Help posting a picture to ID animal track

[Gone_Fishin_]

Hello all,

First time poster, long time reader. I would like to say thank you to everyone on this site as the information here is more then i could ever have asked for or ever learned by myself.

Been fishing my entire life and recently got into hunting. This is my first year and i have lots to learn, i'm basically doing lots of research this year and have been climbing the mounatins ever weekend taking notes, pictures, drawing maps and writing down everything i see for next year.

Due to being on my "work computer" i don't have the options to download any pic programs or upload files. I've tried off my Iphone but have failed as i believe the pic is too large to upload. I would like some help in ID'n a game track i came across and followed this past weekend about a half hour from Chilliwack. If i can maybe email the picture to someone who can possibly upload it for me would be greatly appreciated.

A buddy and I followed these tracks for about an hour when they wandered off into the bush where we lost them. About a half hour later we came across them again about half a click up the road where it came to a dead end and was now a old old logging road that was grown in. We noticed smaller doe prints and then these big tracks along side just off the the edge of the trail. What we assumed was they were big buck tracks but am not sure, i posted them on Facebook and had a buddy mention they were Elk tracks? myself i do not know enought to tell. Do we even have Elk around Chilliwack ? Anyways... followed them for about 4 hours.. seemed we were right behind them the whole time. Would come around a bend and would only ever hear the slight bushes/snow of something running off. We finally lost track and had to back track about 50' where we seen both sets head straight into deep bush. We assumed they heard or smelled us and took off. Trying to learn from scratch and using the internet can be difficult at times and would appreciate if i could get some assistance from someone here.

I know exactly where this animal is crossing loggin areas (well i think i do..) and which trails it is using. Few weeks back before the snow i found the exact same tracks following the edge of a clearcut from mountain peak all the way down into a valley, i can clearly see something is using this trail all the time.

What would ones suggestion be for this? keep tracking and following or get to a vantage point early early and wait for the sun to come up and glass until the evening. I was almost thinking of buying a trail cam and setting it up but with winter almost here would it be worth my time as i have read the animals are on the move to their winter ranges and that will differ from the spring/summer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, if someone doesnt have the time to post can i possibly email it for you to have a look.

Thank you for anyone that can help,

[Fella]

There are elk up Harrison lake way (don't know where you were) but if you were in that area then that could be what you saw.

[Rackem]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1452528_547049195374187_670892007_n.jpg

[ru rancher]

iv saw buck tracks just as big and bigger then that id say thats just a dandy of a buck track you got there

[mungojeerie]

Yup... looks like a big deer track to me

[Fella]

I'm going to go against the grain and say elk

[Gone_Fishin_]

Thank you Rackem ! appreciate your help in posting the picture.

As for Elk... did not know they were here in the LML. I was not tho... anywhere near Harrison Lake. Was only about a half hour from CHWK including the mountain rd so really close. Not sure if i want to provide that info quite yet tho, might be onto something here i hope.

I was unsure due to the size of print, i wear size 11.5 and as you can see it is almost half by boot. Sure got the heart pumping when we came across that after hiking with not a single sign all morning. I'm thinking i will go survey the area a bit more and do some sneaking around this week to plan for an early outing this weekend. Hopefully i can stay on him and find out if he's moving up and down and bedding around the area.

Have only ever hunted when i was a little one with my dad 20 years ago and have had no one to show me the ropes so will be a good learning experience if i can get onto this fellow and figuring out where he's at. Hopefully i will get an opportunity for an actual sighting.

If i make any progress or have a good story (crossing fingers for something) i will be sure to post the details here.

Thank you again Rackem, if anyone has any tips on what to do from this point would be greatly appreciated as well.

[hickman]

Elk tracks that I have seen around Squamish seem much bigger. I agree, that would be a solid size BT buck, especially if the adjacent is a boot print.

[Rackem]

I would set up a trail cam on the trails you saw....just for fun. Obviously the animal is there now. To post your pic, I went to your FB page, clicked on the actual photo, right clicked it, selected "Save Image Location" from the drop down menu, then posted it in the text box, then surrounded it with BBCode image tags, which are square brackets [ ] that look like this and . You put the first tag at the start of your http://www.blahblah.com, and the second tag at the end. So it would look like this, but with no spaces: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1452528_547049195374187_670892007_n.jpg The first tags is Turn On Image, the second tag is Turn Off Image.....

[j270wsm]

The adjacent is a boot, not a boot track. Lol

[Rackem]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1453300_10151706416140754_449316582_n.jpg


https://scontent-a-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1450319_10151706427920754_1620178828_n.jpg

[Taurusguy]

Looks like the big deer track I was following last year and landed my bruiser 4x3 after following it for 4 days. Stay on it. On the last day (extended trip another day to get it) the track went right through our camp. Followed it and shot it 3hrs later that day. When we got it back to camp I took a leg and pressed its foot into the snow next to the track in camp and it was exactly the same. Dueclaw dropped and everything.

