A tracking story - hot sign

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magicman54494
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A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby magicman54494 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:20 pm

The first buck I ever killed by tracking was not what many envision a classical tracking kill. I envisioned coming up behind a buck and shooting him in his bed or catching up to him as he moves thru the woods. My buck was taken quiet a bit different and it goes hand in hand with hunting fresh sign.
My buck was cutting country when I found his track. He headed down into some thick lowland and crossed a stream. Shortly after crossing the stream he found a hot doe and her fawns. The chase was on. I followed the tracks a short distance and they just went around and around. There were so many tracks I could swear there were many more than 4 deer in there. I decided to switch tactics and just wait a hour before trying to sort everything out. Well I didn't have to wait long. I stood there for less than a minute before they came running by. A doe ,2 fawns, and a nice buck.
Tracking brought me to the right spot but scouting could have netted the same results. I'm sure if I hadn't killed that buck they would have run around for a long time. I'm also sure that other bucks would have showed up as well.
On a side note, tracking that buck showed me a great stream crossing for stand hunting during the rut. Studying the aerials afterwards showed me that where he crossed is the only good spot for a long way in eithor direction.


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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:28 pm

Nice story thanks for sharing.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby rudy78 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:41 pm

Amazing what can happen when we r spending time in the woods trying to figure them out, you never know how/where they just might show up when your out there, not to mention what we learn, most of the time that's what not too do though, lol.

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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby GRFox » Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:33 pm

This is a violation of Man Law 87967 of section 452L. That's posting a kill story with out pictures for the lamens. ;-)

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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby Schultzy » Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:09 am

Good read Todd!! This really doesn't pertain to what your doing deer hunting but on a few of our bear baits when we know were done hunting a specific bait for the year I'll go for a walk around In the direction the bear were coming from and see exactly where they were coming from. I've learned so much from doing this for the next year being we hunt the same baits allot from year to year. There's nothing better then wearing out them boots, a person learns allot.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby PLB » Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:15 am

GRFox wrote:This is a violation of Man Law 87967 of section 452L. That's posting a kill story with out pictures for the lamens. ;-)

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X2!!! :lol: :lol: Great story Magic 8-)
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby headgear » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:25 am

GRFox wrote:This is a violation of Man Law 87967 of section 452L. That's posting a kill story with out pictures for the lamens. ;-)

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:text-worthless:

Great story magic.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby JRM6868 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:30 am

Thanks for sharing Magic! I agree we need pics! Sounds like an awesome day in the woods if you ask me even if there wasn't a kill. I do the same sometimes after season tracking deer just to see where they go and what they do. It's interesting to say the least and is a cool way to hunt if you can get on them with enough property to roam. It's definitely and art hunting them that way and has it's ups and downs.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:06 am

Pieces to the puzzle...
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:20 am

Great story Todd...
Out of all the ways we hunt, I think tracking teaches you the most, but you have to be an observent person to absorb whats going on. Just following tracks teaches us only a little. But useing our mind to decipher what we are seeing, and what the deer are doing really shortens the learning curve.
I can remember tracking a wounded buck for two days before finally taking him way back in the 1980's. Several times the track went in a loop where he was checking to see if he was being followed, or I would find where the loop came around and he would get me to follow his tracks right past his bed and sneak out after I passed... If I would of caught on quick enough, there were several spots where I could of waited till he circled back around...

I would love to hear more of your detailed tracking storys Todd, regardless of the outcome.
If you want to do a show about your big one from this year, we don't need to show the kill, I would just interview you in depth about tracking, and that particular hunt and use pictures and tracking footage along with maps for filler... Let me know, I think everyone here would enjoy that.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby JRM6868 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:22 am

dan wrote:
I would love to hear more of your detailed tracking storys Todd, regardless of the outcome.
If you want to do a show about your big one from this year, we don't need to show the kill, I would just interview you in depth about tracking, and that particular hunt and use pictures and tracking footage along with maps for filler... Let me know, I think everyone here would enjoy that.


X2 8-)
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby JakeJD » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:09 am

dan wrote:Great story Todd...
I can remember tracking a wounded buck for two days before finally taking him way back in the 1980's. Several times the track went in a loop where he was checking to see if he was being followed, or I would find where the loop came around and he would get me to follow his tracks right past his bed and sneak out after I passed... If I would of caught on quick enough, there were several spots where I could of waited till he circled back around...


X2

I have tracked three bucks that were not great hits, and everyone of them were very clever and cautious about their trail. All three bucks had multiple back tracks that were tough to follow and really slowed my tracking job. One buck came up to a river and walked in the river and then back tracked making it looked like he crossed (spend an hour looking for tracks on the other side before I realized he back-tracked). One liver hit buck back-tracked twice within 150 yards of the shot and bedded right next to his main trail off one of the back-tracks. If not for the fatal hit, he would have been in the perfect position to watch/wind his trail and slip out of the area before I realized what he was doing (back-tracking).
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:53 am

Neat story! thanks. 8-)
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby magicman54494 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:15 am

The buck from the above story was no monster. He was a 3 year old from northern Minn. I was thrillied because he was my first ever by tracking. I'll see if I can find pics. I dumped most of my pics off my comp. because of low memory. I didn't post the story to show off the buck but instead to point out that hot sign - how ever you find it - must be hunted right away. After what I've seen tracking I'm more convinced than ever of that.
Here's another thing that I've noticed regarding bucks chasing does and how far they travel. It's been said before that there are no "always and never" but this has held true almost to a fault.
Mature does will not travel far and they will circle in a safe place until the breeding is done. Young does - probably their first time - will run like the wind and go for miles. I'm going to guess that they really don't know what's going on and they are scared.
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Re: A tracking story - hot sign

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:18 am

I've found in my younger chasing days that all age class of females "ran like the wind" when I was in pursuit. ;)


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