1. Animal Tracking Know what animals are native to your region.
Know what animals are true hibernators.
Understand that animals walk different and be able to identify their different strides.
Factor in the size of the track.
Be aware of what habits animals live in.
And of course use their footprints.

2. Why do it? Tells us where the animal is Tells us what it does best
How tall the animal is
What were they doing
Webbed foot of beaver tells us it lives in the water even if we never laid eyes on it
Large front claws of badger tells us it lives in dry soil and must dig for shelter
Tall: if steps close together animal has short legs
What are they doing: well fed deer that stop to take Jackpine when some tell us they never touch it unless starving or the deer that ran at top speed because chased by dogs or stopped over first hill
Hunters use tracks to catch their prey

5. Vocab Print-impression made by one foot Track-series of prints
Line of Travel: heel to heel (direction)
A gait is the pattern in which an animal walks.
Ground birds leave a walking gait.
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.

6. More Vocab Stride – heel of one foot to heel of the same foot
Straddle – distance between the right and left feet (trail width)
Be careful or where you are getting the definition of stride because some sources say it is the distance between one print and the next (not the same foot).

7. Print Vocab Length of Track Width of track
Pitch – degree at which the foot angles out from line of travel
At the widest point of the track, draw a line bisecting the track along its long axis. The distance from where the line exits the front of the foot to the heel line is the overall pitch.

8. Track Anatomy

9. Direct Register Placing of one impression right on top of another
Why do this?
SILIENCE!
Animals that find their prey by stalking aable to see where to place their front feet and not break twigs aka make noise then by placing their hind feet in the same spot they can move siliently
Example: cat and fox

10. Indirect Register
Indirect Register: front foot is picked up and the rear foot on that side drifts slightly behind and to the right or left of front track

11. Continuum of Speed Walk Run Stalk Bound Trot Canter/Lope Gallop
Stalk: (Hunting) to follow or approach (game, prey, etc) stealthily and quietly
Lope: run or move with a long bounding stride. Some people use the terms "lope" and "canter" interchangeably, but they're technically not the same in terms of technique. The lope is more associated with Western riding, whereas people associate the canter with English riding. Some people also describe a lope as an informal, three-beat gait, while a canter is a more formal three-beat gait that is better suited for shows and competitions. A canter features a fair amount of control and is between a gallop and trot in speed. The lope can be at the same speed as a canter but is often slower.
Bound: walk or run with leaping strides.
Trot: (with reference to a horse or other quadruped) proceed or cause to proceed at a pace faster than a walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately. The gait of a horse or other four-footed animal, between a walk and a canter in speed, in which diagonal pairs of legs move forward together.
Canter: . A smooth three-beat gait of a horse that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot, in which the feet touch the ground in the three-beat sequence of near hind foot, off hind foot and near front foot, off front foot.
Gallop: Gallop is an asymmetrical gait used at high speeds by quadrupedal organisms such as the gait seen in the horse.; A gait of a horse, faster than a canter, in which all four feet are off the ground at the same time during each stride.
Difference between trot and canter(almost all the way to the end for the canter):
Use this one: 1:13 to canter; 2:00 gallop

12. Pattern Classification
Diagonal walker
Pacer
Bounder
Hopper/Gallo per
Diagonal walkers move the feet on the opposite sides of their
bodies at the same time; as right front foot moves forward, left
rear foot moves forward; as left front foot moves forward, right
rear foot moves forward.
Instead of moving opposite sides of the
body at the same time, pacers move both feet on one side of the
body at the same time.
Bounders walk by reaching forward with the
front feet and bringing the back feet up just behind them.
Gallopers push off with their back feet, hit with their front feet,
then bring their back feet forward of the front. Tree dwelling
gallopers, such as the gray squirrel, leave front footprints that
are side by side. Ground-dwelling gallopers, such as rabbits, leave
their front footprints on a diagonal; that is, one foot is more
forward than the other when the prints are made.

