 yards. Occasionally they may do better but not often. I shot one yesterday that straight lined it as hard as he could go for about 60 yards then cut left and just made it out of sight when he went down. I would say in the last five years I have seen 75% go down in sight. I wouldn't let color blindness hold me back. Broadhead sharpness, construction, and shot selection are the biggest elements in my opinion.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Sir-diealot]

I have tried several of those style lights (not that one specifically) and do believe they are all a gimmick. Never any good results. Train your dog to track wounded deer, it's easy. My dogs tracked 4 in the last week, I'm getting where its funner to track them than to shoot them. The old school replaceable razor type broadheads like muzzy make it unnecessary usually anyways. The one I shot this morning took 4 steps and fell over, dog wasn't very pleased with me.

Not a possibility where I hunt, the owners would flip if a dog were seen on the property, they believe it will run all the deer off the land. They also will not allow us to trap until after deer season because they believe we will scare all the deer away. Hard to trap coyote after all those people have been in there shooting at deer and shooting at them and the best time to do it is before the season so we don't trap there anymore, to much money to get there for no results. I do like the coon, opossum, skunk and red/gray fox being gone, but the guy I trap with does not feel it is worth the distance to get out there and not get any coyote. (His truck, his lure and bate and his traps, I am just learning)

I am one of the unfortunate men that have red/green color blindness.  Unless a blood trail is painted, I have a difficult time following a trail. With that said, I rarely do not find a deer that I shoot and if I don't, it is from a bad shot.

The key is to make a good shot, a deer shot low through the lungs will not travel but a few seconds and not very far. Most fall within 60-75 yards and a lot of times in sight.  That is with a bow.  Good shot, watch the travel of the deer, go to the last place you saw the animal and start looking from there, most take a trail or path that is familiar.

With a rifle, a high shoulder shot on a broadside deer is devastating.  Most will hit the ground at the spot and those that do not cannot travel far with no running gear.

In your situation, if you are truly concerned with following a blood trail, limit yourself to morning hunts and be willing to give up an evening hunt earlier in the afternoon.

A BRIGHT light is the key after dark, but for me/us, unless the leaves are dry, then a blood trail is still difficult, but in dry conditions, the bright light will show the wetness of the blood.

My buddies are always amazed at how easily I can find deer without blood trailing, but a good pair of binoculars, following trails and "looking" for the white belly will find most all deer.

Last November, the 17 y/o son of a friend was sitting about 350 yards from me down a gas line.  I saw the buck come out at dark, managed to text the son and tell him to kill that buck ( I used a lot stronger language in the group text that everyone still laughs about), he was looking the other way. He turned, saw the buck, took aim and I saw the buck mule kick and heard the boom. I climbed down, walked to the spot the deer went into the woods while he waited on his Dad, Uncle and Grandpa to get there to track. They found no blood.  I walked into the woods on a defined trail with my light, spent about 6-8 minutes looking and then started down a hill to what would be a natural path and what should be about 75 yards from the shot.. I saw the buck laying stone dead within a couple of minutes.

Here are a couple pics our now infamous "Shoot that Effing DEER" group text

Last year I put one in the boiler room from 15 yards if that with a 30.06 and never found it, I know the gun was on and I know I was steady as I have to use a stick because of my left shoulder to keep gun steady, we never found it. I only take broadside or quartering away shots with a bow and the second depends on how steep the angle is. Took my first deer with a bow quartering a way following the front leg on opposite side up just like they taught us in hunters ed.  A friend thinks perhaps my bullet never had time to expand being that it was so close, I am not so sure I buy that. I am still disgusted I did not find it, I have never lost an animal before. Just hoping it recovered or something else found it when we could not, we covered the area for four hours though the day after and for two the night before until it started to rain. Horrible feeling. I really limit myself on shooting distance because I know I am not the guy that is going to be making several hundred yard shots, I am not good enough and I know it and you owe it to the animal to know your limitations and stay within them so you don't wound them. I shoot 100 and under if hunting a field and far under that in a woods.

