Hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) is a very powerful tool for blood trailing. Any little spec of blood, no matter how old or dried, will turn white and frothy as soon as the peroxide hits it. This tool can help you find blood when it isn’t visible to the naked eye, such as after a rain, mud, thin grass, crop fields or dry pine needles.
Hydrogen peroxide should be kept in a colored bottle so it doesn’t break down; the easiest and safest thing to do is to attach a spray nozzle to the actual peroxide bottle. However, I keep mine in a clear bottle, but it’s clearly marked, wrapped in a towel and kept under my truck seat until I need it.
Editor’s Note: Check out Jason’s other tips and podcasts at Traditional and Wilderness Podcast, www.tbwpodcast.com.
Not only for trailing, Hydrogen Peroxide does a wonderful job of cleaning your bloody fletching after a pass through. Way kinder to your feathers than the scrubbing necessary for soap and water removal of blood. It is effective against almost all the bloodborne pathogens, will disinfect your gutting knife, and fights infection from any cuts and nicks you may be unlucky enough to get n the field. Great stuff to have around.
Greg
Works well for us colorblind folk also.
Peroxide will foam upon contact with any body fluid. Works great on checking a spot of body fluid from a gut shot animal, always hope it doesn’t happen but you know the rest of that story.
One of the major scent manufacturers used to sell a product that had a catchy name and did the same thing. Cost about $10 for a spray-bottle of it. I always assumed it was hydrogen peroxide.