Are all the prints the same size? Members of the weasel, rodent, and rabbit families have small front feet and larger, longer hind feet.Was it left by a paw or a hoof? Hoofed wildlife include deer, elk and moose.Quickly narrow down the wildlife possibilities by classifying the print as small (could be a mouse or squirrel), medium (could be a fox) or large (could be a bear). How big is the print? It’s hard to confuse a bear with a mouse.Start by asking yourself these questions: Just make sure not to cast a shadow over the track or, worse, step on one of the prints. How to Look at Animal Tracksĭon’t be afraid to get close: Squat down next to the track so you’re close enough to make out claw marks and other subtle impressions within and around the track. Hiking at night? Hold your camp lantern close to the ground next to the track-it will throw the print into relief and make it easier to read. However, most animals hunker down during torrential downpours and blizzards, so you’ll want to give them several hours post-storm to scamper out for food before you stroll looking for tracks. If a light snow fell the previous afternoon leading to a calm evening, a morning stroll is the perfect time to spot the first snowshoe hare tracks. Overhead sun close to noon flattens tracks and makes them hard to identify.Ĭonsider the recent weather. Early morning and late afternoon, when the sun casts shadows on the trail, are perfect for spotting tracks and showing slight impressions from claws and other features helpful in identifying the print. The sun can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Damp, impressionable dirt holds prints better than the firmly packed soil of well-worn trails. Search alongside streams and on or next to the trail after rainstorms. Thin layers of snow are best for viewing prints from larger animals, which tend to sink into deeper drifts, obscuring their tracks. Some trail surfaces leave you with perfect muddy impressions others, like paved roads and hard-packed trails, are nearly impossible to find prints on. It sounds obvious, but the first step to identifying any animal track is to find it.
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