Anyone else have a hard time telling the difference between hog and deer tracks? I've studied pictures, but out in the wild tracks often are not well defined.

I agree with you. Sometimes I’m just not sure. But sometimes the stink of pigs is my clue.

they're distinctly different, look at em on the internet and you'll see the difference.
Where I still have a hard time is telling a fawn versus a piglet. Couple weeks ago saw a single set of small tracks and couldn't tell
Deer more pointed , sometimes dew claws
Pigs more oval

always found it easy ta tell differance between deer & hog tracks...

w&p is right. Hogs tend to be more oval as in each toe produces an oval. Deer tend to be more pointed, especially the front of the toe.

Yes, sometimes, it is hard to tell. The levelness of the ground, the soil type and consistency, depth of the tracks, etc. call all works to disguise or enhance the look of the tracks. Sometimes, you may have to follow a track a few steps to get a proper view.

If you are seeing doe tracks, and it has 9 fawns...It might be a pig.

I can almost always smell the pigs too

I can usually find some scat in the vicinity to verify the species also.

If the ground is dry and somewhat dusty, the tracks are often somewhat indistinct and it can be tough to be certain what made them.
Where I have difficulty sometimes is distinguishing between the tracks of a small calf and a large hog.

If I see cow tracks, I assume the smaller tracks are not from a hog.

Deer Track



Hog Track