Bloodtrail Tracking

[Hi5]

Most of you folks have watched CSI and saw how the investigators pull out their UV lights and scan over the darkened crime scene with it. Of course, they are wearing protective eyewear to protect their eyesight against UV rays.

Blood shows up, glowing in the darkness.

Years ago, I bought a UV flashlight. I paid a good dollar for it too. When I tried to track a wounded elk with it, it was useless. Come to think of it, so was my dog. The only good thing that came out of that flashlight was the batteries. I put them in my other flashlight, and those Lithium batteries lasted for years, so I did get some good out of that purchase. My dog was another story. She was, and remained, a happy, friendly, chow hound.

I have no idea what the frequency was of that flashlight. I'm now informed that it would be best to have a light emitting 365 nm.

There are lots of flashlights available, emitting between 365nm and 390nm. So, my question is, are there any UV flashlights out there that would be a practical assistance in blood tracking? What kind of protection would be advisable for the UV flashlight user?

[Bullzeye]

There are some flashlights dedicated to blood tracking, they do not use UV though, I believe it's a combination of colours, how well they work I have no idea.

[Green380]

A friend let me borrow one of those red/blue flashlights. I didn't need it to find my deer but did test it out. Made no difference at all if it was pointed at blood or water. Was just an odd coloured flashlight. It has two red and two blue LEDs.
He did tell me it wasn't expensive it's possible better models work.

[W.Miguire]

I got one of those blood trailing lights and it don't work worth a dime . can't tell the diff from water or blood.
W.M.

[one shot scott]

If I recall correctly, (often I do not. CRS!) in order for the blood splatter to be visible on CSI they often sprayed the spot first. If your serious then find out what that is and you may get somewhere..But I think

its a dead end.




I have a few UV lights that I use in my trade and the only hunting application I can find a use for them is to find a lost arrow. With my job eye protection is yellow lenses that I guess protects the eye and helps to illuminate the uv dye I am tracing.
Like others mentioned, the flashlights geared towards hunters for bloodtrailing are useless. I am red/green colorblind and would be very interested in anything that would help me find a light bloodtrail. Paulaboutform has started a thread about thermal imagers and that is the route I am currently thinking about going. But this finds a body, not a trail. And even its not 100%. I am just playing the waiting game when it comes to pricing. I figure the longer I wait, the cheaper they will become.

Good luck to you! If you come up with something let us know! Up to this point, the only thing that has helped me is a phone to call a non colorblind pal.

[SEC-ond 2 none]

If I have to do any night tracking or trying to find a blood trail, i use a Coleman Lantern with a homemade aluminum reflector with a copper and wood handle that I attach to my lantern. I hold it similar to a flashlight. The shield keeps the light out of my eyes and Illuminates very brightly wherever I point/shine it. This method has worked really well for me.

Happy Trails
Stephen

[Hi5]

Luminol is the name of the product that crime scene investigators use to detect blood. It is sprayed onto surfaces where blood is suspected to be present--not that practical in blood tracking. That is unless you can hire a crop duster airplane to fog the entire forest with luminol.

I was hoping there might be some CSI types here who could give us the scoop on UV lights, and what was fact and what was fiction.

[Coon Gravy]

I have a purple/red filtered LED that is supposed to help with blood tracking and it sucks. I've just gone back to using a lantern or regular flashlights.

[bdog]

If I have to do any night tracking or trying to find a blood trail, i use a Coleman Lantern with a homemade aluminum reflector with a copper and wood handle that I attach to my lantern. I hold it similar to a flashlight. The shield keeps the light out of my eyes and Illuminates very brightly wherever I point/shine it. This method has worked really well for me.

Happy Trails
Stephen

This right here, it's old school method, and it does help, it has to be the naptha gas lantern

[vixenmaster]

This here be my fool proof blood trackin unit

[maple]

Good luck with those blood tracking flashlights.

Don't know about blood but they sure do work well for finding lost arrows in the dark. The fletching shows up real good in UV light.

As far as eye protection is concerned, you don't need any. The light emitted is UV, but all the visually detected light (the light you see reflected back) is within the visible spectrum. You only need to be careful not to shine the UV into your face too much.

[wvnitroman]

A little bit off subject but I keep a spray bottle filled with peroxide in my truck. If you are having a hard time with the blood trail, spray it around and if there is anything there at all, it will foam up just like it does on your kid's boo boos.

[SEC-ond 2 none]

A little bit off subject but I keep a spray bottle filled with peroxide in my truck. If you are having a hard time with the blood trail, spray it around and if there is anything there at all, it will foam up just like it does on your kid's boo boos.

This works if trying to locate a blood trail.

Happy Trails
Stephen

[rayman]

A little bit off subject but I keep a spray bottle filled with peroxide in my truck. If you are having a hard time with the blood trail, spray it around and if there is anything there at all, it will foam up just like it does on your kid's boo boos.

That hydrogen peroxide works good when your dog gets skunk sprayed also.

[Pydpiper]

Luminol is the name of the product that crime scene investigators use to detect blood. It is sprayed onto surfaces where blood is suspected to be present--not that practical in blood tracking. That is unless you can hire a crop duster airplane to fog the entire forest with luminol.

I was hoping there might be some CSI types here who could give us the scoop on UV lights, and what was fact and what was fiction.

Luminol is only part of the equation, There are also glasses that accompany that process to amplify the colors. As you figured out, a good UV light comes at a cost, and it certainly has its applications for hunting, but blood is not one of them. Be very careful around your eyes, especially with a light that you didn't pay $10 for. Pupils will not dilate to the UV spectrum, and it is actually very bright. You should not be able to see the UV from a decent UV light, but the cheap ones give a purple hue that is a bit of a warning.