You might like to wander the forest in search of deer and other game.Deer tracks are abundant in wilderness areas as one of the most common game animals.Spotting deer tracks could be harder than you think.There are environmental factors that obscure deer tracks and make them hard to see, as well as a number of other animals whose tracks can easily be confused for them.You will be able to spot deer tracks with a little information and some work.
Step 1: If you want to find deer or other large game tracks, look for a general location.
There are a variety of wilderness areas where you can try to find deer tracks.To experiment and hike around the forest a bit before you start looking, don't be afraid to choose a few.Make sure you have permission to hunt in private reserves.There are national parks and national forests.There are State Parks and State Forests.There are other public lands.There is a variety of habitats.
Step 2: deer might have a regular source of food
A regular food source will draw deer.If you want to increase your chances of finding deer tracks, try to find a place where deer will frequent.You will be narrowing down areas where you won't have to look if you do that.Deer like to eat fruit.Take a look at the fruit trees or berry bushes.Deer rely on plants for food.They like flowering plants.You might want to check out the field if you see it.A deer will eat mushrooms.
Step 3: Look for a deer or a game trail.
Finding a trail that deer frequently use is one of the best ways to find deer tracks.You should be able to find one in a rural area if you are on public or private land.The abundance of deer and their frequent use of trails make game trails one of the best places to look for deer tracks.Depending on where you are, deer trails may have high or low traffic.Deer trails are more worn and pronounced than human trails.They won't be straight most of the time.Some grass and plant growth may be ripped up or disturbed on the deer trails.
Step 4: There are areas to find bedding.
A large part of the day is spent sleeping by deer.There are different ways in which deer beds look.The grass will be matted down in a circular pattern.In a thicket with lots of leaf cover, the brush and leaves will be moved out of the way.You will have a better chance of spotting deer tracks if you find favored bedding areas.Look for night-time bedding areas.Near easy feeding spots, deer like to rest.There are lots of green grass and non-woody flowering plants in abandoned fruit trees.The deer will feel hidden and protected in places with more cover.You might be able to find a bed.The denser the woods, the more dense the day-time bedding areas are.They might be higher up in hills or mountains than in the valley.Climate, topography, and environment are some of the factors that will affect the location and circumstances of bedding areas.
Step 5: Take a look at the ground.
When you are in the forest, look at the ground for tracks.Spending a lot of time looking for tracks is the only way to be sure.Don't give up.You will find them soon.You need to be in an area where animal's feet can be seen.It will be hard to see tracks in sandy soil.It's a good idea to look for tracks in moist or packed soil.
Step 6: Look at the shape of the track.
Knowing the shape of the deer's track is the most important part of spotting tracks.There are two symmetrical haves in an oblong crescent shape on the hoof of deer.There are a lot of things that obscure the shape of deer tracks in the forest, including human footprints, leaves, and brush.The deer tracks have a shape made of the two hooves.The sides of deer tracks are not straight.
Step 7: Take a look at the tracks.
The tracks of deer are larger than those of other animals.You will be able to eliminate other animals if you know the size.Large hoofed animals have larger tracks.The tracks of deer are similar to those of hogs, but the hooves are splayed more and have a rounder shape.The tracks of yearlings are about an inch long.The tracks of an adult deer are about 2 to 3 inches long.They will be about 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide.Rear tracks are about 1.5 to 3 inches long.They will be about 3 to 6 cm wide.
Step 8: There are animals that are similar.
You may be good at spotting tracks in the forest, but it can be hard to distinguish between deer and similar animals.Environmental conditions such as mud, dirt, rocks, leaves, and more can obscure animal tracks.You don't want to confuse a deer track with another animal track.Pronghorn antelope have the same upside-down heart shape, but the sides are different.The mountain goat tracks are more rounded than the deer tracks.The front tips are not pointed at the inside of the hooves.The tracks of bighorn sheep are straight.The tips are duller than deer tracks.Compared to deer tracks, wild boar tracks are round.The tips are dull.
Step 9: There are other signs of deer movement.
One way to find deer tracks is to look for other deer nearby.While deer can move through some areas without leaving much of a trace other than tracks, certain areas provide better evidence of recent deer activity.Plants that have been eaten by deer are some things you can look for when looking for tracks.Look for stalks that are close to the ground.Deer incisors are not as sharp as rabbits.Look for deer feces.Deer feces are identifiable by their shape.There is a point on one end and a hole on the other.Try to find out if there is evidence of rutting.When bucks rub their antlers against the trunks of trees, it's called rending.You might see evidence, such as leaves torn up.
Step 10: There are different tracks that show the deer's behavior.
Different tracks show different things about a deer.You will have a bigger certainty in identifying your deer tracks if you know how tracks correspond with certain behaviors.Tracks headed downhill or down a mountain indicate that a deer is going to eat.The deer is probably going to sleep.The deer is probably feeding by the tracks going in circles or back and forth.