Another deer observation

[answerguy8]

I was looking at a fresh deer track in new snow and saw what appeared to be blood in the snow (a small quantity). I followed the deer track both ways for a hundred feet or so and didn't see any other blood. I recall the same thing in the UP a few years ago, in an area where it would be unlikely a wounded deer would be (at least not one that I wouldn't know about).

Any ideas? Would this be a sign of a doe in heat?

[wally-eye]

Doe in heat. Get your frontstuffer and follow that track till you come up to the buck that will also be following her. Aim and shoot buck....

Actually the blood is quite common, does in heat.

[NEMichsportsman]

An old timer just told me that was a sign of a doe in heat a week ago. I was pretty surprised that I hadn't ever heard that before!!!

[billya]

How about a eurinary track infection, like female dogs get(bird dogs) get.

[Bushbow]

Depends on where the blood is? Likely doe in heat but these animals do not wear boots so it is not uncommon for them to have small cuts in their hooves and lower legs, especially in the winter with slippery conditions and not being able to see what they are stepping on. Blood in track may just be a little scratch. JMO

Bob Urban - East Lansing

[answerguy8]

Depends on where the blood is? Likely doe in heat but these animals do not wear boots so it is not uncommon for them to have small cuts in their hooves and lower legs, especially in the winter with slippery conditions and not being able to see what they are stepping on. Blood in track may just be a little scratch. JMO

Bob Urban - East Lansing

Interesting thought, but since I didn't post a picture it makes it tough for people to understand what I saw. The blood wasn't 'in' the track like a cut in the hoof might appear but within the area of the path the tracks were taking.
I don't know if an experienced tracker could tell if the doe was taking a pee in that spot but at least there wasn't any droppings right there with the bloody spot in the snow. FYI- the bloody spot was about half of the size of the palm of my hand, both this time and the time in the UP.

[jme]

Very interesting/helpful. Over the years I've seen this twice. Followed the tracks as far as I could but never found anything. This may explain it. Thanks, John-Ypsi.

[Tom (mich)]

I believe that if the doe is already bleeding (menstruating), then she's "out" of heat. Her estrus period came, and went, without her being bred. She'll come into heat again in late December. I'd interpret it as a pretty reliable sign of a lack of bucks in the area.

[Joe Archer]

Tough call. If I witnessed that large of a blood spot (1/2 the palm of my hand") I would think that the deer was wounded. Were there any other signs like Tampax wrappers, Midol bottles, or a buck running the other way from all the nagging???
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