Big Tracks

[Gesell23]

Last night a buddy and I were driving around and glassing some public here in MN. We spotted a nice set of 4 finger tracks on the 2 track that lead into a parking lot. They were pretty big tracks but it got me thinking...

Do big tracks ALWAYS mean the deer/buck is big/mature? For instance I am 5-9 and 175 pounds but wear a size 12 shoe, a guy I graduated with is 6-5 230 and wears a size 10 shoe. Could the same situation happen in bucks? Just playing devis advocate, starting a conversation.

[Edcyclopedia]

Yup
Play the odds though.
Cam will tell you its head gear...

[headgear]

Yep all sizes, I've shot some nice bucks with smaller feet before but can't say I have shot a younger deer with an exceptionally large set of hoofs but I'm sure they are out there. Like antlers and age, you just never know and there will always be those deer outside the norms.

[Bowhunter4life]

Tracks differ a lot but the majority of the time the Big tracks that sink in deeper than other tracks around the same area then your likely looking at a big mature buck. I have been watching a deer now that has a huge track! He had a big track as a 2.5 year old but I could tell they weren’t sinking in deep like a big heavy deer. Now this year he will likely be a 4.5 year old and is a much heavier deer. Very easy for me to locate his track. Nothing around there compares. That definitely isn’t always the case. Biggest antlered deer I’ve killed had the hoof size of a big doe. Tracks are great but there is so much to consider when looking at them. Is a great way to keep tabs on certain deer if you can ID their track though

[tgreeno]

First of all...There is no "always" in deer hunting!

The chances of him being a nicer buck are very good. There are way too many variables at work. region, nutrition & genetics to name a few. If a great looking buck bed ALWAYS had a shooter laying in it. We would all have massive trophy walls.

It's like anything. You make the best educated guess possible, with the information you have. Is it a wide track? Is it a deep track? Does he have a long stride? Is he heading into the good cover? Is this an area, I could imagine a mature buck living?

[Dewey]

Never seen a 2 year old lay down a deep four finger track. If I find a track that size it without a doubt has my attention because extremely high odds are it’s a mature buck. Tracks to me are about the best clue you can find. Attention to detail is what it’s all about. I highly suggest anybody interested in learning more about deer tracks to buy all of the Benoit or Hal Blood stuff you can find. It’s very fascinating stuff that very few take the time to learn.

[brancher147]

A big track may not be a big buck. Depends on a lot of things. One big track this time of year, I would set up a cam and see what I get. When looking at a track you need to also look at the stride length and the width between tracks. A big track with a long stride and the width of a big barrel chested buck will be a big buck. Whether or not he has a big rack is another story....

[Wetfoot]

The only way to know for sure is if he's standing in it!!

[matt1336]

I’ve got excited over what I’ve thought was a big track. But after looking at it and understanding the conditions I realized that it’s wasn’t what I thought. Soft mud, melting snow, old track, running track can all make a track look bigger than it is. Understanding a track and tracking deer takes a lot of thought and concentration.

[Singing Bridge]

Some great posts... sometimes I think we complicate things too much.

When on a dirt or sand road and you cut a big track that is by itself... Hint, Hint!! Experienced trackers can tell if the buck is by itself in the woods itself. As others mentioned there are no absolutes but I can tell if I’m looking at a buck track almost immediately.

Isn’t it a daisy when you find a buck bed under a foot of snow!

It all depends on how much time you spend in the woods.

[JoeRE]

Yea there is more variability in track size than most would realize. I have shot a couple of fully mature bucks with very large racks and hooves the size of a big doe like bowhunterforlife. Yea "most" big bucks have great big tracks but far from all. Its not like they have tiny feet just that many 3 year old bucks have bigger feet than 5 year old bucks that sort of thing.

I do agree with Singing Bridge too, look at all the other factors in a track besides just size. If a person follows around enough tracks in the snow they should be able to find a track and be at least 90% sure if its an older buck. Granted its easier to do in snow when you can follow it a ways than most other ground covers. Length of stride, how much it drags in snow, width between left and right, wider front feet than hind, all alone not with other deer and just how he moves through an area all indicate an older buck.