tracks ?

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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Rob loper
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tracks ?

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:05 pm

ok how to tell buck and doe tracks
anybody wanna ? how does a newbie tell?
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:12 pm

Size
Stride
Toes turned out and steps staggered(big buck)
Depth of imprint(deeper=heavier)
Rear hooves land just inside (buck)or just outside(doe) of front tracks

Probably more that I am forgetting...
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby tgreeno » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:19 pm

Size, depth, width & spacing are all good indicators.

Here is a great thread discussing this very topic.

viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1327

Also in the "All time best tactical thread", look under the "tracking" heading. Alot of great discussion.
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:26 pm

ok i will thnks
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby Bedbug » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:38 pm

A does hind foot usually steps slightly beyond the front foot track. But a bucks hind hoof, because of body, usually lands on the rear portion of the front hoof.

On most ground conditions this is very useful as long as the deer are not in a fast trot or bounding. If that be the case I start looking for differences in stride length and indent depths from body weight
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:47 pm

unless its a giant one tracks are not going to tell you much. put more clues together and follow the deer you will figure it out in a couple hundred yards take your time and try to see what is going on tracking is not just tracks.
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby Tim H » Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:45 pm

I’d contact singing bridge. :D
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:15 pm

Flat footed = old & heavy
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby EdC » Wed Feb 07, 2018 3:42 am

I remember the Benoit brothers telling me what they focus on is the dew claws touching the ground
generally this told them it was a large animal with some weight on it
while a younger and lighter animal stood higher on their feet
but this was only part of what would get them interested if they decided to pursue

other than that I'm not sure
I've been tracking this winter what I think is a large deer
four fingers across plus and just about every step I can see the dew claws touching
all the other tracks are tiny in comparison, hopefully it's a mature buck that made it thru the season
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:26 am

added to all the great info already given. tracks made in soft soil are the hardest to judge. muddy ground changes so fast that judging is tough. example, an average buck walks thru when the soil is really soft and leaves a deep, splayed track with good dews showing. he looks liks a monster. 4 hours later after the soil firms up a big buck walks thru tje same spot. he doesnt sink as deep so he doesnt splay out as much or hit the dews hard. most hunters will assume the first buck was much bigger than the second. add in the fact that one might be running and the other walking.
the other situation where it is easy to misjudge a track is older tracks on snow. tracks evaporate from the inside out. this makes them get bigger as they get older. even if the temps stay below freezing this still happens if the sun hits them.
besides size and how far a track cuts into the ground, the most important thing i use to judge a track is looking at a series of tracks. a single track can fool you. a series will paint a truer picture.
judging tracks is a lifetime learning process. the only way to get better is to start paying real close attention to 1000's of tracks.
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:46 am

I cant follow magicman w any real wisdom.

Few things to add is most cases you're gonna know its a good buck track just like finding a good bucks bed. The other thing to add is search for fawn tracks on the same trail or scat size to help determine more info.
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:17 am

It took me a long time to figure this one out.
deer walk differently when they are rested or tired.
I tracked a good buck to a bed. the track leaving the bed did not look as big as the track coming in. it was so different that i actually questioned if it was the same deer. then it dawned on me that he was rested up when he left and walked differently as a result.
I know its hard to determine if a deer is tired or not by looking at a track but it is important to know that the same deer can leave different looking tracks.
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:42 am

magicman54494 wrote:It took me a long time to figure this one out.
deer walk differently when they are rested or tired.
I tracked a good buck to a bed. the track leaving the bed did not look as big as the track coming in. it was so different that i actually questioned if it was the same deer. then it dawned on me that he was rested up when he left and walked differently as a result.
I know its hard to determine if a deer is tired or not by looking at a track but it is important to know that the same deer can leave different looking tracks.


You actually helped me with this!!! My buck track matching thread last year. I hunted that spot once and got to lay eyes on a good one!
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Re: tracks ?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:41 am

magicman54494 wrote:It took me a long time to figure this one out.
deer walk differently when they are rested or tired.
I tracked a good buck to a bed. the track leaving the bed did not look as big as the track coming in. it was so different that i actually questioned if it was the same deer. then it dawned on me that he was rested up when he left and walked differently as a result.
I know its hard to determine if a deer is tired or not by looking at a track but it is important to know that the same deer can leave different looking tracks.

the coolest stuff to see is how the deer evade you when your tracking them the bucks buy me love taking you to a deep brook then putting their feet in water from edge then they leap to side into the brush and squid out the back door or run down the brook and hook right around and watch you scratch your head. any time the bucks take me near water I slow way down and start looking over the high ground around me now. or they take a 90 and go strait up a cliff and watch you approach wait for you to climb to top then run right back down after you spent 20 mins trying to get up what the deer did in four jumps lol
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