Individual Deer Tracks --- What do they tell us?

[MGarner]

This appears to be a huge track to me, but I am still relatively new at this. Is it possible to determine size, age or gender of a deer from a series of prints? I have heard some say yes and some say no in the articles I read...so, what does this picture tell you...other than a deer has been in the area.


[image]http://rgbeard.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/20140913_174053.jpg[/image]

 

[ROVERBOY]

I've heard that you can't tell much from tracks. Sure a big track might be from a big deer or a small deer with big feet. Who really knows. I have seen big tracks that was in soft muddy ground and they was sunk down a few inches. It was probably a heavy deer. Maybe a buck.

 

[MGarner]

Roverboy, that is pretty much how I look at it as well.

 

[knightrider]

it tells you a deer was there that is all,and in this case it dropped its keys

 

[Mike Belt]

Which way they were headed?

 

[MGarner]

Knightrider, I was waiting on that joke! Haha

 

[MGarner]

Mike, this track, and many more were headed up a trail, and right along the edge of a drop-off.

 

[DaveB]

Only thing tracks tell you is a deer has passed that way. Tracks do not tell sex weight age. Much better to find tracks than to not find tracks but that could be where you are looking.

 

[BSK]

Nothing, other than a deer walked through there. Aging of the track might give you an indication of how long ago, in a general sense.

 

[in the dog house]

Which way they were headed?

This^^^^^^^ and depending on your skills, maybe how long ago they where made.