Dumb Question? Elk tracks vs Moose Tracks

[Trigger50]

Sorry, guys and gals. I have a really embarrassing question. I have antelope and deer hunted the prairie areas of the west for many yrs. But last yr was my 1st high country elk hunt. Could someone please post a pic comparing elk tracks to moose tracks ? I feel stupid to ask this, but last yr in the mountains I wondered a lot if I was looking at elk tracks or moose tracks or cattle tracks. Ive scoured the internet but haven't found a good picture comparing elk tracks to moose tracks. I ended up shooting a lone calf elk the last day of season, so those foot prints didn't help me out much. Thanks. I really appreciate it.

 

[Corax]

Rather than just an answer to the one question, try "A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America" by Halfpenny. Available on Amazon for under a buck plus probably $4 for shipping.

 

[Ben Long]

That is not at all a stupid question. I've followed many hot "elk" tracks hither and yon, only to find a moose at the end of the rainbow. (I've never drawn a moose tag.) Corax is dead on a bout getting Halfpenny's book. It's the standard. Moose tracks tend to run a bit bigger and more pointed than elk tracks, all else equal. It can be very difficult to distinguish them in the snow, but here's a trick: Moose have loose guard hair, that is long and dark all over their body. Elk have long dark guard hairs only no their necks and it is not so loose, for some reason. If you're on a track, check carefully when you come across a bed. If it's a moose bed, you will find guard hairs in the bed. The stand out well in the snow but you can find them on duff, if you look closely. That trick has saved me many miles of fruitless tracking.

 

[The Hedgehog]

That is not at all a stupid question. I've followed many hot "elk" tracks hither and yon, only to find a moose at the end of the rainbow. (I've never drawn a moose tag.) Corax is dead on a bout getting Halfpenny's book. It's the standard. Moose tracks tend to run a bit bigger and more pointed than elk tracks, all else equal. It can be very difficult to distinguish them in the snow, but here's a trick: Moose have loose guard hair, that is long and dark all over their body. Elk have long dark guard hairs only no their necks and it is not so loose, for some reason. If you're on a track, check carefully when you come across a bed. If it's a moose bed, you will find guard hairs in the bed. The stand out well in the snow but you can find them on duff, if you look closely. That trick has saved me many miles of fruitless tracking.

+1

Moose tracks are typically bigger, longer and pointed. Can be tough to tell in deep powdery snow when tracking elk. Like Ben said, look for the long dark hairs. Moose piss has a distinct smell like vinegar, as opposed to the musky smell of a bull elk. Moose pellets are usually more football shaped and have the consistency of pressed wood because of the browse in their diet as opposed to elk.

 

[HuntMT16]

Hope this helps Trigger

 

[Gerald Martin]

Definitely not a stupid question. The first year of my Montana residency I wasted most of a day following a "monster bull track". I jumped the object of my pursuit at close range and listened to him grunting as he went up the hill. Felt pretty stupid and it was a long walk back to the truck. It helps to focus on the difference in the pattern of walking tracks as shown in the illustration above. Individual prints can fool you but a series is really easy to tell the difference.

 

[Trigger50]

Thanks.

 

[Carbon]

If the dew claws are prominent in snow or mud, it's likely a moose. I learned that one a long time ago after following what I thought was a big bull for most of a day.