Following the tracks of animals is nothing more than the art of interpreting signs such as footprints, natural paths and nibbled plants, to discover the animal that recently fed, hunted or rested in a certain area. Knowing how to track animals is useful if you intend to hunt or photograph one, but also if you are simply interested in learning more about the living beings with whom you share the habitat. If you want to learn how to track bears, birds, rabbits, deer, mice, foxes and many other animals, read the instructions below.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Identify the Animals
Step 1. Look at the footprint
It is exciting to discover a footprint in mud or snow, a telltale sign that another living being has recently traveled the same track you are on. Each animal has its own footprint that uniquely distinguishes it and, if you know what you are looking for, you are able to identify the animal that is nearby from the footprint. When looking at a footprint, pay attention to these factors:
- The size of the footprint. From the size of the footprint, you should be able to quickly understand whether a fox, a bear, a cat or a mouse left it.
- The number of fingers. This is a basic feature of the footprint that can reveal a lot, because animals are also distinguished by the number of toes on each paw. For example, felines such as the lynx and the puma have 4 toes per leg, while the weasel and the skunk have 5.
- Whether the imprint of the nails can be seen or not. In the footprints of the felines the nails are not seen, while in the footprints left by the wolves, raccoons and bears you can see the signs of the long claws.
- If the fingerprint has traces of opposable fingers (especially the thumb). Animals that climb trees, such as raccoons and opossums, have an opposable finger that helps them cling to branches while climbing.
- If the front and rear footprints are the same size. The front and back legs of dogs, cats, foxes and bears are exactly the same size. If, on the other hand, you notice an imprint that highlights tiny front legs and large hind legs, it is probably a rabbit or a hare.
- If the footprints were left by a hoofed animal (with hooves). The footprint of a deer, an elk or a caribou is very different from that of an animal with legs.
Step 2. Look at the trace of the footprints
The next step is to observe the sequence of footprints, and to try to identify a pattern, a path. By interpreting the trace of the footprints, you are able to determine the type of gait of the animal. Since each animal family has its own specific gait, studying the pattern of the footprints can help you imagine the type of animal that left them. By studying the path, you can get to predict the direction in which the animal is moving. Here are the most common patterns:
- Walking diagonally. Animals that proceed with a diagonal gait, including felines, canids, and all ungulates, simultaneously raise the front and rear paws of the opposite side. For this reason, they leave behind footprints that suggest a "staggering" gait. Imagine the traces that a horse leaves behind when walking or trotting.
- Walking pace. Large-bodied animals such as bears, beavers, possums, and raccoons raise their front and hind legs on the same side at the same time.
- Arched back gait. The weasels, ferrets and badgers proceed by leaping, arched backs, and their forelegs land before the hind ones. The prints of the hind legs are therefore located immediately behind the prints of the front legs.
- Gallop gait. The rabbits and hares proceed at a gallop. They jump in such a way that the front legs land first, but the hind legs land in front, on the same side as the front ones. Because they have long legs, their footprints take the shape of a "U".
- Jumpers vs. walkers. Bird footprint patterns fall into one of two categories: jumpers and walkers. The hopping birds leave footprints adjacent to each other. Walking birds leave proportionate footprints, like those of humans. Be aware that jumping birds generally live and feed in flight in trees, while walking birds live closer to the ground, and feed on insects or other small animals that live in the land.
Step 3. Look for other signs that help you identify the animal
There are many clues that can make you narrow your search. Study the footprints and their pattern, and pay attention to further details such as the following:
- How the fingerprint is registered. Do the posterior impressions overlap the anterior ones, giving the impression that there is only one set of impressions? If so, you are probably following the trail of a feline or a fox. If, on the other hand, the front and rear footprints are distributed in different points, so that all four can be seen, they are canids, weasels, raccoons or bears, which have a direct register gait.
- Look for the footprint of the tail. If you notice a line that runs along the entire trail of footprints, it means that the animal's tail is crawling on the ground. If you only notice a linear trail, it can be the footprint of a reptile.
Step 4. Compare your footprints with those shown on a guide
If you are taking this activity seriously, go to the library or bookstore and get a guide that contains information on the animals that live in the area where you live. Write down all the clues that you have managed to collect on a particular footprint and its pattern, and check if it matches that of an animal described in the book. If you learn to distinguish between different families and species of animals, you will eventually be able to identify an animal without the help of your guide. For a quick reference, use this chart to identify common farmyard or woodland animals.
