Take Blood Tracking to a Whole New Level

Every once in a while, something truly novel comes along in the hunting world. Compound bows, treestands, trail cameras and laser rangefinders changed the way we hunt. Now, a new tool is poised to change the way hunters recover game.

Track’n Trail is an app that uses the digital imaging capabilities of your smartphone to see blood you can’t and generate real-time alerts when blood is detected. That’s right — your phone can now help you track wounded game. Bill Pelligrino, owner of the legendary Archery Hut in Colorado Springs, Colo., said Track’n Trail is “like a metal detector for blood.”

Track’n Trail isn’t just another GPS or mapping app. It’s a full game-recovery system powered by patent-pending technology that helps hunters ethically recover downed animals by giving them an edge in the most critical, and often the most stressful, part of the hunt: the blood trail.

The Technology

Developed by Track’n Trail LLC, the app turns your smartphone camera into a blood-detection tool using an advanced, hyper-chromatic color isolation engine. In simple terms, it strips away the clutter of natural ground colors and makes blood “pop” visually, even just a few specks you might not notice.

The app’s “machine-vision algorithm” converts typical outdoor backgrounds — leaves, dirt, pine needles, gravel — into shades of gray or blue. Then, depending on your settings, it isolates blood tones into a vibrant red, yellow or green overlay. This is especially beneficial for colorblind hunters who may struggle to distinguish red tones in natural environments. The app even draws highlight circles around suspected blood specks, making it easier to spot even the tiniest traces both day and night.

The blood-detection algorithm behind Track’n Trail was trained on a variety of real-world blood trails, including both bright red, highly oxygenated arterial blood typically seen with lung shots; and dark red, low-oxygen venous blood commonly associated with liver hits. This diverse training ensures the app can recognize and highlight blood across a range of oxygenation levels and shot placements.

These detections aren’t just visual. The app also uses tactile alerts to help you stay focused on your surroundings without staring at the screen. When blood is found, your phone vibrates, giving you immediate feedback. Trust me, this feature is very cool!

The app is also a full-featured hunting assistant including four separate modules. The Tracking Module detects blood, generates alerts and lets you save waypoint markers where blood is found. The Map Module displays the waypoint markers and provides land parcel data (boundaries, acreage, owner’s name, etc.). The parcel data is provided free to subscribers and covers all 50 states. The Dashboard Module provides current and forecasted weather conditions, which are helpful in planning both hunts and recoveries. Finally, the Training Module educates you on the anatomy of the animal, geometry of the shot and recovery tools and techniques.

Boots on the Ground

Being somewhat of a skeptic, I had to use Track’n Trail in a real-world application. My concerns were soon put to rest when I hunted with fellow deer biologist Brian Murphy. For 23 years, Brian was CEO of the Quality Deer Management Association. Nowadays, he’s the vice president of corporate relations and staff biologist for HuntStand.

As usual, Murphy arrowed an adult doe on the first afternoon of our Kentucky hunt. At the skinning shed, we gutted his doe and collected some fresh blood. I then took the deer blood and made a trail on the fallen oak and hickory leaves. Within minutes, the other experienced bowhunters in camp easily started to follow the manufactured blood trail using the Track’n Trail app. The look on everyone’s face was priceless, and we all wanted the app.

That night, it rained half an inch at camp. Surely, no blood would be detected the next morning. Well, Murphy and I followed the rain-drenched blood trail from the previous night, and sure enough, we picked up washed-out red images from the blood. If we weren’t sold on Track’n Trail the night before, we were definitely sold that rain-soaked morning!

Later that week, Murphy shot another doe. To our surprise, the following day Track’n Trail found dried blood on a rock we’d missed the night before. Obviously, the product proved itself again. Since half of any hunt can be tracking, this product has the endorsement of both Murphy and me, plus every other deer biologist I’ve shared it with. Depending on the topography, many times an arrow-shot deer will travel straight, then suddenly turn left or right in a J-shaped pattern. What happens when an arrow goes through both lungs is that there’s no longer any oxygenated blood entering the brain. This makes the deer become lightheaded and veer off its course. This is where many trackers lose the blood trail.

The only small negative aspect of Track’n Trail we found was when it sometimes picked up red-colored leaves or roots. These false readings were quickly realized and countered with more experience using the app.

All experienced bowhunters have experienced situations where a blood trail consisted of only minute pin drops. This is where Track’n Trail is virtually priceless. The app is not a gimmick!

My Take

At the end of the day, hunting is about more than just taking the shot. It’s about shouldering the responsibility that comes with releasing an arrow and doing everything in your power to recover the animal. Track’n Trail doesn’t replace that responsibility; it enhances your ability to meet it. Think of it as a digital hunting partner, quietly alerting you when there’s something worth stopping for.

At the core of this innovation is a deep respect for the animal and for the ethics of the hunt. A mortally wounded animal that is not recovered is not just a lost trophy; it’s lost meat, a lost opportunity and often a haunting experience.

Track’n Trail doesn’t promise miracles. It’s not a panacea for poor shot selection or a replacement for sharp eyes and patience. But it increases your odds, helps you make better decisions and gives you a clearer path. Whether dealing with sparse blood, heavy foliage or wet conditions that wash out the trail, this app definitely can increase your odds of celebrating at the end of a hunt.

Track’n Trail is available for iPhone and Android. To learn more or download the app, visit trackntrailapp.com

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