Good advice all round. If shot with rifle they usually circle towards the exit wound if bullet goes through, as it is much bigger than the entry and must weaken that side. I use surveyor tape to mark shoot position and position of animal when shot, also last blood found. Surprising how quickly you become unsure of where animal was when shot, the kneeling and circling is very good advice too, I have found more than one deer where it died under the brush when searching kneeling, would have walked right past standing up and missed it. Good stories, I reckon plenty of us were right there with you and the compass thing is easy done, me and a buddy spent a good time walking the wrong direction, he had compass in right hand and rifle on right shoulder, it was pulling it off a long way, the sun came out and we realised we where heading the wrong way too, shusssssh tell no one
