Deer Tracks

[Doc]

Ok people, let's gather up some info about deer tracks. We all figure we know a few facts about what deer tracks might reveal. We think some track-clues tell us the gender of the deer. There may be certain features that you look for to separate a certain deer from others when a deer you are trailing intermingles with other deer. There make be other things about tracks that mean something to you. Let's hear what you have learned over the years about reading deer tracks. You guys that trail & stalk your deer as a hunting technique should have a lot of tips.

 

 

[WingNut]

i generally look couple of things.

When the leading part of the track is rounded and spread apart slightly, it typically means an older dear.

I look to see if the track is wider than my palm, about 5 inches typically means an older dear.

I've heard that buck tracks are just behind each other. EX. left front will be just in front of left rear but not touching.

 

That's all i got..........

[landtracdeerhunter]

Here are some big deer tracks. Some of the largest,I've ever seen. My glove size is 1x. Never viewed this deer. Completely nocturnal. Fifth season of tracks. Bigger the hoof, larger the body? Big antlers? I'd sure like to find out!

Edited December 24, 2014 by landtracdeerhunter

[genesee_mohican]

A doe hoof print is typically more slender and pointed at the tip. Doe tracks usually accompany other doe or fawn tracks. A hoof print from a buck is a touch more rounded at the tip and a more wide and longer hoof print overall. If the buck is 2.5 or older, those characteristics are more pronounced and tend to peak my interest quite a bit. They also tend to be a lone track, but not always. If you were to find that track early in the morning and start following it, you can see where the buck traveled over night. You'll notice he was checking out areas that hold does and searching for one to breed. You may see where he passed by a scrap to lick the branch and sniff around, they don't always rake the ground. And of course, they are hitting the prime food sources in their travels. For me it takes the right amount of snow to see a track clearly. An inch or three of that nice wet snow is the best for viewing tracks. Bare ground, soft or muddy soil where deer passed through is always a good place to look as well.

[wildcat junkie]

Bucks don't always drag their feet, but they often do during the rut. I've heard them coming in hardwoods for a 1/4 mile in the leaves. I've seem the drag marks in the snow sometimes from 1 print to the next, but more often about 1/2 the stride.

 

If you find deer tracks dragging through the snow, odds are it's a buck & he's on a mission.

[G-Man]

Buck tracks in snow are usually staggered (much greater width between left and right sides),may drag feet in the rut. Doe pee marks are at end of standing track, bucks will fall between tracks. Individual deèr tracks can be singled out by size or shape or a chip or certain curve of the track.

a wandering track near thick cover usually means it is looking to bed. Unless you see it wander from bush to bush where browse marks will show on twig ends. I like to back track any deer I shoot to see where it came from or what it was doing. Learned more from dead deer that can be applied to a fresh track then by following fresh tracks alone

freshness in snow .. look at your own track if it's melted or snow has settled it's older. If it looks like yours get on it and be ready.nothing wron with following an older track Esp one from previous night.deer bed and you may find it there.

[nyantler]

A big buck track will be the easiest track to assess in the woods... it is always bigger than th other tracks... the stride and stagger are always greater as well... when following the track of a big antlered buck.. you can usually get a good idea of the width of the bucks rack by the width of the trees he will not walk through... if his spread is say 18" he will only pass between trees that are wider than his rack... this is very noticeable when tracking him... because a buck inherently stays in thicker cover when traveling through the woods during hunting season, you will notice him straying briefly from the cover just to find a place where his antlers will easily pass through.

[Terry]

I look at the distance between steps more than anything else. When they start to approach 20 inches I start getting excited. Another thing I read and have found to be true is that mature buck put more of their weight in the rear of their foot.

[nyantler]

I look at the distance between steps more than anything else. When they start to approach 20 inches I start getting excited. Another thing I read and have found to be true is that mature buck put more of their weight in the rear of their foot.

You're talking about stride Terry... which can be a good indicator of a big deer, but many does are long bodied... more important is the stagger which is the distance left to right of the tracks... a big buck will always be bigger in the chest than a big doe... wide staggers 10" or more will be a really big bodied buck... and will always be accompanied by a big print as well.. about the size of a 30-06 shell. Heavier deer leave deeper prints too.

[wildcat junkie]

I once had a "buck" with a deformed hoof leaving large hoofprints on my place. I saw "his" tracks for 4 seasons. In 2003, 4 years after 1st seeing those large deformed buck tracks, I shot a doe that was 42" around her chest. She was an estimated 177# dressed weight. She had a deformed hoof.

[nyantler]

I once had a "buck" with a deformed hoof leaving large hoofprints on my place. I saw "his" tracks for 4 seasons. In 2003, 4 years after 1st seeing those large deformed buck tracks, I shot a doe that was 42" around her chest. She was an estimated 177# dressed weight. She had a deformed hoof.

Yeah it can happen.. but it's very rare... and as most big buck trackers know... the tracks are only the start to determining the gender of the deer you're tracking... it's a combo of things seen while tracking that definitively identifies what you're tracking... after 4 seasons of seeing that track and following it most good trackers would have already determine that it was a doe and not a buck... the average hunter probably not.

[wildcat junkie]

Yeah it can happen.. but it's very rare... and as most big buck trackers know... the tracks are only the start to determining the gender of the deer you're tracking... it's a combo of things seen while tracking that definitively identifies what you're tracking... after 4 seasons of seeing that track and following it most good trackers would have already determine that it was a doe and not a buck... the average hunter probably not.

