Recently I've been hunting snowshoe hares. On a missed shot or even a pass threw I'm having a heck of a time finding the arrow. Actually I've pretty much given up on trying to find it, time spent digging around in the snow is time I could be hunting.
Has anybody come up with any good methods? I've thought of tying a few feet of orange yarn to the arrow. Do you think it would effect arrow flight ?
Anyhow somebody's got to have experienced the same thing.

Thanks, John

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=084531

Have you got a Sharp Eyed "Little-Person" you can Borrow?? My Son could find them as soon as he walked out where I lost it!! I had Looked for Hours, and he walked right to it!! "Need Anything Else Dad?"     "No Son, that was what I Needed! Good Eyes Boy!!" as I   drug my Sorry- BLIND-Butt back to the Barn.  

Yah that would help but the arrows are buried  under two foot of snow.

Blue carpenters chalk dust!  They'll leave an entry trail in the snow.

I dust my feathers w/ chalk line chalk--the kind carpeners use.  Red or blue--what ever-- you can easily find the entrance pt. into the snow, and work from there.  Narrows the search area down considerably.

Good idea, does your arm turn blue???

How about scenting your arrows with a trappers scent of choice then training your Beagle to find them.  Just kidding, but it could work if you were committed to training the dog I suppose.

Worth trying your yarn idea, keep varying the length, thickness and attachment method until you found acceptable arrow flight...or not.  Kind of like a fish arrow, it should work.  No harm in trying.  As little as 6" could help find arrows perhaps.  

Like lpcjon2, I use the brightest fletch I have, use judos and follow the arrow hole in the snow and start making perpendicular passes with a stick.  It's not fun, I agree!

Kris

Steve-- did not see your post-- thought I was an was the only one who had thought of it. -- Just goes to show us "Indians" all think alike.

The carpenters chalk does it get all over you when you release the arrow?

I like the dog idea.  Somehow I think I would suck in that puff of chaulk on the shot.

Does a lot of chalk come off the fletch at the release?  Like shooting a black powder gun, eh? (LOL)  Like the idea of chalk though, I'll have to try that.

Ultimately bright scab arrows maybe the best solution, if you find them...great, if not...so be it.

Kris

Yah the puff of blue dust would be a bitch with the wind in your face. You could join the blue man group!

Hey that blue chalk is innovative.  Might be some collateral issues but finding the arrow could be worth it.

Billy

Hey Chuck, some good ol'e boy from Mazzoura taught me that, maybe they learned it from you before crossing the border.

Muskoxman

Is the hare population at the high end of its cycle around Palmer (in Alaska) right now?  We used to have a lot of Snowshoes in N. Wisconsin but it has never been the same since the 80's and 90's or so....global warming?  Not sure.  Great fun bowhunting rabbits or hares!

Kris

I gave up along time ago trying to find 'em. I'll find em later when it thaws...if not, I just consider 'em gifts of the hunt.

Have you tried a string tracker?  They are cheap and so is the string or at least cheaper than arrows.

Google it.

I turn to my two labs for finding lost arrows.  They love to do it!...

I was wondering about the same thing just yesterday. I think I'll be packing some surveyor's tape so I can mark the spot and come back in the spring. I use aluminum arrows, so except for the fletching, they should be o.k.