When trailing conditions are good, many hunters are apt to be careless in stalking deer, unless they are quite positive of the deer's exact position. I have often tracked a deer to its bed when I have had small chance of killing it there, but with the knowledge that I could follow its tracks to what might be a more favorable location where my chances for a kill might be better. This method of hunting involves a combination of trailing and stalking and the hunter must know when to confine his attention to the tracks and when to start his stalk on the deer's new location.

As a rule, a man who is trailing a deer may hurry along on the trail as long as the tracks show that the deer is running. When the animal slows to a walk, the man can still move right along as long as the deer continues to travel a comparatively straight course, but as soon as the trail becomes erratic, it is time for the hunter to change to a cautious stalking procedure. Any abrupt change in a deer's course is a warning for the hunter to use caution until he is able to determine the cause of the change.

Sometimes a deer will run into danger that will cause it to change its course. In such cases, an increase in speed will indicate the reason for the change of course. If there is no change of pace, a change of course is an indication that the deer is heading for an observation post where it can watch its back trail, or it is moving to a resting place. In either case, the hunter should leave the trail and stalk the probable location of the deer. If he should be unable to bag the animal at this place, he can relocate the trail and resume trailing. This procedure may be continued indefinitely.

A deer seldom resorts to any evasive action other than speed, until it has been trailed for some time, and when it does try to deceive the trailer, its bag of tricks is limited to those used by most other animals. If it has the time, it will circle crossing and recrossing its own tracks, leaving a maze for the hunter to untangle. When I am sure that a deer has done this, I will circle the maze, following the outside tracks, until I find where the animal has left the area, instead of trying to follow all of its twisting and turnings.

Deer will often "back track" for a distance, jumping off to one side of the trail where the track will not be easily seen. This can be confusing if the snow is dry enough to partly fill the tracks and the hunter is concentrating on the country ahead with only an occasional glance at the tracks. Close attention to the trail will show that the snow is thrown ahead as the deer travels. If the snow has been thrown both ways, the deer has traveled both ways over the trail.

Sometimes a deer will run into danger that will cause it to change its course. In such cases, an increase in speed will indicate the reason for the change of course. You as a hunter should know when to change your track while trailing. This can save you your energy and plan your move according to the movement of the deer. This can help you locate the deer easier and faster.

Expecting to bag the deer needs trailing and careful stalking The success on trailing the deer is depending on how the hunter can locate the deer. If the deer circle cross and recross its own tracks, the hunter must circle the maze and follow the track to find out from where the animal has left. But this sometimes gets you nowhere and you lose track of the deer.