tracks

[covert]

I have a question of how different people age how old the cat track is that they want to turn there hounds out on if they do not have a dog with them to show them if it was a cold track or a hot one?

[twist]

In snow conditions if you have bee there the day before you have a 24 hour guestimate other than that its all just a guestimate. Andy

[nait hadya]

If you drive past it on Friday, say it's too old to run and then come back on sunday and run it....well then, that's an old track.

[cougar2]

I have had dogs that if they could start it and move it good there was more than a good chance they would tree it, I think if you know your dogs good enough you can tell if it's a fresh enough track, that's how I usually decide if I want to run it.

[cougar2]

Sorry miss read that,( not having a dog with you) I guess it depends on if it's snow or dry, and weather conditions ect.

[Grzyadms4x4]

Some time ago there was a post on here regarding this subject. Idea was that if you are trying to learn the age of tracks, make your own at your house, or if you are close enough to your hunting area make tracks there. The idea is to learn to age tracks by making some. Then you have an idea of how tracks out in the field look with age over time.

[houndnem]

I try to take in to consideration what the weather has done overnight. then look at the track in the sunny side and the shady side. I have seen tracks in the shade that look fresh but when you get to the sunny side they have melted out and then froze again. on dry ground, don't ever trust moist sand. always looks fresh but two days later still won't look bad. I try to put dogs on every track I find escpecially in snow, because you just don't know how far away the cat is. you could turn on an old track that the dogs move by sight and jump it off a kill 500 yards down the trail. etc etc, hope this helps.

[covert]

All this is good info. I am just trying to get a better idea of what I am looking at. There are some areas up here while I am elk hunting that have so many cat tracks it makes me nervous when i am up in the timber. But when i am on dry ground I have seen some tracks that looked old as all get out but it smelled like a cat den was close. So that is why i was asking. I did not know if anyone had any tips or tricks on it.