Deer Tracks

Psalm 37: 1"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they soon wither, like green plants they soon die away, 3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart"

What can you really tell from a deer's track? I think it depends on who you talk to. On a hunt in Northern Maine several years ago, my outfitter felt he could always tell the difference between a buck and a doe track by following it for a ways.

He gave me several tips and based on his experience and success in taking large bucks, I filed them away in my mind:

Bucks urinate while walking and you can see the results of the dribble especially in tracking snow. Without snow, this is a lot more difficult.
Does on the other hand, stop and pee in one place.

Buck tracks will meander more than a does. Even though they might be going in a specific direction, they tend to meander back and forth, more than a doe. A doe will more likely place her rear hoove print almost directly on top of her front hoove prints. On both bucks and does, the front hooves are larger than the rear hooves. On a buck, his rear hoove prints will likely be short of the front prints and normally INside of the front hoove prints. This is mainly because the mature bucks chest is wider than his hind quarters. The doe tracks will likely be on top of the front tracks or possibly slighly OUTside the front hoove prints.

Other tips I have read and heard from other hunters is that bucks, tend to DRAG their toes as they lift their feet to walk. Usually does do not do this. This might be because of a mature bucks weight in part, and his natural gait.

Another tip would be the size of the track itself. While it is true that some does have a large hoove print, mature bucks will often have a track that is 3 to 5 inches in length and up to 1 1/2 inches wide. If you include dew claw marks, the print will normally be 5 inches plus in length for a mature buck. The tracks of a mature buck would normally be deeper set if the ground is muddy than a does, again primarily because of the weight.

I have talked to some who feel all the above is absolute nonsense, and one can tell with any certainty whether the animal making the track is a buck or a doe. Personally I feel the tips have merit, and legends like the Benoit's and others certainly seem to bear this out.

None of us have all the answers, however I hope the above gives you food for thought next hunting season.

Dan www.gunsandoptics.com