Animal Tracks By: Caleb Balstad Idea: 4th Hour

FACTS A gait is the pattern in which an animal walks. Tracks can be found near water sources and near water sources. Tracks are used by hunters to stalk their game. Animals pace when annoyed, stalking, or bored. Deep forest is a poor habitat for animals, therefore, you will not find many tracks. A field is a good habitat for animals, therefore, you may find many tracks. Deer leave trails consisting of eaten vegetation, tracks, a path, and bedding grounds. Animals rub up against trees and so the hair left can help you track the animals. (Bucks, boy deer, rub their horns on trees and leave horns.)

FACTS Ground birds leave a walking gait. A female deer’s toes gradually spread apart as they get older. Dogs have four toes and their tracks stand out well. One of the most dangerous and difficult animals to track is the mountain lion. [puma family, cougar, leopard.] The heavier the animal, the deeper the track. When pouring molds, don’t touch the track. Tracks in sand won’t give you very good molds. Dens are only used to bear young and sleep.

FACTS House dogs have tracks that are different than wild dogs. In the south, the most prominent tracks are the white tailed deer. Mountain Lion tracks rarely show the claw. Deer make the perfect choice for beginning trackers. It is possible to bait animals for tracks. Dog’s inner toes are the largest. Female deer’s tracks look like traditional hearts. Animals leave good tracks under controlled conditions.

Facts Big Horn sheep tracks resemble deer tracks so be careful. Frequently used trails are a good place to find tracks. Tracks in the snow are not very reliable. Rabbit’s rear tracks will be 2 times larger than its front ones. Deer leave the most commonly noticed tracks. Bear tracks will resemble human tracks. All animals need water, so tracks are easily found near water sources. Examples of different diagonal gaits are slow walker, pacer, and stalker.

Facts Raccoon tracks kind of resemble our hands. Bird tracks are very geometric. If a track is made in the snow, it will not turn up in the dirt. Animals that use their hind legs a lot have bigger hind feet than front feet. If an animal is jumping, then their hind tracks will be deeper. The lighter the animal, the lighter the track. Dog tracks resemble human hands. A deer’s track is a very common thing to come across.

7 Facts When tracking animals take into account when the animals are up and about Stealth is key when tracking. Armadillos leave holes in the ground that can help you track. Tracks can appear anywhere so keep a look out. A lay is used once or twice. A transit bed is used every so often. A bed is any consistent sleeping place. A eat through is where an animal has literally eaten through a patch of vegetation and come out the other side. 7

8 FACTS Animals do things you would never expect, so think like an animal. A pushdown is generally used once as an escape route as an animal leaves a trail or a run to escape. An established escape route is pushdown used repetitively and usually leads to a hide. A single plant feeding area is characterized by a trail terminating a single kind of plant or group of plants. An open ground sleeper curls up in the brush. A rub is a polished area on the landscape. An example of a rub is a deer scraping the velvet off its antlers onto a tree and this can be used to track these animals. Tracks will look different depending on what the animal is doing. 8

8 Deer tracking Be quiet while tracking these animals, they’re very frisky. These animals leave distinct tracks. These tracks are used by hunters the most. These animals leave tracks on mostly trails. Most deer are very shy, so be careful. Look for key signs that tracks are in the area. Look for scat, when you find scat tracks will be nearby. Look for hair which is another indicator that tracks are in the area.

Raccoon tracking Most raccoons live in trees. They are nocturnal, so already have a tracking method in mind. They will be hanging around water. Track around the water for raccoons. Look for little hands on the ground. Raccoons scat will look like no other animals scat, it will look lumpy and dry. They will most likely leave hair on trees. Raccoons are vicious so be careful.

Dog Tracking Almost all tracks of dogs look alike. Fox tracks are in the dog track family. Dogs run so most tracks will be found in a gait pattern. Dogs shed a lot so hair will be found. House dogs will have somewhat the same tracks as wild dogs. Look for dog scat to indicate that tracks are in the area. Be careful when tracking them, they are vicious. Look for all tracking signs.

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INTERVIEW Names Lloyd Fox - Big Game Coordinator for Kansas Matt Peak - Wildlife Research Biologist Questions What are your duties? What is your job title? What education background do you have and what do I have to do to get a cool job like yours? What tracking signs do you call key signs that a specific animal is in the area? What is your favorite animal to track? What is the easiest part of tracking? Now I will answer the Q’s 15

Bibliography A Field Guide to Animal Tracks By: Olaus J. Murie Houghton Mifflin Company C 1954 Animal Tracks and Signs By: Jinny Johnson Marshall Editions C 2008 Mammal Tracks And Signs By: Mark Elbroch Stackpole Books C 2003