Ask me a tracking question

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Spysar
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby Spysar » Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:18 am

I do quite a bit of tracking too. Here's a couple of questions.

How much snow is too much for tracking? Yesterday I was out in snow over my knees. I'm usually pretty optimistic about being able to catch up to one, but that snow kicked my but!

AND, how do you find a big ,big track to follow? Finding a track crossing the road dosen't work to well here, as people find those easy, and most aren't big buck tracks anyway. And there's no baiting here. The way I currently find one is enter the woods and follow the first track I find until it leads to more deer. I "upgrade" the track I'm following until I feel I'm on a buck. Big deer in the Northeast are super hard to come by.

Magic, would you consider coming to the Northeast and doing some late season tracking? I have the place to stay and place to hunt...But I drink Tullamore Dew....

AND, how many deer have you killed tracking?

AND, are you trophy hunting? Do you have to evaluate a buck while shooting? Or will you take any buck?


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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby Tadmdad » Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:12 am

Sorry Magic, didn't mean to call you out. But believe that tracking is a long lost art of whitetail hunting, and many on the forum can learn from your experience. Appreciate your point of always learning while on the track about deer behaviour and observations that make you a better hunter.

Haven't made the commitment for many years to become a better tracker, but a couple of things that I found were personal limitiations, that I struggled to grasp while tracking years ago.

1) When reading a track, knowing when to push and cover ground and when to go into "creep mode" and anticipate the shot.

2) After bumping a buck, understanding how long to back off. So just to not push that buck into the next county.

3) They always seem to watch their backtrail, especially after being bunmped. Your approach in that situation?

I'm good with the bottle of Windsor......just needs to be shared, I'm in. ;)
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:41 am

Have you found any strong correlation to mature bucks direction of movement/bedding choice in regards to the wind.

For instance, do you find the bigger bucks sticking to the top 3rd in the 'thermal tunnel', bedding on the 'lee side', head or tail wind while traveling, etc...?
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby Spysar » Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:43 am

PalmettoKid wrote:Have you found any strong correlation to mature bucks direction of movement/bedding choice in regards to the wind.

For instance, do you find the bigger bucks sticking to the top 3rd in the 'thermal tunnel', bedding on the 'lee side', head or tail wind while traveling, etc...?


When I'm tracking I've found deer go where they want to go, and wind has little to do with it. Magic?
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:56 am

Spysar wrote:I do quite a bit of tracking too. Here's a couple of questions.

How much snow is too much for tracking? Yesterday I was out in snow over my knees. I'm usually pretty optimistic about being able to catch up to one, but that snow kicked my but!

I usually don't have deep snow. Lack of snow is the usual problem. I think you answered your own question. When it gets too deep to physically be able to do it then it's too deep. I was recently tracking in an area that recieved over a foot of snow. It was settled some but it was tough to travel. I would say that there was 8 to 12 inches everywhere I went. I was able to go about 3 miles each time out. It kicked my but too!

Spysar wrote: AND, how do you find a big ,big track to follow? Finding a track crossing the road dosen't work to well here, as people find those easy, and most aren't big buck tracks anyway. And there's no baiting here. The way I currently find one is enter the woods and follow the first track I find until it leads to more deer. I "upgrade" the track I'm following until I feel I'm on a buck. Big deer in the Northeast are super hard to come by.

I have drove all day and never found a track worth taking. It happens. They get road shy during hunting season. I do pretty much what you do if I can't find a track. My buck from last year in WI. was a result of following a smaller buck. Another thing to try is if you know where a big buck beds pop in and circle the area to see if you can find his track. I build a data base from year to year for those days I can't find a track. If you read my story about the buck that went thru the blowdowns, that buck was one I was on the year before and I walked in a 1/2 mile just to check for him and he was there.

Spysar wrote: Magic, would you consider coming to the Northeast and doing some late season tracking? I have the place to stay and place to hunt...But I drink Tullamore Dew....

