Deer tracks all over, but trails are elusive

[perfectcaptain]

Howdy Gents, first post here on your great forum!
I hunt public and a tiny piece of private land (both hill country) in southern Quebec where deer density is fairly low. I also hunt on my brother's land in upstate New York. When I hunt in NY I find hard beaten deer trails all over the hills and I bump deer every year while scouting. In Quebec, I find tracks all over but no trails. In three years of pretty regular scouting. I'll find a pile of tracks on an ATV trail in the dirt, and I'll follow them even if I have to get down on hands and knees feeling for them in the grass, but they invariably disappear into the woods or fields where they petre out among sticks and leaves where even the kicks vanish.

No trails, though. Tall grass and fields, but beyond ATV tracks through them, I have yet to find a real trail even in the leaves on the forest floor. I walk the points and ridges and see what could be beds, but without trails to prove anything I'm stumped. Any ideas that could help, or am I doomed to never have an "aha" moment?
Thanks for any help,
Dennis

[Wlog]

If there is low density in a big woods setting sometimes you just aren't going to have a beaten down trail. If I'm scouting and trying to figure out direction of travel and where the deer move in and out of certain areas, I look at the terrain or the transition of vegetation where it creates an edge from the suspected bedding and follow those out and often you'll find more sign further along that edge that will confirm whether or not they are using it.

If you follow those transitions out to where they intersect say a creek crossing, a road, a ditch, or logging road you'll pickup more tracks to confirm that they are walking that edge. Plus a lot of times you will find a rub line. The rubs could be spread out far but it still shows they walk that edge just maybe not that frequently or its just one animal not multiple bucks using that area.

If you're finding tracks then they are there it's just a matter of piecing it together. Sometimes it helps to scout and hunt higher density areas and really look at how the trails are laid out in that terrain to translate it to a low density area. Some giant bucks live in low density areas a lot of times when food is abundant and there is less competition for it. That also means they don't have to move far for it, hence less tracks and trails.

[Wlog]

Check out this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17410

[Stanley]

Welcome to the Beast.

[stash59]

Howdy Gents, first post here on your great forum!
I hunt public and a tiny piece of private land (both hill country) in southern Quebec where deer density is fairly low. I also hunt on my brother's land in upstate New York. When I hunt in NY I find hard beaten deer trails all over the hills and I bump deer every year while scouting. In Quebec, I find tracks all over but no trails. In three years of pretty regular scouting. I'll find a pile of tracks on an ATV trail in the dirt, and I'll follow them even if I have to get down on hands and knees feeling for them in the grass, but they invariably disappear into the woods or fields where they petre out among sticks and leaves where even the kicks vanish.

No trails, though. Tall grass and fields, but beyond ATV tracks through them, I have yet to find a real trail even in the leaves on the forest floor. I walk the points and ridges and see what could be beds, but without trails to prove anything I'm stumped. Any ideas that could help, or am I doomed to never have an "aha" moment?
Thanks for any help,
Dennis

Welcome and enjoy!!! Even in areas of higher densities. The old bucks seldom use beat down trails. Cattails are one exception.

[perfectcaptain]

After reading your great comments and friendly encouragement I decided to go scouting deeper into the public land than I've ever been, about 2 miles back. I had looked at points jutting out into the long swamp without finding anything before so after a while I got that feeling like it would be more of the same. Then I heard the sound of a four-legged critter getting up and walking away at the trot. I waited a while, just listening, and heard it lingering like it wasn't sure what was going on, but it finally left the area. I was dead tired butI figured maybe going to look at where this thing was, and boy, did it pay off. I found four freshly used beds ranging from large to fawn sized with similar sized tracks all arond. Jackpot. There was even a rub on a small tree nearby. These were the first signs of this kind I had seen in Quebec after years of searching.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the best hunting forum on the net, informative and real friendly-like.
Dennis

[mheichelbech]

Welcome Dennis! I have several areas going up and down hills where there is no defined trail. I put a cam in a couple and saw that the deer seemed to use the area but walked in a spread out fashion, not nose to tail. As such they are unlikely to make much of a trail.

[<DK>]

If there is low density in a big woods setting sometimes you just aren't going to have a beaten down trail. If I'm scouting and trying to figure out direction of travel and where the deer move in and out of certain areas, I look at the terrain or the transition of vegetation where it creates an edge from the suspected bedding and follow those out and often you'll find more sign further along that edge that will confirm whether or not they are using it.

If you follow those transitions out to where they intersect say a creek crossing, a road, a ditch, or logging road you'll pickup more tracks to confirm that they are walking that edge. Plus a lot of times you will find a rub line. The rubs could be spread out far but it still shows they walk that edge just maybe not that frequently or its just one animal not multiple bucks using that area.

If you're finding tracks then they are there it's just a matter of piecing it together. Sometimes it helps to scout and hunt higher density areas and really look at how the trails are laid out in that terrain to translate it to a low density area. Some giant bucks live in low density areas a lot of times when food is abundant and there is less competition for it. That also means they don't have to move far for it, hence less tracks and trails.

I agree w this, great post Wlog! Im not a predator hunter so I really dont know, but I was thinking maybe that could have an effect on the lack sign?

[Wlog]

After reading your great comments and friendly encouragement I decided to go scouting deeper into the public land than I've ever been, about 2 miles back. I had looked at points jutting out into the long swamp without finding anything before so after a while I got that feeling like it would be more of the same. Then I heard the sound of a four-legged critter getting up and walking away at the trot. I waited a while, just listening, and heard it lingering like it wasn't sure what was going on, but it finally left the area. I was dead tired butI figured maybe going to look at where this thing was, and boy, did it pay off. I found four freshly used beds ranging from large to fawn sized with similar sized tracks all arond. Jackpot. There was even a rub on a small tree nearby. These were the first signs of this kind I had seen in Quebec after years of searching.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the best hunting forum on the net, informative and real friendly-like.
Dennis

Glad you had a successful day scouting! Welcome to the beast!

[KLEMZ]

If there is low density in a big woods setting sometimes you just aren't going to have a beaten down trail. If I'm scouting and trying to figure out direction of travel and where the deer move in and out of certain areas, I look at the terrain or the transition of vegetation where it creates an edge from the suspected bedding and follow those out and often you'll find more sign further along that edge that will confirm whether or not they are using it.

If you follow those transitions out to where they intersect say a creek crossing, a road, a ditch, or logging road you'll pickup more tracks to confirm that they are walking that edge. Plus a lot of times you will find a rub line. The rubs could be spread out far but it still shows they walk that edge just maybe not that frequently or its just one animal not multiple bucks using that area.

If you're finding tracks then they are there it's just a matter of piecing it together. Sometimes it helps to scout and hunt higher density areas and really look at how the trails are laid out in that terrain to translate it to a low density area. Some giant bucks live in low density areas a lot of times when food is abundant and there is less competition for it. That also means they don't have to move far for it, hence less tracks and trails.

Wlog nailed it with his post. All I could possibly add is that certain terrains concentrate deer movement... so trails and beds and tracks and poops are easier to notice because they are precisely dictated by the hard transitions (elevation or vegetation) Some terrains are more gentle with the transitions (rolling hills vs steep drop offs with obvious military crests for example) These softer transition terrains will be harder to read because deer patterns are more spread out, so the sign is less focused too. The key is...once you find your first good bedding area you will know what to key in on for future scouting/hunting in that area.

Deer density certainly is a factor too. My experience in low density population areas is that it is harder to find focused heavy sign. BUT, if you understand how these deer relate to terrain, you will still find what you are looking for.