Tracks - how big is big enough?

[futuredoc]

I've read the old topic that was posted on the bloodbrothers site about mature deer tracks. have also read the Benoit book. So my question is, how big does the track have to be in the woods before you assume you may be dealing with an animal that could carry a nice set of antlers? Do you just say too small if not 4 fingers wide or wide as a 3006 case?

Thanks,

Kendall

[dan]

Depends on the age class your looking for. 4 finger tracks are generally 3 year olds or better. 3 finger tracks are usually 2 year olds... At least up here they are.

[cornfedkiller]

Depends on the age class your looking for. 4 finger tracks are generally 3 year olds or better. 3 finger tracks are usually 2 year olds... At least up here they are.

And do you always go by width? I have never really looked at the width of tracks before until watching your DVD, and when I think and look back, I remember encountering a few tracks that were the size of my hand..would that be a good buck, or is width really only the good way to know?

[magicman54494]

Depends on the age class your looking for. 4 finger tracks are generally 3 year olds or better. 3 finger tracks are usually 2 year olds... At least up here they are.

And do you always go by width? I have never really looked at the width of tracks before until watching your DVD, and when I think and look back, I remember encountering a few tracks that were the size of my hand..would that be a good buck, or is width really only the good way to know?

Width, length of stride, distance between right and left prints, how deep a hoof digs in, do the dew claws show are all indications of how big a deer is. A big bucks hoof is'nt all that much bigger than other deer. It's his weight that makes the difference in his track. They seem to lay back on their hooves a bit more when they get heavy. This causes their hooves to splay a bit more and also the dew claws to hit more often and because they don't tippy toe like lighter deer their track will be longer as well because more of their hoof pad will hit the ground. Their size will cause them to have a bit longer and wider gait. Also knowing the ground conditions when the track was made is very important.

[Haus86]

Besides width, I also look for a track to be 5.5"+ from dew claws to tip

[Hodag Hunter]

This is a nice walking track I found checking bear baits this year. Notice the splay and depth in the sand. Blew the other tracks away in this area and really stood out.

[RaisedByWolves]

looks like a nice track hodag.....the whole 3 finger wide being a 3.5 year old kind of suprises me, in the farm country i hunt it seems the 2.5 yo bucks i've shot have 3 finger tracks easy, but no doubt any 4 finger track should be a stud deer.

[dan]

looks like a nice track hodag.....the whole 3 finger wide being a 3.5 year old kind of suprises me, in the farm country i hunt it seems the 2.5 yo bucks i've shot have 3 finger tracks easy, but no doubt any 4 finger track should be a stud deer.

Where did you get that a 3 finger track is a three year old?

[magicman54494]

This is a nice walking track I found checking bear baits this year. Notice the splay and depth in the sand. Blew the other tracks away in this area and really stood out.

That deer is going to get lost. He dropped his GPS.

[Hodag Hunter]

This is a nice walking track I found checking bear baits this year. Notice the splay and depth in the sand. Blew the other tracks away in this area and really stood out.

That deer is going to get lost. He dropped his GPS.

Well luckily he had "home" programmed in. Found all his beds real fast.

[RaisedByWolves]

looks like a nice track hodag.....the whole 3 finger wide being a 3.5 year old kind of suprises me, in the farm country i hunt it seems the 2.5 yo bucks i've shot have 3 finger tracks easy, but no doubt any 4 finger track should be a stud deer.

Where did you get that a 3 finger track is a three year old?

good question dan, i thought i picked that up somewhere on here, but searched and never found it....my bad

[KLEMZ]

Well luckily he had "home" programmed in. Found all his beds real fast.

Funniest thing I heard all day!

[dan]

looks like a nice track hodag.....the whole 3 finger wide being a 3.5 year old kind of suprises me, in the farm country i hunt it seems the 2.5 yo bucks i've shot have 3 finger tracks easy, but no doubt any 4 finger track should be a stud deer.

Where did you get that a 3 finger track is a three year old?

good question dan, i thought i picked that up somewhere on here, but searched and never found it....my bad

You never know, i might of said it somewhere in my 1/2 a sleep typing daze... Thats why I asked.

[MOBIGBUCKS]

The pic in my avatar is what i look for. That track was a little wider than my four fingers...

[Dewey]

4 finger tracks definately get my attention!!