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.

Not belittling RR, I believe this guy is just having fun for for fun with those who he sucked in.

still hunting works excellent without snow if you do it right, keep the wind in your face, take 2 steps, wait for 6 steps, you won't cover much ground but it is very effective
RR

if a guy has fun with those he sucked in is the worst case scenario, why sweat it, think of the other reasons why a person would ask these questions
RR

I enjoy "still" hunting in the woods................... The best is after a rain when you can be quiet.

Unless it is a fresh snow, it becomes crusty / noisy - not good !

Look for deer "sign" not just tracks ................droppings, rubs, sheds, scrapes, heavy cover, ridge lines, bedding areas, water & food sources.

Where we hunt, the two ways to find tracks are to walk the logging roads and look for tracks crossing or, walk the perimeter of a habitat transition. A great example where I am of this is where the overgrown clear cut borders a hemlock swamp. There is a definite trail along this border and this where you will see tracks coming in and out of each habitat.

I've tried this a couple times over the years. Mostly I hike all day and never find the deer/bear. They meander all over the place. No rhyme or reason. No pattern. Just zig-zagging wandering around for miles (literally). I was successful ONCE. There was about 3 feet of snow on the ground. I don't think the buck was in the mood to walk far. Neither was I. :D

Okay oldtimr. im going to put it nice. i just dropped 2000 on gear. i dont have the money to drop another 2 or 300$ on a stand. so what i figure. is if i go out and start getting used to the area and get used to seeing signs of deer, ill have a better chance of getting one when i have a stand. if i put up a stand, and there are no sign of deer im not ganna get one anyway. so if you dont have anything nice to say or add to the conversation, why dont you just stay out of my forums? im trying to LEARN. im NEW. i wish i could spell it out a little better for you, but i really cant.

As for the rest of you that are helping me, i really appreciate it. and im taking everything everyone else is saying and im putting it to use. Thank you so much. its nice to just be out in the woods enjoying a day. learning new things. i enjoy the hunt, just like i enjoy fishing. Even if i dont catch anything, just spending the day outside doing what i enjoy is a win for me. of course id love to land an 8 or 10 point buck. who wouldnt? and honestly i wish i could repay every one of you who are being patient and helping me. Thank you all.

glad to have you in the hunting community.... we all had to start somewhere... some of us were just lucky and born into it...

I have been hunting since I could walk and am 52 now..ewwwww 52 I remember when I was a kid people who 52 were ancient..lol

NOOO in this day and age, being in your 50's is when your in your prime. there may be a thing here and there you couldnt do like when you were younger, but you have the wisdom that will help over come those few things you cant do as well now. trust me, my father is 56. hes still fit as an ox. but i can run circles around him when we are carrying shingles onto a roof. but hes a hell of a lot smarter then i am. lol but especially now with the life expectancy being 76 for a man, you really are still in your prime. :) sometimes i wish i was older so that i was a little smarter about the things i have done. a young mans ego can stand in the way a lot. :) but in all honesty OJI i really appreciate all the help you have given me. i know i ask a lot of stupid questions but its only because i second guess myself all the time lol.

Welcome to the site and I hope you learn lots and score on a big one!