A lot can be learned from investigating deer tracks where you hunt. I’ll even go as far as saying that deer tracks could be the number one type of deer sign to look for when you simply want an idea how many deer are using an area. However, can you explicitly tell a whitetail buck from a doe by their tracks?
Like their droppings, deer tracks come in a variety of sizes – but only a single, universal shape. Let’s take the next step to see what type of information we can garner from the fancy footwork they lay down on the daily.
Two-Towed Terminology
A deer’s foot consists of two larger crescent-shaped keratinous halves and two dewclaws (short appendages behind and just up from the hoof itself). When pressed into the dirt, their hoof leaves a heart-shaped track that is split in half, with the bottom or sharp end of the “heart” pointing in the direction the deer is traveling.
When the dirt is soft, or when the deer is running at high speed, the hooves will be spread farther apart, and the dewclaws will be visible.
Hoof Hoopla
Ever wonder how far a deer typically walks in a day? Studies show that on average a deer’s total daily movement can range anywhere from 1 to 15 miles based on the relative age or sex of the track-maker. Older deer usually move less than younger deer, and bucks move more than does or fawns. Herd density, quality of the local habitat, time of day, and especially time of year can also affect distance traveled. In general, deer move most during the breeding season and least in spring and summer.
Since the 1950s, deer managers historically used deer track counts to estimate population density, although the method proved to be labor-intensive and offered low detection probability and/or high variability. This resulted in an undercount. With today’s advanced technology, drones and trail cameras are much more commonly used for monitoring herd size.
So, what kind of data is available from their tracks?
Most hunters know that scrapes are made when deer use their front hooves to remove debris, expose the soil and rub-urinate on the ground as a way to communicate with each other. Researchers recently showed that we can use these locations to test for presence of infectious prions, the causative agent of chronic wasting disease (CWD). So, deer tracks may in fact walk to the front of the line when it comes to CWD detection and surveillance efforts.
Another way deer interact is through scent cues directly emitted from glands on their body, and one is located between the toes on all four feet of every deer. It’s called the interdigital gland. Scientists have identified nearly 50 compounds associated with this gland, and each breaks down at different rates. While we may not be able to readily use this information, deer and other animals can and absolutely do.
Keeping Track (and Trail)
The best we can do is use deer tracks and trails to aid us in hunting, which is why you’re likely reading this in the first place!
Deer trails are commonly 5 to 12 inches across, depending on the overall use by deer in the area. However, trail width is less important than freshness of the individual tracks on the trail, as this will be a better indicator of recent activity. It does no good to hunt over a wide deer trail that was used routinely in the summer near a soybean field when you are there in November and the crops are long gone.
Track and trail freshness is directly impacted by season, weather and soil type. Consider how each impacts the erosion of the track over time to best determine the age of a track, but basically look for crisp edges and a pronounced ridge between the toes for the freshest sign.
Adult deer tracks can be anywhere from 2½ to 4 inches long by 1½ to 2¾ inches wide. Although generally bucks are bigger than does and thus leave larger tracks, it is nearly impossible to determine the sex of a deer from its track alone. So, from a scouting or hunting perspective, you’ll have to use other evidence on the trail to help confirm the identity of the track-maker. That or simply sit and wait long enough until the deer that left that track shows back up! Then you can make the call in-person.
