Animal Tracks

By: Caleb BalstadIdea: 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.

12

13

14

INTERVIEW

15

Bibliographyhttp://www.ussartf.org/animal_tracking.htm

http://www.bear-tracker.com/

http://42explore.com/animaltracks.htm

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