rpowell600 Report post Posted November 18, 2019 I’m a new hunter and have been getting out doing some javelina scouting. I had a tag last year and ate tag soup because I didn’t do my homework like I should have. I’m determined this year so my question is, how can I learn how old certain tracks or scat are? I walked a wash today and found a pig run. Lots of scat along the way but it was very dry and fell apart when barely kicking it. I want to be able to tell if I’m following last years signs or an active area now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted November 18, 2019 Probably a month old. Last years would be white. The're not far away, look under palo verde trees on ridges. Go back out again on Friday and Saturday after the rain and look for tracks. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mbiewer Report post Posted November 18, 2019 I remember my first deer hunt. I was so excited to find an area littered with sign... the older guy i was with showing me the ropes had this to say... "unless you see the deer putting those tracks down, there ain't no way to figure out how old they are". So my own strategy, especially if out hiking around. We normally look for an area with lots of sign... and try to hit it a few times. If you know youre going to be back in that same exact area... "sweep" a spot clean with your boot or a branch... then the next day you can check to see if theyre there. Javelina track in a wash is sometimes hard to read on the "freshness" scale. Sand does't hold a crisp edge... so it could be a day old track that looks older because of the crumbles.... come pared to trail dirt from a deer or turkey track 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rpowell600 Report post Posted November 18, 2019 I’m going to go back out in the same spot on Sunday morning like PRDATR suggested after the rain and see what’s up. I’ll also be sure the “clean” a small section out to see if they still run the wash currently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mbiewer Report post Posted November 18, 2019 Took my step son out for jr javelina... We seen lots of sign in one wash.... he liked the area and gave him some say in where we went...so wound up in the same area two days. I knew they were in there.... because they sh!t in our boot tracks to prove it. ha ha .... Nature thumbing it's nose at us Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rpowell600 Report post Posted November 18, 2019 8 minutes ago, mbiewer said: Took my step son out for jr javelina... We seen lots of sign in one wash.... he liked the area and gave him some say in where we went...so wound up in the same area two days. I knew they were in there.... because they sh!t in our boot tracks to prove it. ha ha .... Nature thumbing it's nose at us We saw two boot tracks in this particular wash with no other signs of people being there before us. Wouldnt that be something if it was the same spot? LMAO 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ohthatguy Report post Posted November 18, 2019 if you find fresh tracks immediately after a rain, take the "you are within a half mile of them" idea with a grain of salt. I followed a pair of tracks that were less than an hour old for over 2 miles on the flats and never found them. I still suggest doing it but don't expect them to always be right there. It is so fun though! Lots of good information here if you haven't already been there. http://www.javelinahunter.com/ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TOBY Report post Posted November 18, 2019 And always mark your quad so you can find it in the dark^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rpowell600 Report post Posted November 20, 2019 On 11/18/2019 at 4:13 PM, TOBY said: And always mark your quad so you can find it in the dark^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Isn’t that the truth 😂 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TOBY Report post Posted November 21, 2019 There's a good story to that if you're not that guy.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted November 21, 2019 If it falls apart in your hand, it’s old. If it mushes in your hand then it’s fresh, if it’s steaming then it’s really fresh! •note• don’t use the “mushes in your hand” method if it’s raining. If you do, your weird. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Delw Report post Posted November 21, 2019 I usually make one of the kids stick there finger in it, if its warm its worth chasing and we have a chance of finding them. if its deer/elk have them take a bite if its chewy there close by. if its crunchy forget it. its somethign they will never forget 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mbiewer Report post Posted November 21, 2019 7 hours ago, Delw said: I usually make one of the kids stick there finger in it, if its warm its worth chasing and we have a chance of finding them. if its deer/elk have them take a bite if its chewy there close by. if its crunchy forget it. its somethign they will never forget the taste test works 100% of the time to make sure you'll puke.... side note, not recommended for finding animals...just the "newb test indicator" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
