Tracking basics: the most common big-game tracks

Tracking is one of the oldest skills in hunting. Knowing tracks tells you which animal passed, when and where – essential for game management, assessing crop damage and recovering wounded game.

Cloven hooves: the deer

Deer walk on two hoof toes; the print consists of two halves curving towards each other.

Species	Track length (adult)	Characteristic
Red deer	8–10 cm	elongated, pointed, deep
Fallow deer	5–7 cm	rounder than red deer
Roe deer	4–5 cm	narrow, pointed, small

In deer, dewclaw imprints only show on soft ground or when the animal moves fast.

Wild boar tracks

Boar tracks are broader and blunter, the toe tips are rounded, and the dewclaw imprints almost always show behind the print, set slightly outwards. This is the most reliable distinguishing feature.

What the trail tells you

• Stride length: larger, older animals take longer strides.
• Spacing and depth: a fleeing animal's prints splay apart and sink deeper, throwing up soil.
• Age: fresh tracks have sharp edges; old ones are rounded and may contain fallen leaves or snow.

Practice

The best places to learn are soft mud, fresh snow and the surroundings of wallows. Photograph every track with something for scale (a pen or tape measure) so you can compare them later.