#29 - After the Shot: Recovering Wounded Game | Susanne Hamilton & Lindsay Ware

What should you do after the shot when an animal doesn’t go down and the blood trail starts to disappear? Do you keep tracking, back out, or call in a dog?

In Episode #29 of The True North Lifestyle Podcast, Joe Kruse and Jeff Paradis sit down with veteran Maine blood trackers Susanne Hamilton and Lindsay Ware for an in-depth conversation about tracking and recovering wounded game, including deer, moose, and bear.

With hundreds of tracks each season and years of experience working tracking dogs, Susanne and Lindsay have seen just about everything that can happen after the shot. They explain when hunters should keep tracking, when to back out, when to call a tracker, and why common mistakes like grid searching can make recovering an animal much more difficult.

They also break down how tracking dogs can follow wounded game for hundreds of yards with little or no visible blood, what the dogs may actually be following, and why archery and firearm tracks can present very different challenges.

The conversation covers high-spine shots, gut shots, leg hits, shot reactions, recovery timing, tracking wounded bears, dangerous moose encounters, recovery rates, and what hunters should do when a blood trail disappears.

Joe also shares a memorable moose hunt where the animal dropped instantly, appeared to be down for good, and then unexpectedly got back up and ran—leading to an important discussion about high-spine hits and why hunters shouldn't always assume an animal that drops immediately is dead.

Most importantly, Susanne and Lindsay share practical advice every big-game hunter should know: mark where the animal was standing, mark its direction of travel, physically mark blood and other sign, avoid walking directly on the track, and know when it's time to stop and call for help.

Whether you hunt deer, moose, bear, or other big game, this episode is packed with real-world blood-tracking and recovery knowledge that could make all the difference when a hunt doesn't go according to plan.

Save this episode before hunting season and share it with another hunter.

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