Help Tracking Please
 

I have been out tracking a few times. I know its tough to do with all the leaves on the ground. But i was wondering where the tracks would most likely be? Around water sources? I have found some but it doesnt seem too promising. what should i try? or be looking for? Or around?

by tracking I assume you mean following a deer track until you catch up to the deer and shoot it..
I don't think there are many folks who can do that... Even me and am 1/2 OJIBWA... lol

You really need snow to do this..

Your best bet is to scout locate food sources and travel corridors ie funnels, saddles, bottle necks etc etc then set up shop there..

yeah im just trying to locate them. i see a few tracks here and there. but i want a better area to set up shop. id love to find a trail but i cant seem to find one. im jst trying to locate them. i wont start to still hunt until snow

What type of terrain are you hunting? Woods, fields, swamps, etc.?

As Ojibwa said, find food sources (oaks (acorns), agricultural fields, etc.), bedding areas, anywhere where the land transitions (evergreens to hardwoods, woods to fields, etc.) is typically a good area to start. Then once you observe some activity, you will be able to move your stand accordingly.

You can track a deer and shoot it, but you will need:
- fresh snow
- a LOT of public land
- endurance as you may be following it for near a day
- a way to survive and contact for help when you are miles in the middle of nowhere when darkness is closing in
- a gun and ability to make quick accurate shots when you catch up with the deer as it starts to tire

It can be done, but I have not done it. Wish I would have tried it though. Getting a bit on the old side for this.

Last year I tracked a buck back to near where I thought it bedded down and then sat on a log. I followed the trail, with the heavy wind in my favor. It was very heavy cover. Goofed up though as it came prancing out in the heavy cover giving me about 2 seconds for a shot with my ML. I had both the hammer and flip safety on where as only the flip safety should have been used. So you can track back to a bedding place and then take a stand, but fresh snow is needed. Otherwise, without snow, it is very difficult to know the age of the tracks and to find a continuous trail.

yeah im just trying to find a good spot to hunker down. i wanna look for signs. and then go out the next weekend and have a good shot at taking one home

i wont stalk or "still hunt" until it snows. and i hunt in the woods

You really need to rethink hunting, you have some ideas that are sure to lead to failure. If this is a serious post at all and not someone playing.

a couple deer will make a lot of tracks, to locate deer look for the food sources they are using, will cut your search area way down.
And BTW disregard the comments from those who log on HNI every day with the sole purpose of belittleing someone, you'll see who they are
RR

Learned tracking in stages
 

Up north, first learned to track deer in snow.

Down south learned to track in leaves/dirt/brush.
First, leaned to look for tracks in mud at water crossings.