Featuring:
Riccardo Tamburini, Joel Henrysson and Stefan Orman
Estimated read time: 6 min.
Animal tracking is an essential skill for every hunter, requiring keen observation and a deep understanding of animal behavior.
Three avid hunters invite you on a journey into the wild, sharing their expertise and helping uncover the art, or maybe science, of tracking. Valuable tips, practical tricks, and sharp insights await, so let’s dive in.
An indispensable ability
Riccardo Tamburini, an experienced hunter from Italy, says that when exploring the woods, it’s challenging to spot wild animals due to many different reasons: the timing, the fact that they hear and see us first, or simply because they’re not in the same place as us at the moment.
“Yet, an animal is an animal. And one of the survival techniques they use is always doing the same things in a well-known area. Exploring new territories is always full of risks. This is why the home range of the predators is much wider than the area where their prey lives”, emphasizes Riccardo.
A skilled hunter should be able to understand which animals are in that area, and reading the field is one of the most important skills you must have.
Riccardo Tamburini
Another avid hunter, a Swedish expert Joel Henrysson, agrees, adding that understanding how to interpret signs in the wild can make the difference between success and failure in the field.
“In Sweden, where I primarily hunt wild boar and roe deer, tracking plays a crucial role in identifying game movement, predicting behavior, and increasing the chances of a successful hunt. Both when it comes to finding an animal to hunt or a wounded animal to help end their suffering”, says Joel.
Riccardo Tamburin
Tracing the clues
When talking about tracking as in the spot and stalk form of hunting, Stefan Orman, a hunter from Sweden, explains that this is his favorite way of spending time in the field.
“It feels more like a “one on one” type of situation and is quite difficult. In this form of hunting, reading the terrain and understanding the animal behavior during different periods of the year is of extreme importance. There are many questions you have to answer before going out to hunt: where do the animals sleep and find food, when are they active, how do they behave in different weather, what signs or damage do they leave behind after eating or walking, what do they smell like and what do their droppings look like”, says Stefan.
Reading the terrain and understanding the animal behavior during different periods of the year is of extreme importance.
Stefan Orman
Riccardo Tamburini continues by shedding some light on these questions.
“For example, a deer or a boar always walk the same paths looking for food. During the mating season, males leave many signs of their excitement on the trees and the ground. Also, the tracks can give away a lot of info about the sex, class, and age of an animal. A smaller track, together with a wider one, tells us that a hind with a calf has probably passed there.
Then, if we are lucky and the ground is soft, we can also assume the weight of the animal by evaluating the depth of the track. Of course, manure is a clear indication of who is responsible for it: the shape tells us which animal is the owner, and when talking about predators, we can even understand which animal has been their prey”, explains Riccardo.
Stefan adds that in the case of wild boar, the questions are sometimes more difficult to answer, as these animals quickly figure out when it’s safe to venture out.
“In some areas with a lot of humans, wild boar have adapted to tell if our scent is fresh or not. Also, if many hunters are active in the area, the animals are going to be more active when there are fewer chances of hunters being out. In many cases this means the night, from 2 AM to 5 AM. If there are almost no people in the area, wild boar should be acting “normal” and come out to feed early in the morning, late evening or night”, says the hunter
The wind as your ally
Stefan Orman continues by emphasizing one important aspect many hunters forget – using the wind to your advantage.
“I’ve learned this advice from a professional Irish deer stalker many years ago, and a lot of people haven’t heard of it. That is, tricking the animals to come to you with the wind. Take this as an example – you’re stalking some deer and you know that up ahead, behind a large hill, there’s a spot they like to gather or feed.
In this case, walking over there with the wind in your back can confuse them into thinking that you’re coming from the other direction. This is due to the wind going over the hill, then over the animals, before getting sucked down and back from the other direction”, says Stefan.
The ABC of tracking
As Joel Henrysson usually hunts wild boar and roe deer, he compiled a small “cheat sheet” that can help immensely while tracking these animals. Take a look at 5 important aspects you should look out for in the field.
1. Tracks and footprints
- Wild boar tracks. Broad and rounded, with two prominent toe impressions and often visible dew claw marks behind the main hoof.
- Roe deer tracks. Smaller and more delicate, with a pointed, heart-shaped hoof print. Their tracks are often found along well-traveled game trails.
2. Droppings and scat
- Wild boar droppings. Cylindrical and often clustered, varying in size depending on diet and age. Fresh, moist droppings indicate recent presence.
- Roe deer droppings. Small, pellet-like, and found in scattered piles. They usually feed in the same areas, so fresh droppings can suggest a nearby feeding ground.
3. Feeding signs
- Rooting and turned-up soil. Wild boar dig for roots, worms, and acorns, leaving patches of disturbed ground. The fresher the disturbance, the closer they might be.
- Bark stripping and nibbled branches. Common roe deer feeding signs, especially in winter when food sources are scarce.
4. Beds and resting areas
- Wild boar beds. Shallow imprints in dense undergrowth, often lined with leaves and twigs.
- Roe deer beds. Usually found in tall grass or sheltered spots during the summer. Flattened vegetation indicates a frequently used resting area. During the winter they often rest on hillsides.
5. Sound and smell
- Rustling in the undergrowth. Often signals wild boar activity, as they move in groups and make noise while foraging.
- A strong musky scent. If you get a hint of this in a concentrated area, it can indicate a nearby wild boar wallow or bedding site.
A deer footprint on the left, a boar footprint on the right.
The last piece of the puzzle
Finally, the hunters agree that using thermal imaging technology is also crucial while tracking, as it makes spotting and locating the animals much easier.
Joel Henrysson notes that modern technology has been a true game changer: “Devices like thermal scopes allow me to detect heat signatures from animals even in dense vegetation or complete darkness. When traditional tracking signs suggest recent activity, a thermal unit can confirm an animal’s presence without disturbing the area. It’s perfect for overlooking populations and herd management. And as I mainly hunt wild boar, I would be completely lost without a good thermal device.”
When traditional tracking signs suggest recent activity, a thermal unit can confirm an animal’s presence without disturbing the area.
Joel Henrysson
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