Though I certainly am not an expert at tracking deer, here is a quote from Field and Stream that might be helpful since it seems to have some common sense aspects to it which many other systems seem to lack.

"There is a simple method to distinguish the sexes by their tracks based on two characteristics of deer physiology:

1. The front hooves are larger than the rear hooves, and
2. Bucks are wider at the shoulder and narrower at the hips, while does are narrower at the shoulder and wider at the hips.

Like people."

When a deer walks, they will place their back hoof in the track of their front hoof. If the second track falls to the outside of the first, it is a doe because a doe's hind quarters are wider than her chest. If the second track falls to the inside of the first then it is a buck track since a buck's chest is wider than his hind quarters.

Big heavy deer will all leave big deep tracks. In soft ground the dew claws will show on bucks and does alike. Rounded tips on hoofs are a result of hoof wear usually due to rocky abrasive surfaces and has little to nothing to do with buck vs. doe.

The bottom line is, you can be 100% sure that it is a buck when you can see him standing in his tracks....!

A friend in Michigan, after reading the preceeding, was kind enough to send me a picture captured on his camtracker of a young buck taking the very hoof placement as discussed above. You can clearly see him placing his left hind hoof down in the spot that his left front hoof is leaving..! Thanks Ron for the picture that is worth a thousand words..!

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