Also. What elevation does chilliwack valley have snow at now? Thought about taking my 9yo son that way to do some hiking with him.

Thanks

[Sofa King]

The adjacent is a boot, not a boot track. Lol

haha.
dude's got great vision, he can see the track "under" the boot.

[ruger#1]

Here is a picture of my truck.
http://oliverdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/kevin-one-police22-350x330.jpg
That is a big blacktail track. And you also have elk around Ryder Lake.

[ianm]

You shouldn't use company vehicles for personal gain :p

[Rackem]

Here is a picture of my truck.
http://oliverdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/kevin-one-police22-350x330.jpg
That is a big blacktail track. And you also have elk around Ryder Lake.

Nice rainbow on the side, great to see you support diversity!

[ruger#1]

You just want what is in front of it.
This is a pic of a 4X4 black tail from the LML, It has a 375 H&H cartridge in it's hooves.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Takla_2012_034.jpg

[sawmill]

Here is a picture of my truck.
http://oliverdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/kevin-one-police22-350x330.jpg


You need more of them funny looking bushes to hide better than that.Maybe put some on your roof mount disco lights too.Elk can spot them at 75 MPH.

[Rackem]

You just want what is in front of it.

Can't see what is in front of it....

[caddisguy]

Also. What elevation does chilliwack valley have snow at now? Thought about taking my 9yo son that way to do some hiking with him.

x2 ... I am also wondering what the snow elevation is around Chilliwack/Hope. I'm hoping to head out for a local trip this weekend, but I don't have chains or snow tires for that matter. Just AT's at about 60% tread.

[ruger#1]

x2 ... I am also wondering what the snow elevation is around Chilliwack/Hope. I'm hoping to head out for a local trip this weekend, but I don't have chains or snow tires for that matter. Just AT's at about 60% tread.
Sunday, The snow was a 1/4 way down Sumas Mountain. I use that as a gauge for good hunting.

[ruger#1]

Can't see what is in front of it....
Ok, Smarty pants. Infront of the door, By the rainbow. Luv ya Hellen.

[Blainer]

Buck track

[Rackem]

Ok, Smarty pants. Infront of the door, By the rainbow. Luv ya Hellen.

LOL, do you mean the Bison? I have worked with Bison, and seen them in the wild, and eaten Bison from a farm, but they seem pretty easy to hunt...since they sort of just stand there looking at you from ten feet away....

[ruger#1]

You need more of them funny looking bushes to hide better than that.Maybe put some on your roof mount disco lights too.Elk can spot them at 75 MPH.
Rolling papers for the bushes would be better.

[BRrooster]

I'd say big deer track. From the moment a track is made it starts to deteriorate. Tracks in melting snow tend to get "bigger". As for a buck track, well...there's always the story of the guy that followed the "big buck track" and ended up finding big footed doe at the end of it. If you can find a rub or other indication along the track,it might help tell you what it was. If you can see ......how it Peed, it might give you a clue......! Bucks in rut tend to dribble a bit now and then. Does step daintily.Bucks might swagger a bit, and drag thier toes.
just my 2 cents.

[hickman]

Good camo ;-). In any case, boot or boot track, I'd say it's a deer.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Good camo ;-). In any case, boot or boot track, I'd say it's a deer.

It is my boot in the picture, with those and full remington matching camo i had my buddy walk right by and almost step on me without even knowing it the other day. Lets just say I put the orange hat back on after i stood up and startled him...

[Gone_Fishin_]

If you can see ......how it Peed, it might give you a clue......! Bucks in rut tend to dribble a bit now and then. Does step daintily.Bucks might swagger a bit, and drag thier toes.
just my 2 cents.

^^^^ we did notice there was pee dribbled here and there around the bigger tracks, and as for the direction i swear he must have eaten some of those "weird bushes" in the previous picture with the truck or got into some fermenting fruit, lol.

I did notice some old rub marks on a few trees about 20' in from the edge of the loggin area.

The picture of the track is one of the first we found and was the best for viewing on camera, other tracks were in deeper snow and was hard to get a good pic of them. The more we followed the fresher they appeared to be, right near the end we could tell from the toe dragging they were fresh tracks as well it was snowing and none were filled in yet with fresh powder. All tracks were the same size.

[~T-BONE~]

Buck track! I'd be keeping an eye on that area and your wind..

[coach]

Buck track. Get on him!

picture posting info is in my sig line. Happy hunting!

[adriaticum]

Looks like the last buck in Chilliwack has it's days numbered.

[adriaticum]

Here is a picture of my truck.
http://oliverdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/05/kevin-one-police22-350x330.jpg
That is a big blacktail track. And you also have elk around Ryder Lake.


Yeah, you have elk mountain, elk view roadetc....
Lot's of elk :-D

[vanillagator]

buck. big.

[Papa Sasquatch]

I would guess that this is the track of a female due to closed toes a male with a large rack would have big spread like a V print.