13. Diagonal Walker Animal moves opposite side of body at the same time
Cats, dogs, hoofed animals
Examples of different diagonal gaits are slow walker, pacer, and stalker.
6) Variations on Pattern Classifications - 5% of the time. All animals can change their gait. In particular, Diagonal Walkers and Pacers will change their pattern as their speed increases.
Deer, Canids and Felines
Stalk
Slow Walk
Pace when bored, annoyed, aggravated
Walk
Rarely hold a bound except in soft or rocky terrain - prefer to gallop; on clear terrain hold a bound on for a few patterns before going into a gallop - prefer to trot or lope –
A female deer’s toes gradually spread apart as they get older.
Dogs have four toes and their tracks stand out well.
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.

14. Sex Determination for Diagonal Walkers Only
Doe: rear feet in wider stance
Buck: front feet in wider stance
Works only for adult animals
If rear foot in a wider stance, it is a doe (wider pelvis) narrow shoulder girdle, wide pelvic girdle for birthing
If front foot is in a wider stance, it is a buck (wider shoulder)
In order to tell the sex of the animal you must compare the animal to itself. Find the front track on one side. Then look for the rear track on that side. If the rear track is to the inside of the front track = male, a rear track to the outside = female. This system works only for adult animals. Immature animals have not finished bone development and may have rear track falling exactly behind front track.

15. Pacer Animal moves the same side of the body at the same time
Porcupines, raccoons, opossums, skunks, bears, badgers
Move the same side of the body at the same time
Wide, rotund bodies
Can go from stalk to gallop
Badgers, Skunk, Porcupine, Raccoon, Opossum, and Bear

16. Bounder
Animal moves front feet land together, then the rear feet behind
Mustelidaes (weasels) except skunk and badgers
Mustilids (Weasel) except skunk and badger The Mustelidae (from Latin mustela, weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including the otters, badgers, weasels, martens, ferrets, minks and wolverines. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora.
For a shear burst of speed will gallop - seen just before a kill
Will diagonal walk when approaching hunting territory e.g. slowing down to be more quiet
Will stalk when hunting game
Will pace when aggravated, bored or agitated, threatening, seen just before going out on hunt

17. Hopper/Gallop
The animal’s front feet land first, rear feet come on outside of front feet and land ahead
Rodents & Rabbits
Rodentia - gophers, mice, rats, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, chipmunks.
Rabbits, Hares and Rodents except porcupine and ground hog
Prefer to gallop but will bound in soft terrain i.e. snow, mud or rocky terrain
Will diagonal walk if it needs to cover a shorter distance than a hop would cover, e.g. rabbit moves 2" over to feed
Rabbit’s rear tracks will be 2 times larger than its front ones.
Will stalk when moving away from danger
Will pace when aggravated, threatening or bored

18. Animals Strides

19. Aging Tracks Weather Gravity Interference from other tracks
Type of Substrate or Soil
EXPERIENCE will be the best help in Iding
Tracks change
This is due to the snow packing.
Additional snow falls.
Interference from another animals tracks.
Wind and other weather affects.
This can make it vary difficult to properly identify which animal made the track.
Tracks in the snow are not very reliable.

20. Black Bear Tracks
Pacer
Front 5 in. L X 5 in. W
Front 7 in L X 5 in. W
              

21. Bobcat
Diagonal Walker
Notice you don’t see any claws.

22. Coyote Diagonal Walker Claws are present Front 2 in L Hind 2 in L
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.
Front 2 in L
Hind 2 in L

23. Raccoon Pacer 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.

24. Gray Squirrel
Hoppers

25. Wild Turkey Diagonal walker
Strides can be 8 to 14”depending on their speed
Size: 3.5 to 4.5 inches long 3.75 to 4.25 inches wide

26. Beaver
Pacer

27. Opossum
Pacer

28. Turtles

29. Beetles The little guys make tracks too!
Bear tracks will resemble human tracks.

30. Wildlife Needs
Food
Water
Shelter (Cover)
Space

31. Indicator Species
The presence of these animals is an indicator of the “value” of the habitat
One present = good habitat
All present = excellent habitat

32. Large Scale Sign
Landscape Tracking: reading the landscape to locate animals:
1. Habitat
2. Travel routes
3. Sleeping area
4. Feeding area
Islands” where animals can be found
Find best “islands” for herbivores and you will find carnivores.
Areas between islands tend to be scarce of animals except pass through
Large scale is essentially IDing habitat
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.

