Tracks 101

outdoors, Wildlife | dlacord | Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 8:33 am

If ever there was a reason to get out for an early hike after a snowfall, this is it: animal tracks. Fresh snow means a fresh canvas for the tracks of coyotes and raccoons, wild turkeys and squirrels. And it reminds you how full of life the forest is.

Examining animal tracks in the snow or sand or mud can help hikers identify animals, birds and reptiles living in a certain ecosystem. American Indians used their knowledge of tracks to locate animals during hunting trips. Today, hunters still watch for animal tracks, and wildlife biologists use the tracks to identify habitats and populations.

So how do you become a wildlife tracker? Here are some tips from New Mexico State University and the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management:

Before you go out, research the kinds of tracks you might find in a particular ecosystem or area. Get a good wildlife track guide: “Scat and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains,” by James Halfpenny, “Tracks and Trailcraft,” by Ellsworth Jaeger, “Field Guide to Animal Tracks,” by Olaus J. Murie and Roger Tory Peterson, and The Falcon Guide: The Tracker’s Field Guide: A Comprehensive Handbook for Animal Tracking in the United States by James C. Lowery.
Go at the right time of day – early in the morning and late in the afternoon when shadows are more prominent – to make the tracks easier to see.
Know where to look and the basics of what to look for. Areas near water are common places to see tracks. In Colorado, the most common tracks include:
- Mule deer, like two thick commas facing each other.
- Elk, similar, but much larger.
- Coyote, like a dog, but more compact and oval-shaped.
- Fox, dog-like with a slender pad.
- Bear, like a thick human foot, but the outer toe is the “big toe.”
- Mountain lion, rounder than a dog track; two-lobed pad, without claws.
- Bobcat, similar to mountain lion but smaller.
Follow the number rules: Two toes in front and back indicate deer, elk or moose. Four toes on each of the front and hind feet point to the dog family, cat family or rabbit family. Four on the front and five in back mean it’s a rodent. Five on front and back means it’s a raccoon or member of the weasel family, bear, beaver or opossum.
Look for other clues – bent vegetation, animal scat, scratched or peeled trees.
If you see an animal track, take time to stop and look carefully. Take note of the size and shape of the track. A track can show an animal’s movement, size and path. The most common tracks are those of domestic dogs. They look similar to wild relatives such as coyotes and fox, but tend to follow their nose, wandering instead of moving in a straight line.
Learn the difference between cat and dog prints. Animals in the cat family – bobcats and mountain lions – have retractable claws just like house cats. Their tracks won’t show claws unless they are climbing and need them for traction. And cat tracks are rounder. If you see a round track with four toes and no claw marks, you’re seeing something in the cat family.