I never followed the track, it would just appear in bare spots now & then, she was pretty recluisve. When I shot here she didn't have any fawns. I never saw the track in snow.

[Terry]

You're talking about stride Terry... which can be a good indicator of a big deer, but many does are long bodied... more important is the stagger which is the distance left to right of the tracks... a big buck will always be bigger in the chest than a big doe... wide staggers 10" or more will be a really big bodied buck... and will always be accompanied by a big print as well.. about the size of a 30-06 shell. Heavier deer leave deeper prints too.

True Joe, thanks for the post. I am always willing to learn.

[Doc]

Ok .... Something I noticed the other day while I was wandering the hills. Urine patterns: Several times there was a line of urine drops along the trail. Was that definitely a buck. Do does ever dribble along the trail for yards and yards. I found one that was dribbling (quite heavily) for about 25 or 30 yards. Is it possible that a doe could or would do this?

 

I did find some other urine deposits in the snow that obviously were doe. You could see the tracks along side the urine marks that looked pretty positive that they were squatting. But those long dribblers kind of made me bring the question here. 

[Mustang51js]

I used to think if the hoofs toes were more spread out it was a buck. I have come to learn that there's no way to tell sex by just looking at the print on the ground

[nyantler]

Ok .... Something I noticed the other day while I was wandering the hills. Urine patterns: Several times there was a line of urine drops along the trail. Was that definitely a buck. Do does ever dribble along the trail for yards and yards. I found one that was dribbling (quite heavily) for about 25 or 30 yards. Is it possible that a doe could or would do this?

 

I did find some other urine deposits in the snow that obviously were doe. You could see the tracks along side the urine marks that looked pretty positive that they were squatting. But those long dribblers kind of made me bring the question here.

The position of the urine stain in the tracks is what determines gender... both does and bucks can "dribble"... but, like human females, does are much more careful and deliberate while peeing... the bucks can have the "pee on the toilet seat" syndrome like us male humans. This time of year the color of the urine stains are much different too, buck urine tends to be darker almost amber in color.

[Terry]

It smells stronger too

[the blur]

Do you ever follow tracks in the snow while hunting ?    I never bothered, as I know they easily travel, where I would be winded after 1/2 mile in the snow.

[NFA-ADK]

The deeper the track the heavier the deer.  Pointed tracks vs rounded.  Pointed indicate less travel on rocks like swamps, rounded could indicate they travel on rocks like ridges.  Big racked bucks don't go though small trees.  Big bucks tend to swagger and drag their feet during rut and tend to travel alone. 

 

Bucks cover some ground during rut to check out doe groups, they travel in more direct lines when doing this.   

 

Doe travel in groups, if healthy they usually have a fawn or yearling.  Doe tracks are usually small and travel in a straight line with no swagger.  Doe will circle back into a home range while bucks seem to just keep going when pushed.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mustang51js]

It smells stronger too

Tastes a little saltier also!

[G-Man]

Do you ever follow tracks in the snow while hunting ? I never bothered, as I know they easily travel, where I would be winded after 1/2 mile in the snow.

I got a buck that shed it's horns this year br following tracks made in the morning at 1pm. Ended up shooting it in its bed. Have done it several times and got my biggest buck tracking as well.

[wildcat junkie]

Tracking in my area is most likely just going to push a buck into someone else. About 1/2 of the area is so thick you can't see more than 5-10yds if that. Even still hunting is tough.

 

I can see the value of back tracking to learn where the deer came from, but in deer season I stay pretty much to my horse trails or the more open (hardwoods) habitat to minimize disturbance & keep the deer feeling secure.

 

Nobody else is hunting my property & the adjoining property sees little hunting pressure. I like for the deer to feel like they are in a sanctuary & it seems to work.

 

I shot a buck last year at 2:20PM & this year at 3:30PM. The last time I saw deer in obvious escape mode was Thankgiving day of '01.

 

Since I rely on natural movement, it sometimes takes a lot of patience.

[NFA-ADK]

Following a track has proven more informative than anything for me. 

 

Bedding, food, doe groups and travel paths are all found.  Following any track can and will provide valuable information even if its just a doe.  Wish I did more this year.  While I have never "tracked" and killed a deer, I have learned more FROM tracks than any other teaching, reading or learned skill.  Tracking is my most valuable tool for whitetail. 

 

Deer might not be in my area but the tracks tell the story of what they did when they where.

[Doc]

The position of the urine stain in the tracks is what determines gender... both does and bucks can "dribble"... but, like human females, does are much more careful and deliberate while peeing... the bucks can have the "pee on the toilet seat" syndrome like us male humans. This time of year the color of the urine stains are much different too, buck urine tends to be darker almost amber in color.

Ok, so does will walk along dribbling too .... I didn't know that.

 

These dribblers (I came across 4 of them) were dripping straight brown urine, or at least that was the color when I got there. I saw some of the one-spot puddles that were  yellow or quite red and those were single spots that were a couple inches in diameter.

 

This kind of stuff is interesting, and that's why I started this thread. We don't spend a lot of time on sign reading and interpretation. These are things that would be good on some of these hunting videos and TV shows if they really were interested in putting on quality shows. Ah, but that's another topic .... lol.

[Doc]

Tracking is an age-old hunting method, but you do run the risk of basically putting on a drive for other hunters if you are bumping the deer too often. But then any kind of movement like still hunting runs that risk.

 

However, it is interesting right now at this time of year to get out there and learn what you can. Tracking never gets any easier than when the snows on the ground. And learning what everything you see means, can be a hell of an education in deer patterns, habits and movements.