Tracking deer in cover

[John Y Cannuck]

I was at this for a short while this season, with a little fresh snow to aid me. I started in the wrong area at first light, and found no track at all until about ten AM when I crossed a natural stone dam and headed into some light oak and pines.
That track was wolf, and a large one at that.

Shortly thereafter I picked up a fresh deer track of substantial size.
It was a walking track, so I advanced slowly, trying not to be directly on the track, as deer do check their back trail.

By now the snow had started to melt, and of course that made it go crump, crump crump with every step. Best I could do was go slow and try to roll my steps stopping and waiting if I broke a branch. There was a slight wind, and that was I hoped going to hide at least some of my noise. It took about a half hour to walk up on the deer.
But I blew it. I was coming up on a rock ridge, covered with red pines between areas of bare rock. My back isn't what it used to be, so I don't bend down and look under stuff as much as I should. As a result, something that I thought was a glacial erratic up ahead suddenly jumped up and blew a series of seven or eight snorts at me giving me a quick view of a fast vanishing big white tail in the process.

They love to rub it in.

I never even raised my rifle.

Oh well, I was successful late that afternoon from the stand as previously reported, so all ended well.

 

[Pathfinder]

I always wanted to track deer in snow even planned my trip late this year to allow for it but never got enough snow until the morning I was packed up. Ill have to re-read Hal Blood's book(s) and try again next year. Booked even later this time.

 

[fiddler]

The other side of the coin is when there is so much snow and a billion tracks going every direction. Its nice to have a fresh dusting of snow since 3 or 4 in the morning. Otherwise its a lot of bending over and touching every series of tracks to see whats fresh or how old.

 

[Suka]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. That's why they call it hunting and not gathering.

Really pay attention to offshoot, "scant" trails. That's where the bucks tend to travel. It's not often easy tracking, even in snow. Crosstracks can throw you off the track very easily. Better to lose the track than walk with your head down.

An animal you don't have a chance at is also an opportunity to watch how they move or act. It's all good.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. That's why they call it hunting and not gathering.

Really pay attention to offshoot, "scant" trails. That's where the bucks tend to travel. It's not often easy tracking, even in snow. Crosstracks can throw you off the track very easily. Better to lose the track than walk with your head down.

An animal you don't have a chance at is also an opportunity to watch how they move or act. It's all good.

It's true, even if you get nothing, the volumes you learn about deer behaviour, where they hang their hats, and where they travel is well worth taking the time to do some tracking. I know the guys that hunt private property are pretty much screwed here, unless it's a big chunk of property. Where I was hunting I can walk for many hours in several directions and see not a soul. All crown.
It's important that you know the area well before you start, and are prepared should you have trouble.

 

[H4831]

I was at this for a short while this season, with a little fresh snow to aid me. I started in the wrong area at first light, and found no track at all until about ten AM when I crossed a natural stone dam and headed into some light oak and pines.
That track was wolf, and a large one at that.

Shortly thereafter I picked up a fresh deer track of substantial size.
It was a walking track, so I advanced slowly, trying not to be directly on the track, as deer do check their back trail.

By now the snow had started to melt, and of course that made it go crump, crump crump with every step. Best I could do was go slow and try to roll my steps stopping and waiting if I broke a branch. There was a slight wind, and that was I hoped going to hide at least some of my noise. It took about a half hour to walk up on the deer.
But I blew it. I was coming up on a rock ridge, covered with red pines between areas of bare rock. My back isn't what it used to be, so I don't bend down and look under stuff as much as I should. As a result, something that I thought was a glacial erratic up ahead suddenly jumped up and blew a series of seven or eight snorts at me giving me a quick view of a fast vanishing big white tail in the process.

They love to rub it in.

I never even raised my rifle.

Oh well, I was successful late that afternoon from the stand as previously reported, so all ended well.

Some of my most memorable deer hunts have ended exactly like yours!
I was once sitting at the top of a slope, watching the semi open below me for deer, just as daylight was breaking. The wind was coming up the slope, favouring me. I heard one little twig snap below me, but could see nothing. In about ten minutes this great snort and blow, directly behind me. I jumped from my log and turned, just in time to see a huge whitetail buck take his leap into cover.
Curious, I followed his back trail. He had been below me on the slope, got suspicious and made a big circle around me, to get downwind of me. Somewhere below me he had broke a twig.
He could just as well have sneaked quietly away when he smelled me, but no, he had to rub it in that he had fooled me.
The big buck went free, but to my mind this is deer hunting at its best.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Yes my friend, that IS deer hunting. The number of times I've been figured out far outweighs the times I've been successful. Persistence pays off, and I rarely go home empty handed, but I am usually beaten by deer several times each year. Probably many times more that I don't even know about as well.

Like this year, parked in a tree stand on a farmers field. It was approaching the end of legal light, when I heard a very soft deer call and some rustling noises. It was close, very close, but it was in the cover behind me and dark enough I could not see well in that direction. I knew I had maybe ten minutes of legal remaining, so decided to chance calling at close range. I used the can call, muffled it, and did a very quick flip that pretty much duplicated what I'd heard.

Never heard another peep, they just melted away.

Calling when deer are close is seldom the right choice to me. Better to wait them out. If you call there is an excellent chance they will see you, or figure out you're in a tree. But in this case, I chanced it because of the growing gloom. Last hunt of the season. I blew it. But I loved it anyway.

 

[Tikka6xc]

I do a lot of spot n stalk. Snow is always loud and I rather track with out it.

In the snow when it's easy if I'm on a fresh trail that a deer walked I don't go in to a quiet stalk mode until either the tracks start running or I see him. They only tend to run for a max of 500y in the thick. Far enough where u can revamp but close enough that you know a slow quiet stalk is worth it.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Quite often guys give up when deer run. Usually they run a very short distance. Often you can get another look quickly if they are not too alarmed, they may have just dropped over the next knoll, less than a hundred yards. But they will be very alert, and listening to what you are doing.

Last fall my wife and I were walking a bush trail, and came upon a young buck in his bed. He jumped up and ran, clearly having seen both of us. I stood on the trail and my wife went after him, when we heard the running stop.

She quietly crept to the top of the ridge, being very careful as she topped out, and was quite surprised to see him fifty feet away, standing broadside. This was pre-season, we were not hunting.

 

[Pathfinder]

Yep noticed they dont' necessarily go very far....and the dumber they are the closer they are (younger deer usually) I noticed this when we see deer while driving around and go into the tree line looking for them. Guys who only hunt the road miss out on all this good stuff since most will never even go over the ditch unless they are recovering something.

 

[lucky72]

lets put it that way, if hunting was easy, everybody would be hunting.

 

[captonion]

lets put it that way, if hunting was easy, everybody would be hunting.

If it was easy, I wouldn't be doing it...

Tracking in cover takes practice, but isn't all that hard to get the hang of...It is a very exciting way to hunt, on par to hunting with hounds IMO...Took an 8 point yesterday under 20yds tracking in thick evergreens...Gotta keep your eyes working more on whats around you than the tracks you are following...You don't need snow but it does make it easier...I shot a very nice buck a few years back that I tracked for a bit over 3hrs, only a couple hundred yards from where I first started traking it...Studying the Benoit way of tracking is what got me interested in this, and has produced some very nice deer for me..