I'd love to try it sometime. It would have to be at a time when I have no options back home because thats a long distance to travel to do what I can do here. It would be an honor to hunt with you, thanks for the offer!
Spysar wrote: AND, how many deer have you killed tracking?

I killed 5 bucks, let one walk, and missed one that I should have had. The funny thing about the one I missed he was just standing there about 100 yds away and the shot felt good but I didn't connect. I've been doing it for 5 years now and in 2 - 3 states per year. I will be the first admit that I'm still learning, I think this is a lifelong process of learning.

Spysar wrote: AND, are you trophy hunting? Do you have to evaluate a buck while shooting? Or will you take any buck

I am looking for a big one. It's tough to evaluate but I get a quick look and have to decide in the blink of an eye. I have shot ones that I wish I would have let go and have been suprised to find that some were bigger than I thought. I consider any deer taken this way a trophy and it's not as much about the rack as it is the hunt for me. If your looking for a buck that scores x amount of inches this probably isn't the right method.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:34 am

Tadmdad wrote:Sorry Magic, didn't mean to call you out. But believe that tracking is a long lost art of whitetail hunting, and many on the forum can learn from your experience. Appreciate your point of always learning while on the track about deer behaviour and observations that make you a better hunter.

Haven't made the commitment for many years to become a better tracker, but a couple of things that I found were personal limitiations, that I struggled to grasp while tracking years ago.

Tadmdad wrote:1) When reading a track, knowing when to push and cover ground and when to go into "creep mode" and anticipate the shot.

I'm still learning this as well. The rule of thumb is when they feed up they will bed but I've been fooled. I think nothing beats expeience in this area.


Tadmdad wrote:2) After bumping a buck, understanding how long to back off. So just to not push that buck into the next county.
Again. This is work in progress for me. I started giving them an hour but it's still tough. This I can say, a deer won't run any further than he has to. Many times I have followed them for miles and they just stay far enough ahead of me so I can't shoot them. Once in a while I will bump a buck they will be rested up and they just go into their normal travel route. Then it's tough to keep up because they aren't trying to get away but they want to cover ground.


Tadmdad wrote:3) They always seem to watch their backtrail, especially after being bunmped. Your approach in that situation?

Pray! LOL It's tough once they know your behind them and no doubt the first encounter will be your best chance! I have had chances after they know your after them but it's tough. Again, work in progress and I'm trying things and learning. There are some things I am wanting to try but I'm waiting for the right situations. I don't get a lot of quality chances to experiement so trying new things can take years of waiting.

Tadmdad wrote:I'm good with the bottle of Windsor......just needs to be shared, I'm in. ;)

I'd love to share a bottle with you! I hope someday we can hit the woods together!
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magicman54494
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:52 am

Spysar wrote:
PalmettoKid wrote:Have you found any strong correlation to mature bucks direction of movement/bedding choice in regards to the wind.

For instance, do you find the bigger bucks sticking to the top 3rd in the 'thermal tunnel', bedding on the 'lee side', head or tail wind while traveling, etc...?


When I'm tracking I've found deer go where they want to go, and wind has little to do with it. Magic?


I agree with Spy in regards to wind and travel . As far as bedding, they have their core areas and bed for safety when they are home. When they are traveling, they could be bedded anywhere....but they didn't get big by being stupid so they still pick spots that give an advantage but not like the perfect spots of their core areas.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:55 am

How much snow is too much for tracking? Yesterday I was out in snow over my knees. I'm usually pretty optimistic about being able to catch up to one, but that snow kicked my but!

I usually don't have deep snow. Lack of snow is the usual problem. I think you answered your own question. When it gets too deep to physically be able to do it then it's too deep. I was recently tracking in an area that recieved over a foot of snow. It was settled some but it was tough to travel. I would say that there was 8 to 12 inches everywhere I went. I was able to go about 3 miles each time out. It kicked my but too!

