speaking of tracks

the coyote post got me to thinking about tracks of all types and oddities in them.

what are some of the odd things you all know?

I know that bucks will leave four separate tracks and does will step in one leaving 3 tracks. normal walking. this seems to be the case with moose as well and i can only assume with elk. bucks will leave drag marks in only a couple inches of snow where does will not. heavy or very tired deer will have a spread between the toes.

[BruceBruce1959]

The one thing It took me a long time to recognize was the difference between Doe and Buck tracks.
Bucks have a wider chest than a Doe but Doe's have a wider hind end than bucks wider hind end is necessary for giving birth,
So when you study tracks you'll begin to notice that when the deer's rear hoof steps down onto it's front hoof track it's either
slightly to the left or outside the front hoof track or slighty to the right or inside of the front hoof track,
if it's to the right it's most likely a buck track if it's to the left it's most likely a Doe track.
sometimes it's hard to find good clear sets of tracks so then I have to relay on the tracks length, width and depth to help me determine
if it's a Buck or a Does track..

[timberghost]

I can't tell the difference between the 2. Just know there was a deer there. I think that I don't spend the time to clearly look and investigate the rest of the tracks.

bucks don't step in their own track, does do, in a normal walk, is the easiest way to tell the difference. old doe's hoof can look a lot like a buck and a young buck's can look a lot like a does. being in snow the drag of the feet is a sure give away its a buck.

[Hunting Man]

also, with snow the urine marks from a buck will be far forward vs the does.

[BruceBruce1959]

Originally Posted by ronn

bucks don't step in their own track, does do.

There's been many, many many books written about deer tracks by expert deer trackers and in every one of them books it explains pretty much the same way I did about how buck's and doe's step on their front hoof track.
If anyone wants to learn more about tracking deer or learning more about understanding a deers tracks I'd suggest any or all of the following books.


The Deer Trackers by R.G. Bernier
The Deer Trackers Journey by R.G. Bernier
On The Track by R. G. Bernier
Benoit Bucks by Bryce Towsley
Hot To Bag The Biggest buck Of Your Life by Larry Benoit
Big Bucks the Benoit Way by Bryce Towsley
The Benoits presented by Outdoors Magazine
Hunting Big Woods Bucks Vol. I and Vol. II by Hal Blood

Big Woods Bucks Field Tracking Guide by Hal Blood

normally speak, in a normal walk, bucks don't step in their own tracks, does will.

[BruceBruce1959]

neither do it constantly but both do it regularly. I "Guarantee" if you have good tracking snow or mud, if you follow any individual set of tracks you'll see it happening repeatedly from doe's and buck's even during normal walking patterns.

was trying to think of where i picked up the "4 tracks buck, 3 doe" and it was from one of the benoits at a seminar. then looking for it sure enough it was there.

that was years ago, and its probably over simplified.

[Hunting Man]

The old school thoughts on wide rounded hooves = buck not so easy like ronn said an old doe will show very similar tracks. Finding a big set of tracks all by itself maybe = buck. I've never claimed to be able to be very good at telling the difference. I like scrapes, rubs, blood and snow for help