One of the best things you can do to improve your hunting skills is study whitetail tracks. Some hunters claim that they can distinguish between buck and doe tracks, but is this really true? Biologists say that the only way to be certain is to see the deer make the track.

So why not do that? When you can, go investigate the tracks left by deer after they have vacated the area, especially nice bucks. Record the deer's sex, body size, track length and shape in a notebook so that you can develop a- well, a "track record".

Carry a small tape measure in your pocket and measure the tracks you find. Take note of the track's length and depth as this will offer some clues as to the size of the deer that made them. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind regarding the length of deer tracks:
• Up to 4.5" from tip to dewclaw usually doe, yearling or fawn
• 5" usually a 2.5 year old buck
• 5.5"-6" usually a mature buck at least 3.5 years old
• Remember, some women have big feet, and so do some does

There are a couple other things to remember when trying to determine whether you're looking at buck or doe tracks. Bucks tend to drag their feet when they walk especially during the rut. Bucks tend to be loners most of the time, except for the bachelor group period that lasts from late spring through summer. So, if you find a moderately large set of tracks along with one or two sets of small tracks, you're probably looking at tracks made by a doe and her fawns.