I think just like us, old bucks have a hard time getting thru deep snow too... So the track is likely not going to go as far.
I tried snow shoes and they work great with the exception that they are noisy. A lot of deer seem to let me get close enough for a shot regardless of the noise, but I had a real hard time with the snowshoes in cattails and in swamps, but in open hardwoods I really covered some ground.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:14 am

dan wrote:I was tracking a buck the other day. I bumped the buck out of a bed in a very remote area of cattails. Being that the water was frozen, and both me and the buck were higher up than normally, and the cattails were low, I would be able to see the buck across the cattails. The buck never ran, just snuck ahead. I followed him into a corner where he would either have to come back past me, or cross open territory. I was really surprised to find that the track looped around and went back past me without me seeing the buck. Staying on the track, a short time later, he had enough and turned onto private land and went up a large bare snow covered hill... In the mess of cattails, I think I was keeping my eye on the track too much, and missed the deer slipping around me, or up the hill. I was expecting to get close and have him run, which is usually the reaction I receive... Do you have any comments or suggestions?


Couple of comments.
1. When I try to guess where they are going to go I am wrong all the time.
2. You have to train yourself to keep looking for the deer instead of looking down. They are quick and quiet and in a few seconds of looking down he can slip right by you. An all day track comes down to a few seconds of opertunity and if your looking down.... :cry:
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:23 am

Thats it... Im going out right now to try that buck again. I only got a couple hours, so we will see...

One more question, I have noticed that its really hard to make out track size in deep snow... Much easier in shallow snow. I have been trying to determine big bucks by gait distance, but have been surprised at track size after following the track to ice, or a road or trail where you can see the actual track... Any advice for deep snow "big" buck track recognition?
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:27 am

I want to correct something I said earlier.
I killed 5 bucks total tracking.
I missed 2 bucks - I said before only one. The other one was running and I didn't connect.
I have had questionable shot ops at a bunch more but held off because I just didn't get a good shot.
It's important to be safe and sure before pulling the trigger and I'd rather not shoot if the shot just ain't there and also I have had more than one jump up so it's real important to be sure of your target! You will run into other deer as well so make sure your not shooting the wrong deer.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:37 am

dan wrote:Thats it... Im going out right now to try that buck again. I only got a couple hours, so we will see...

One more question, I have noticed that its really hard to make out track size in deep snow... Much easier in shallow snow. I have been trying to determine big bucks by gait distance, but have been surprised at track size after following the track to ice, or a road or trail where you can see the actual track... Any advice for deep snow "big" buck track recognition?


It's real tough! stride lenght will help. After doing this for a while I'm getting an eye for it. It's hard to put in words. the best way is to hope you can find a track that didn't back fill and you can see it. If I find what I think is a good track I am wiiling to follow it long enough until I get a good look at it. Like you said, ice, or under a pine where the snow is not as deep, road, on a trail where the snow is packed down, etc. You have to make an educated guess then be willing to follow it long enough to know for sure. Deep snow is probably not the best way to get started but any snow is better than no snow. In a whole season there will only be a few days where I would say there is optimal tracking snow. The rest of the time it can be painfully hard to track.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby PLB » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:41 am

Magic, my Dad had a great encounter tracking o the last day of gun season. Found a huge track at 630 am and fllowed it til 330pm.. The buck kept circling back and did not want to leave his core area. My uncl ended up issing him at 250 yards running across a powerline, 100 yards from where my Dad first cut the track!! Do you find that mature bucks have a general area they feel safe in and attempt to get back too?? I suppose some bucks are homebodies and some are not afraid to venture into parts unknown..
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:42 am

I would say there is optimal tracking snow. The rest of the time it can be painfully hard to track.

This is very true... And what makes your accomplishments so amazing. Some years I would bet you don't get good tracking snow all season.
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Re: Ask me a tracking question

Unread postby PLB » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:47 am

I would love to track with my bow because our late season is so long there is a chance for good trcking weather, like NOW!! I be it would be tough to do though?? My arms would get sore carrying that bow with arrow knocked.
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