33. Types of Habitat
Deep Forest
Fields
Transition areas

34. Deep Forest Little undergrowth and poor cover Vegetation not varied
Raccoons, birds, rabbits
Deep forest is a poor habitat for animals, therefore, you will not find many tracks.

35. Fields Very poor habitat Little to no cover except at side of fields
Middle field is open territory for hawks and owls

36. Transition Areas (edges)
Zone of intersection between two habitats
Excellent habitat
Wide variety of cover
and vegetation

37. Travel Routes
Game Trail
Runs
Escape route

38. Game Trail Trough: no vegetation or battered vegetation
Species nonspecific
Frequently used, rarely changed
Animals know them intimately
Trails - super highways

39. Runs Less frequently used, subject to change
Some definite wearing into the landscape
Connect watering, bedding, feeding areas to a trail
Species specific
Good for trapping

40. Escape Route
Push Down: used only once, crashing through the brush from a trail
Established Escape Routes: pushdown used repetitively, often leads to a hide
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.

41. Animal Sleeping Areas Bed: consistent sleeping place
Transit Bed: established bed used every so often
A lay is used once or twice.
A transit bed is used every so often.
A bed is any consistent sleeping place.
An open ground sleeper curls up in the brush.

42. Sleeping Areas cont.
Lay: used only once or twice, broken down and crushed vegetation
Den: used only to bear and raise young
Dens are only used to bear young and sleep.

43. Feeding Areas Varied Run Feeding Area: eat off trail
Single Plant Feeding Area: run ends at a single plant or group of plants
A single plant feeding area is characterized by a trail terminating a single kind of plant or group of plants.

44. Feeding Area cont.
Eat-through: animal eats through a patch of vegetation and comes out other side
Patched: irregular nibblings along edge of trail or run
A eat through is where an animal has literally eaten through a patch of vegetation and come out the other side.

45. Medium Scale Signs Rub Hair and feather loss Gnaws and chews
Ground debris
Scat

46. Rub: polished areas
Unintentional: rubbing up against an object that protrudes onto the trail
Intentional: specific area where an animal is rubbing itself
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.)

47. Hair and feather loss Present at rub or snag Loss during molting
May indicate a kill site
Snag = standing dead or dying tree

48. Gnaws and chews
Tell animal by size of teeth where a plant has been bitten off
45 degree clean cut: animal with incisors
Serrated Edge: pull plant up against pallet and sickle it off by pulling neck

49. Gnaws and chews cont.
Masticated: teeth marks with saliva (predator chew to get minerals)
Scratchings: digging

50. Ground Debris
Debris that is scratched, pinched, dented, abraded unnaturally, holes, stone rolls, broken twigs

51. Scat Determine species by size and shape Determine diet of species
Animals leave scat in “safe” places, often near lays

52. Small Scale Signs
Compressions: dust particles and grit on surface is either pressed into the surface or removed when animals walk over it
Sideheading: technique of keeping the track between you and the light source
Sideheading: Keep the track between you and the light source. Get you head down along the ground. Scan the ground with your bottom eye (bottom eye reads to 1 ft. top eye reads to 3 ft.). The compressions will appear as a shiny spot or a dull spot on the surface (depending on whether the grit is shiny or dull). When more dust settles it will add a layer to everything but the pock still is visible

53. Ghost Scale Sign Dullings: morning dew is wiped away by animal
Shinings: during day, animals press down shiny side of grass
Leaf Depressions: leaves are compressed as animal walks
Dulling=, plant dull – not shiny