Tracking

[dittydogood]

Question about tracking elk and sign. Looking for some references on how to tell if tracks are fresh vs a day old and other signs such as droppings or scrapes. I've done some tracking on deer but never elk. I'd say the biggest indicator is smell???

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[Raghornklr]

Depends on terrain, but it’s pretty easy to tell if a herd has been through they seem to tear up the ground pretty good. Usually a lot easier to follow then deer due to their size.

If you can smell them you should have your head up looking around and not looking at the ground. Their scent doesn’t linger forever.

 

[GregB]

If you can smell them then you're probably not far behind, or they use the area a lot. If it's damp or wet transferring mud while they walk through. Bruising on vegetation they step on is a good indicator. Sometimes I'll step on the ground next to it and make a fresh track to compare the two. There are a lot of variables with weather that can affect tracking

 

[Matt Cashell]

If you can smell that sweet bovine-like elk smell you’re on them.

You can also smell the disturbed-soil odor (like potting a seedling) on fresher tracks. This smell dissipates quickly too.