Dew claws

[Gr8bawana]

Ok here is a question for you guys that have a lot more elk hunting experience than I do.
Do cow elk have dew claws? Obviously the bulls have dew claws but when we find tracks should we automatically dismiss those tracks that show no dew claws? Or perhaps bulls have more pronounced dew claws.

 

[ivorytip]

bulls and cows, both have dew claws. large bulls are heavy animals and will generally leave the impression of the dew claw but to make the assumption its a bull because the track has dew claws wouldn't help you. if its has dew claws and isn't that sharp diamond shape we all recognize as an elk track then ur odds of it being a bull are pretty good. older mature bulls will look more rounded than a cow track. infact you might think its a moo moo cow track. only sure way of knowing for sure though is seeing the actual bull. I use to always think if the track had dew marks than its a male. I was wrong.

 

[tdcour]

We have been doing a lot of tracking when we hunt in NW NM and I don't pay any attention to the dew claws. It all depends on the surface if they show up or not. I look more at the size of the track than the dew claws. Whitetail I look more at size and dew claws, but not as much for elk.