Whitetail Sign Guides (12 Laminated Cards with Hunting Tips)

Whitetail Sign Guides: in fall white-tailed bucks 3-1/2 to 6-1/2 years of age (few survive past age 7) are much larger animals than bucks 2-1/2 years of age. Bucks 2-1/2 years of age are much larger than adult does, 2-1/2 to 13-1/2 years of age (does survive much longer than bucks). Yearling bucks are about the same size as adult does. Yearling bucks and adult does are significantly larger animals than yearling does and yearling does are much larger animals than fawns. Logically, then, each of these classes of whitetails has hooves, droppings and beds that are different in length than those of other whitetails. Two decades of measuring and comparing lengths of their hooves, droppings and beds finally made it obvious each of these classes of whitetails can be accurately identified by measuring their tracks, droppings and beds. The odds of erring when identifying whitetails in this manner are extremely low. By limiting hunting to trails, feeding areas or other sites where very fresh tracks, droppings or beds made by any of the above deer are found, the odds of taking any of these deer are excellent (if nearby deer are not alarmed while approaching such sites). Thus was created a reliable means of preparing to key on specific classes of whitetails, including trophy-class bucks (without actually seeing them while scouting). The great demand for such information eventually led to the creation of the ever popular twelve plastic-covered, pocket-sized field guide cards (with rulers) carried in a clear, non-glare pouch referred to as Sign Guides.

1. Track Guide: used to measure fresh tracks (old tracks have little hunting value) and identify the deer that made them and their home ranges and important range elements such as current favorite trails, watering sites and feeding areas plus bedding areas and provide related hunting tips. 
2. Droppings Guide: used to measure fresh droppings (old droppings have little hunting value) and identify the deer that made them and their home ranges and important range elements and provide related hunting tips.
3. Bed Guide: used to measure beds and identify the whitetails that made them and their bedding areas and provide related hunting tips.
4. Antler Rub Guide: used to determine which bucks made five kinds of antler rubs, their functions and when, why and where they are made and provide related hunting tips.
5. Ground Scrape Guide: used to identify various kinds of ground scrapes, explain which bucks make which scrapes, when, why and where and provide related hunting tips.
6. Range Guide: used to help identify buck and doe home ranges and range elements plus temporary off-range hideaways off lesser bucks (lower in their square-mile buck pecking orders) that were forced to abadon their ranges by dominant breeding bucks during phase II and III of the rut.
7. Feeding Area Guide : aids in identifying graze, browse and special food feeding areas and provide tips for hunting whitetails currently using them.
8. Activity Cycle Guide: explains how five of the most profound of forty-three factors that affect the timing of whitetail activity cycles, enabling the hunter to more thoroughly exploit periods when the odds of seeing deer are most favorable.
9. Buck Stand Site Guide: illustrates locations of fifteen buck stand sites and explains best times to use them.
10. Wounded Deer Guide: provides proven methods for recovering deer that do not quickly drop upon being hit with a bullet or arrow.
11. Field Dressing Guide: provides illustrated instructions for properly field dressing a whitetail and enhancing the quality of venison.
12. Rut Calendar Guide: illustrates and explans characteristic signs and activities of the five phases of the whitetail rut (first described by Dr. Nordberg), triggering factors and where to hunt bucks during each phase.

John Nordberg, Dr. Nordberg’s oldest son adds, “Sign Guides are great! The Fall Tracks Sign Guide is the most important. Measuring tracks while scouting in 2004 let us know that there were three bucks in one area. My brother Ken got the medium-sized buck first. But we knew we should keep hunting in the same area because we kept finding fresh tracks made by the other two. Silver got the bigger one. They were shot about 200–300 yards apart within about 4 or 5 days of each other. Man, what a payoff for simply measuring track size! If you do not field dress deer on a regular basis, you will be very happy to have the Field Dressing Sign Guide and a good knife handy the next time you take a deer. In our group, my Dad and my brother Dave seem to always jump in and do the field dressing. In 2001, I got a nice buck right at dusk. It was cold and raining hard — just miserable conditions. I knew I had about 5 to 10 minutes of good light and I knew no one would be able to help me with the buck until well after dark. I wanted to field dress it quickly. I hadn't field dressed a buck in years so I pulled out my Field Dressing Sign Guide, my knife, my flashlight and did a clean job in less than 10 minutes. If you ever wound a buck that runs a fair distance, it is always good to pull out the Wounded Deer Sign Guide and review it before you make a mistake. In the excitement, you may unecessarily chase it a great distance before recovering it or even fail to find it. You have to have a cool head and make all of the right moves. In a rainy situation with no snow, you may not have enough time to get your group's best tracker before tracking signs disappear and will therefore find it necessary to quickly begin this difficult task yourself.”