I have a real hard time with those really bright white lights, they blind me big time. (This is why I only drive at night when I have to or on the way to go hunting) I have a old 4 volt flashlight I use, I keep it in the truck until needed. It may sound funny I have found deer by smelling them before I have seen them in the past, when close by of course. I have also never shot an animal that I did not hear before I saw it. Congratulations to the young man on his deer.

Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle can help immensely. As far as lights go I have a Dewalt 20v light that shows blood really well. Its a pain to pack so I just keep it in the truck. Stay away from the bright/white lights. Its been my experience that well hit deer typically only make it about 60-75 yards. Occasionally they may do better but not often. I shot one yesterday that straight lined it as hard as he could go for about 60 yards then cut left and just made it out of sight when he went down. I would say in the last five years I have seen 75% go down in sight. I wouldn't let color blindness hold me back. Broadhead sharpness, construction, and shot selection are the biggest elements in my opinion.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I will try the Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, thanks for the tip, is there something about how it foams when it comes in contact with the blood I would expect? I use a old 4 volt battery flashlight, those super bright ones blind me. I agree completely with the equipment having to be good, I do not touch mechanicals, I simply do not trust them at all and with some testing I did years ago I trust them even less. I shoot under 30 yards, never more, use carbon arrows, used to shoot 70# @ 29" but now shoot 45-50# @ 29 after 2 shoulder surgeries (may have to have a third) What I was talking about above was with a 30.06 though and at 15 yards or less.

[Happy]

Yes the peroxide will cause blood to foam up. Honestly bow poundage is not a big issue in my opinion if paired with the right broadhead and shot selection.  While i am not a mechanical fan and only shot one deer years ago with one. I will say a big cut mechanical shot from a bow/arrow combo  with the horsepower to push it through can create a lot of damage on a broadside lung shot. I have been on some blood trails that where pretty impressive. However I have also been on my share of bloodtrails that show the downfalls of mechanical heads one angle shots and when encountering bone. I believe broadhead sharpness is way more critical than cutting diameter. And for my style of hunting a tough broadhead that can handle bone and angled shots. As far as the 30:06 shot goes i would find it hard to believe a bullet fails to open because velocity is too high. However I am just thinking out loud. I would think if anything it would have opened faster than usual and if ribshot you would have had a mess. But bad bullets could fail to expand. So I have no clue.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Sir-diealot]

Yes the peroxide will cause blood to foam up. Honestly bow poundage is not a big issue in my opinion if paired with the right broadhead and shot selection.  While i am not a mechanical fan and only shot one deer years ago with one. I will say a big cut mechanical shot from a bow/arrow combo  with the horsepower to push it through can create a lot of damage on a broadside lung shot. I have been on some blood trails that where pretty impressive. However I have also been on my share of bloodtrails that show the downfalls of mechanical heads one angle shots and when encountering bone. I believe broadhead sharpness is way more critical than cutting diameter. And for my style of hunting a tough broadhead that can handle bone and angled shots. As far as the 30:06 shot goes i would find it hard to believe a bullet fails to open because velocity is too high. However I am just thinking out loud. I would think if anything it would have opened faster than usual and if ribshot you would have had a mess. But bad bullets could fail to expand. So I have no clue.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

This would have been my shot, nothing between me and the deer by space and the screen of my blind. I had never taken this shot before but always read in magazines and saw on videos and TV that it was a high percentage shot (with rifle or shotgun with slug or sabot, never with a bow or crossbow) or I would not have taken it, even the hunters safety instructors talked about it being high percentage so I felt safe in taking it with a rest.

I agree that sharpness is a must, I remember the rubberband demonstration the bow hunting instructor did with a dull broadhead and it barely cut the rubber bands stretched across a square in two directions and then he use the same kind of broadhead and it was sharp and when he started to push it through those rubber bands started to pop as they were easily cut tby the sharpened broadhead. It was a great object lesson. I will try the peroxide trick this year for sure.