Blog / Tracking Game: Reading Signs and Trails Effectively

By Connor Thomas
Wednesday, May 28, 2025

 
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The forest never lies. It whispers the truth under your boots, paints it on tree trunks, and stamps it into the soil with every hoofprint. If you know how to read it, the woods become a living map—a narrative of movement, habit, and survival. That’s the magic of tracking.

Whether you’re trailing a mature whitetail deer through the Midwest’s frost-laced timber or trying to close the gap on a bull elk in the high country of Colorado, tracking is one of the most valuable—and underappreciated—skills in hunting. It's also where the real hunt begins.

In this guide, we’ll break down tracking game and how to read signs and trails effectively—without overcomplicating things. Think of it as your crash course in becoming a hunter who doesn’t just sit and wait, but one who follows and understands.