How to Spot Wild Hog Tracks

Successful hunting often begins well before you see your target animal. Especially for those pursuing wild hogs, identifying hog tracks is a must-have skill. 

Recognizing the difference between hog and deer tracks can help you focus your efforts in the right areas. Let's learn the unique characteristics of boar tracks, how they compare to buck tracks, and how spotting the differences can help you target each species.

How to Recognize Wild Hog Tracks

Along with wild hog scat identification, wild hog tracks are very distinctive once you know what to look for, and they stand out from other game tracks. Here are a few ways to know the tracks you've spotted belong to feral hogs.

Key Characteristics

Wild hog tracks are more rounded or oval, with blunt edges that sink in from their compact build. The two main toes (hooves) are close together, forming a triangular appearance.

The easiest distinctions to spot are the dewclaw impressions that usually appear behind the main track in soft or muddy terrain.

Size and Depth

Adult wild hog tracks typically measure between 2 and 4 inches long. Their higher body weight results in deeper impressions than deer.

Hog tracks are about as wide as they are long, giving them a broader and more compact look than a buck track.

What Do Deer Tracks Look Like?

Unlike hog tracks, deer tracks appear lithe and narrow. Here are a few characteristics that indicate you're looking at deer tracks.

Shape and Definition

Deer tracks are heart- or teardrop-shaped, with pointed ends at the front of the hooves. Additionally, the hooves are split further apart than the tracks a hog makes.

The sharper edge results in a crisp track — even on firm ground — making them easier to spot in some conditions.

Size and Depth

Adult deer tracks range from 2 to 3 inches long, with larger tracks often indicating bucks. Due to their lighter body weight, deer tracks are almost always shallower and less pronounced than hog tracks, especially in softer terrain.

What Are the Key Differences Between Hog Tracks vs Deer Tracks?

When comparing hog tracks vs deer tracks, use easy-to-spot differences in shape, spacing, and patterns.

Shape and Spacing

Hog tracks are oval with blunt ends and wider spacing. It's a distinctive feature that separates the two tracks.

Deer, on the other hand, leave a pointed and narrower track — reflecting their long, slender frame.

Stride and Pattern

Hogs have a waddling gait, which causes their tracks to appear slightly angled and erratic.

However, deer tracks usually run in a straight, consistent line. Deer tend to walk in the same direction with an even stride.

Ground Impressions

Hogs usually leave deeper impressions. Deer tracks, being lighter, are subtler and may show less detail in dry or compacted terrain.

Sometimes, deer jump and leave a track that can look like a hog track, so use all the tracks leading up to fences or deadfalls to guide your thought process, not just one.

The differences become easier to recognize with practice, and you'll find they become second nature rather quickly.

Track Patterns and Behavior Clues

Deer and hogs have different behaviors that indicate which animal made what track. Understanding these patterns can help you identify the tracks you're tracking.

Wild Hog Track Patterns

Hogs are social creatures that often travel in packs called sounders. This behavior leads to overlapping tracks in areas of high activity. Lots of tracks, combined with signs of rooting or wallowing, are a clear indicator of hog presence.

Look for craters of disturbed soil, overturned vegetation, and tracks leading to and from water sources. These destroyed areas are where hog activity is concentrated.

Deer Track Patterns

Unlike hogs, deer often travel alone or in small groups, resulting in fewer overlapping tracks. Other signs, like rubs on trees, browsed shrubs, or droppings, will usually accompany tracks.

Deer tend to move in straight lines along established trails, especially when traveling to and from feeding or bedding areas.

By observing these patterns, hunters can ambush hunt both deer and hog.

Environmental Context

The environment shapes the way tracks look on the ground. Knowing how different factors affect tracks makes locating hog or deer activity easier.

Hog Tracks

Wild hogs thrive in areas with soft, muddy terrain, particularly near water sources or dense vegetation. Rooting behavior often accompanies tracks, creating what I call "moonscaped" ground that's immediately obvious.

Think squirrel holes, but pretend the squirrel was 150 pounds.

Deer Tracks

Deer tracks are more common along open trails, fields, or near bedding and feeding areas. Signs like rubs, scrapes, or nipped plants may also indicate their presence.

Staying Safe When Hunting Hogs

Hunters must keep safety at the forefront of their minds due to the size, strength, and unpredictability of a large boar or bred sow.

When hunting hogs:

• Approach with Caution: Always approach downed hogs carefully. Even when injured, they will still charge or lash out, sometimes causing serious injury.
• Hunt in Groups: Hunting with a partner is a key part of hunter safety, so always have a buddy.
• Carry Protection: Many hog hunters carry a sidearm for self-defense.

Hogs can be dangerous enough on their own. You don't need to risk accidents as well. Learning the dos and don'ts of hunter safety helps you stay safe when hunting wild hogs.

Learn About Hunting Hogs Safely With Hunter-Ed

Distinguishing between hog tracks vs deer tracks is essential for hunters and easy once you know how. Your success in the field will improve by learning to focus on the right game and adapting your strategies accordingly. Spend the time to learn how to make informed decisions by understanding track shapes, patterns, and environmental contexts.

Wild hogs present unique challenges and risks, so safety should always remain a top priority. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hunter, taking a hunter safety course through Hunter-Ed ensures you have everything you need for a successful and responsible hog hunt.

Our online courses are state-specific and a fun way to learn hunter safety essentials. So, before you venture out for a hog hunt (or to hunt any wild game this year), make sure you've passed your course!

Choose the course for your state and start learning with our free study guides.