Deer signs

[stjones1102]

The place Im hunting doesnt show many signs of deer, or at least i dont think so. . . . There is a lot of trees for coverage, and a ton of deer tracks. but i have yet to see any scat piles or rubs on trees. am i missing them or not looking in the right spot? Any advice?

[timberghost]

If there's alot of tracks you ought to be in the right place. Sometimes when you don't see rubs/scrapes it doesn't necessarily mean no bucks are in there. Bucks will come from quite a ways to get a hot doe even if they are not from the immediate area. If you do see does and your rut is just heating up keep tabs on the does and then a buck or two may cross your sights. That's how the script is written but deer sometimes write their own story.

[stjones1102]

iv never actualy seen a deer on this property. altho i have seen a few does on property down the road as i was leaving. how do i tell the difference from doe tracks and buck tracks?

[timberghost]

Most younger buck tracks look the same as any other deer tracks. But the mature, heavier bucks have wider and longer tracks. The front part of the hoof is usually a little rounder and not as sharp a point as does and such. The spread of the front hoof is wider too. In softer ground a big buck will sink in better too.

[stjones1102]

iv seen tracks that look like a regular deer track but they also have one small circle at the back of the print on each side of the split (two per foot). what is that? iv seen them in books and such but not here.

[timberghost]

Those are dew claws, usually seen in soft, muddy,snowy conditions. They're on the back side of the hooves, both front and rear two per hoof. Sometimes depending on soil softness that can be a buck bacause the weight of the deer pushes the hooves down far enough so that the dew claws press into the soil. Then again the soil can be so soft that all deer sink down to the dew claws.

[critter gitter]

I see deer signs all the time they you can find them every couple of miles on the sides of the roads.

[stjones1102]

Originally Posted by timberghost

Those are dew claws, usually seen in soft, muddy,snowy conditions. They're on the back side of the hooves, both front and rear two per hoof. Sometimes depending on soil softness that can be a buck bacause the weight of the deer pushes the hooves down far enough so that the dew claws press into the soil. Then again the soil can be so soft that all deer sink down to the dew claws.

both bucks and doe have them? and all breeds? like not just mule deer or so. cus iv never seen them around here and all we have is whitetail. maybe im just not lucky. (i mean i still havent goten my first deer how lucky is that?)

[burgerking]

yea all deer have them, bucks and does, little or big.

[TNHunter]

this is what they look like