Hoof’n it through the
Deer Woods
by Tom Fassbinder
Fingerprinting a buck will give you
the knowledge and confidence you need to help get into shooting range of
that big mature buck!
Most youngsters “learn” early
in their hunting career how to differentiate buck tracks from doe tracks.
Or do they?
Unfortunately many hoof related
wives tales exist. Throughout the years these tales have lead a countless
number of hunters including myself astray. Studying deer tracks can make
you a better hunter and advanced deer track reading capability is an important
tool to have when you are in pursuit of a big mature buck. If you would
like to add another effective tool to your trophy-hunting arsenal then
the following paragraphs will help you get on the right “track”. (Pun Intended).
Drag Marks and Dewclaw Prints in the
Snow
25 years ago I read and
article in a popular hunting magazine written by a popular outdoor writer
that said only bucks leave hoof drag marks and dewclaw prints in the snow.
The theory was that does “prance” meaning that they walk very daintily.
Bucks on the other hand are lazy and expend as little effort as possible,
which results in drag marks from their hooves. I believed it myself for
a long time but several years ago I began to look closer at the tracks
of deer that I had seen. Since then I’ve seen a countless number
of doe’s that have left hoof drag marks and dewclaw prints in the snow.
Big Tracks
Big deer have big hooves
and leave big tracks. Right? This is generally true but don’t take it to
the bank just yet. I know several full-grown adult men that wear size 8
shoes. By the same token I know grade school kids that are wearing size
11’s. The same is true with deer. It is also true that males generally
have bigger feet than females and this statement is true with whitetail
deer as well. As an example, in the Midwest, tracks that are longer than
3 ½ inches were probably made by a mature deer. If you find one
4” or longer it is a sure bet that it belongs to a real brute. Correct?
The Key to Success in Track Identification
To verify if the 4” track
you found was made buy a monster buck check to see how deep the tracks
are sunk into the ground compared to tracks in the same area that were
made by other deer. If you find a 4” track that is sunk noticeable deeper
into the earth than the surrounding tracks you may have found a big-bodied
mature buck. Before you can be sure though, you will need to study the
area closer.
Maybe the 4” track was left
immediately after the last rain and the other tracks were left several
days later after the ground dried and hardened?
Using a garden rake clear
the area of debris and erase all old tracks. Then, making sure you use
the same scent elimination routine as you would for hunting, revisit the
site at regular intervals and take notes of what you find.
If the 4” tracks are consistently
deeper than the others you have uncovered your first clue to the whereabouts
of a mature buck. This tactic can be used along game trails, field edges
or anywhere that deer travel or congregate.
This deer hoof was 4
inches long. It belonged to very mature Iowa doe which field dressed at
175 lbs. The doe was harvested with a Ruger .44 mag handgun during a late
season hunt.
Advanced Track Talk
An advanced hunting method
that is gaining in popularity among serious trophy hunters is to “finger
print” a specific bucks tracks. Deer hooves wear down, crack, chip and
develop other distinctive characterizes. Each hoof eventually develops
its very own “finger print”. This is especially true of old weathered adult
bucks. By carefully studying deer tracks you will begin to recognize certain
features that exist only on the specific deer you are interested in hunting.
Studying deer tracks and becoming intimately familiar with the size and
shape of each hoof on the trophy buck in your hunting area you can help
you gain insight to his daily rituals that can eventually put you in position
for a close encounter.
Lets imagine that you have
located two different sets of 4” long hoof prints in the area you hunt.
You have taken the time to erase the prints from the soft earth and watch
them reappear several times. Each time one of the 4” sets pushes deeper
into the earth than all other surrounding sets of tracks.
You have also identified
that this particular set leaves a small crease in the soft earth about
¾ of an inch from the tip. It is reasonable to believe that this
is a mature buck worthy of your pursuit. It is now time to use your intimate
knowledge of that individual set of deer “fingerprints” to backtrack
the deer and see where he came from or maybe follow it forward and see
where he is going.
Take a garden rake to
the woods and erase deer tracks on trails where moist, soft dirt will help
to capture very distinctive prints. The soft earth in this ravine is a
perfect place to view deer tracks and “fingerprint” the areas bucks.
You can also look for his
tracks on deer trails and creek crossings throughout your area to find
other areas he frequents. Look at crossings along fences or property lines.
Does this deer venture onto the neighbors land? Does he enter the food
plot after dark from the east or west? Does this deer travel the main trail
or is he using the faint trail along the ridge?
Fingerprinting a buck
will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to help get into shooting
range of that big mature buck! Deer tracks not only tell you where a bucks
been, smart hunters will study them to help them determine where a buck
is going to be!
For more go to: www.whitetailfanatic.com
TO: Tom
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