Tracking Whitetail Deer – What You Need to Know
Tracking whitetail deer is not a simple task. It takes diligence, patience, and most of all, keen senses to stay alert and on top of your prey. Whitetail deer tracks tell a complex story, and you’re going to have to decipher that tale, and what type of paper it was written on, so to speak. Whether in the thickets of snowy New Hampshire in November, or the grasslands after a rainstorm in the Midwest, you’re going to have a whole different set of conditions to learn from.
Many enthusiasts believe that tracking is merely half of the game, when in reality, it’s far more. Think about this: when you mentally prepare to go hunting, or you’re at the range and honing your marksman skills with a rifle, you’re not in the hunt. Your instincts aren’t guiding you, your knowledge isn’t your companion. You’re working on skill and dexterity. Without proper tracking, your marksmanship would be nothing. Tracking whitetail deer isn’t a simple task, so let’s get your prepared.
Putting in the Time to Track Whitetail Deer
The untamed wilderness is expansive, as we all know. Depending on the North American region, a buck can travel anywhere from twenty to thirty miles per day, though there is little research on exact numbers. Does are noted to travel less distances per day, though they can still move at alarming pace depending on the time of day that you go hunting.
You’ll be spending long hours when tracking whitetail deer, carefully locking in on their position. One fact about the whitetail deer that separate this classification from standard deer: they are more agile, swift, and nimble than any other breed.
What Makes The Whitetail Deer Special?
In terms of tracking, they are a harder prey to lock in on. Tracking whitetail deer isn’t often undertaken, even by expert hunters, due to the longevity of the hunt, and the heightened possibility of your prey escaping due to their physical prowess. However, other factors go into why tracking whitetail deer becomes a more complex task.
Common Ground: Whitetail Deer
Track whitetail deer give you a lot more wildcards. With over 600 different plants in their usual diet, their diversity make it more difficult to narrow your expected hunting area. While they are native to all of continental North America, their predominant grounds are the United States and Canada, though their eating habits will adapt to whichever area they are in. With a unique and long menu, they will eat anything from acorns to grass and leaves.
Tracking Whitetail Deer Using Crops As Bait
If you’re looking to hunt long-term, you can utilize crop production solely for baiting whitetails. Most commonly, they enjoy corn, soybeans, and various types of berries. The process of tracking whitetail deer can be cut in half with some ingenuity and a bit of diligence with planting crops.
Common Watering Hole
While their diet is extremely diverse, there is one thing that no animal can avoid: at some point, they’re all going to need water. Depending on your neck of the woods, watering holes may be limited, which would work in your favor. When tracking whitetail deer, camping out near a watering hole is not such a bad bet. Like many other breeds, they have a four-chambered stomach, and are extremely likely to chew their food rapidly, cough it up, and chew it again later. With all that chewing, and their increased movement rates, they are more likely to require water for more intervals throughout any given day.
The Coveted Whitetail
The population of whitetail deer is significantly lower than that of your standard buck and doe breed. That being said, it becomes a coveted prize to bag one of these majestic creatures. They are not safe from one fatal flaw of any deer: their night vision is significantly better than their daytime vision. When tracking whitetail deer, it’s not always easy to control what time of the day you will find them. Bright skies at high noon would be the optimal chance to quietly aim for a shot, and run the smallest risk of a whitetail actually spotting you before you’re able to pull the trigger.
Tracking By Coat
Tracking whitetail deer isn’t always obvious. You may even come across a whitetail without meaning to. Their coats change rapidly depending on the season. Dependent on what exact time of the year you plan to hunt whitetail, understand their coat changing specifications to better determine exactly what type of prey you are looking at.
Whitetail Deer Have Keen Senses
As described earlier, their sight isn’t their first line of defense. Whitetail rely on their scent and hearing to avoid potential danger. Stepping on one crunchy leaf can, and will, send a whitetail running before they think twice. They will abandon any watering hole, food source, and anything else nearby to escape any signs of harm, with or without knowing the specifications of what that harm is. Their instincts take in faster, and more effectively than standard deer.
Graceful, Yet Large
Depending on the season and gender, whitetail can be up to six or seven feet, and two-hundred pounds. Their stride has been known to reach as wide as twenty-five feet, though many believe it may be even larger. With these specifications, they are still among the most agile and nimble deer breed known to science. Don’t underestimate the size of your prey—they can very well escape your sight just as, or quicker than, any breed of deer you’ve ever hunted before.
Where To Hunt Whitetail Deer
Geographically speaking, the best place to hunt whitetail deer is right in the heart of Jack Country, Texas, right here at Squaw Mountain. At Squaw Mountain Ranch, our goal is to provide you with the best whitetail deer hunting service anywhere in North America, and we’ve been doing so for ages.