(published 12/19/01)
Written by Frank Carbone Jr.

"Tracks in the snow -- a story is told"

The tracks of many different wild animals that are made in the snow, or on bare earth, can tell an experienced hunter and naturalist many things. The direction of the animal, the type of animal, the size of the animal and in some cases the sex of the animal. What the animal may have been doing while the tracks were being made can all be established very quickly by the trained and experienced woods-person.

In many ways an experienced big game hunter may need to do a little detective or forensics work in the woods. Knowing his/her firearm‘s ballistics, accuracy and potential will ensure a quick clean kill. And knowing the different types of hair, blood and tracks of the quarry goes a long way to a quick, clean recovery. Bow hunters are especially in tune with tracking and recovery methods.

Even if the hunter can’t see the tracks of the animal, such as in dry leaves, blood droplets will also indicate the direction the animal is traveling -- by showing tiny splayed streaks, like tiny fingers, pointing in the direction that the animal traveled. Even if you think that you made a clean miss -- the animal didn’t go down immediately or show signs of being hit -- you must determine what went wrong. Was it a clean miss? Why did you miss? Did you hit a small branch or tree? Look for signs of hair or other tissue debris where the deer was standing or behind it. Don’t give up too soon or too easily. Learn from experienced hunters and read good books on the subject.

The day after our first snowfall this season and while hunting with “Unc” (Mike) an interesting story revealed itself in the snow. As I stepped off of the county road and after walking about fifty feet I crossed a light blood trail of a large deer that was traveling North. The tracks were made the previous day. A single set of large human boot-prints was also mingled in with the deer tracks. I took note of the type of boot prints and the size of the deer prints and made an assumption that a hunter was tracking a wounded deer and the direction of travel of both was North. The deer appeared to be taking normal strides and we weren’t sure where the event began. I continued on my way in a westerly direction across the day old tracks to hunt the remainder of the morning.

Later in the morning while talking to “Unc” he related to me that he also cut the same tracks in the snow. They were still headed North and in the direction of our parked vehicle. We both hunted the remainder of the morning and took a noon break. As we walked out of the woods we cut the tracks again and found two fresh spent shells that the hunter had fired probably at the same deer that he/she was tracking. The deer changed course and was now headed in a Westerly direction.

Later in the afternoon while walking back into the woods my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to pick-up the track again -- just to see how the hunt may have concluded.

It appeared that another set of boot prints joined in the tracking and within a couple of hundred yards the deer then started climbing uphill toward a ridge. As the deer crested the ridge another scenario took place. The signs in the snow indicated that the deer went down at that point and stayed down. But hunters “A and B” boot prints appeared to have stopped about fifty feet short of the quarry then turned and back tracked. Two sets of different boot prints appeared on top of the ridge at the location of the downed deer. Hunters “C and D” appeared to immediately begin dragging the deer in a Northerly direction and parallel to the ridge.

This action of hunters “C and D” indicates that something could possibly have been amiss. Why did they begin dragging the deer even before field dressing the animal? While most experienced hunters immediately field dress (eviscerate) downed animals before dragging -- this action seemed unusual. Immediate field dressing aids in quick cooling and draining of the carcass -- ensuring the quality of the venison. At the same time field dressing on the spot provides for a lighter load to drag or transport back to the vehicle or camp. Why didn’t they drag the deer to the nearest road that was within site of the ridge? The last sign in the snow that I witnessed was of the deer still being dragged parallel to the county road but more than a mile from the beginning. The wide drag marks in the snow still indicated that the deer hadn’t been field dressed.

We can make our own assumptions about the information and the story that appeared in the snow. I’ve often imagined what I would do if a mortally wounded deer came past me while hunting either in a tree stand, ground blind or while “still hunting.” My own actions would favor the hunter who made the mortal shot if the hunter was on the track. But the unwritten woods rule sides with the hunter who made the last fatal shot. Just like any other profession, discipline or group -- ethics comes into play. This particular outcome might hinge on “hunter ethics.” Much can be written about this subject and perhaps I’ll dedicate a future column to this integral part of modern day hunting and the future of hunting for future generations.

We still have many days ahead for those of us who hunt small game. Always check on the specific laws in your region before venturing into the woods, fields and waters of NYS.

I’m sure that over the coming holidays many hunting stories will be told over the dinner table and around the fireplace. I had a very rewarding season in that I was able to observe many different types of wildlife while at the same time deer hunting -- Deer (bucks and does), beaver, ducks, geese, crows, hawks, pheasants (native cocks and hens), Pileated and other types of Woodpeckers, many different types of songbirds and flocks of Wild Turkeys. I also observed honey bees in a large hollow Oak Tree still active well into the season due to the warm weather. I was also lucky to find a large, flat fossil rock while walking on a well used deer/game trail. I hope that you also had a rewarding, successful hunting season and have plenty of venison packed away in the freezer.

Have a Safe and Joyous Holiday Season !

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Outdoor Liaisons appears every other week in the Times - Frank can be reached at the Times -- email forthebirds39@earthlink.net or 845-562-0941.