Identify Animal Tracks
| Animal family | Characteristics of the Footprints | Footprint Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Felines (domestic cat, American bobcat, common lynx, puma) | Round footprint with 4 fingers; trace of the claws not visible | Diagonal gait with direct register |
| Canids (dog, fox, wolf, coyote) | Round footprint with 4 fingers and visible claw track | Diagonal gait; only the fox has a direct register |
| Weasel family (weasels, minks, skunks, otters, badgers) | 5 fingers with visible traces of claws | Arched back gait (with the exception of large-bodied animals such as the skunk) |
| Raccoons, possums and bears | 5 fingers with visible claw marks; flat paws, similar to human feet; some have opposable fingers for climbing | Walking pace |
| Rodents (mice, squirrels, rats, country mice, chipmunks, porcupines, citelli, beavers) | front footprints with 4 fingers and rear footprints with 5 fingers (with the exception of beavers, which leave 5 + 5) | Arched back gait and gallop gait |
| Rabbits and hares | 4 fingers per impression; the hind legs are twice the size of the front ones | Gallop gait |
| Ungulates (deer, moose, caribou) | Cracked hoof on each leg | Walking diagonally |
| Birds | 3 fingers; predatory birds have a sturdy rear claw; water birds are palmipeds | Birds that feed in flight or on trees have a hopping gait; those who feed on the ground have a diagonal gait |
Method 2 of 3: Interpreting the Animal Tracks
Step 1. Look for animal trails
Animal trails are nature trails found in woods, meadows and other natural environments, and are used by many animals to get from one point to another. They look a bit like the hiking trails used by us humans, with the difference that they are narrower and less obvious if you don't know what you're looking for.
- Other trails connect the tracks to areas where animals find food, water and shelter. These trails are smaller than trails, and are usually only used by one or two different species.
- Also look for burrows, places where animals sleep or rest. You may be faced with something that looks like a nest, or a lair, with shreds of fur and broken foliage.
- These places are usually far from inhabited areas. Search in the meeting points between woods and meadows or fields, transition areas between one type of terrain and another. These are the favorite spots for animals to find food, water and shelter.
Step 2. Look for signs of deterioration
Animals leave behind clues, "signals", which betray their presence. Look for spots on tree trunks where bark has been rubbed off, and take note of broken shrubs, squashed grass, nibbled plants, etc. Each animal has its own signal to interpret.
- Also pay attention to the smells you smell. Skunks and other animals in their family usually leave behind a trail of a peculiar smell.
- Eventually you will learn to distinguish the types of bites left by different animals. For example, deer pluck grass from the earth, while felines graze it.
- Look carefully for traces of manure or animal droppings. First of all, animal droppings differ greatly in shape, size and color. Secondly, by examining the droppings, a lot of information can be gained about the food the animal ate.
Step 3. Try to date the animal signals
If you want to know if an animal is nearby, you will need to date the footprints and signs. It is difficult to pinpoint when the animal passed, but if you look closely you are able to find out if a footprint or signal is from the same day or days or weeks ago.
- To find out how long it has been since the footprint was left, press your hand to the ground next to the footprint. Consider the difference. Fresh footprints still have sharp edges around the diameter, while footprints dating back to a few days ago are more rounded. Weather conditions and climate also affect footprint conservation.
- Study the nibbled and scratched plants. If they have been nibbled recently, you should see traces of the animal's saliva. Leftovers from an older meal may be a little dried out and blackish on the edges.
Step 4. Don't expect the animal's traces to be evident
It is more likely that there is only a few fingerprints rather than the entire paw, or just a scratch on the bark of a tree. Keep your eyes peeled for any small clues that reveal the presence of an animal. If there is only a partial print, surely there is another one nearby, and the next one may give you a more accurate picture of the animal you are tracking.
Method 3 of 3: Follow the Animals
Step 1. Do it early in the morning or late afternoon or early evening
Animal tracks are more visible at times of day when the angle of the sun's rays makes it easier to see the shadows created by the tracks. Doing this when the sun is high in the sky is much more difficult. In addition, many animals are more active in the morning or evening than in the middle of the day.
- Approaching the land and looking at the tracks sideways also allows you to notice the small bumps and small crags that indicate the passage of an animal.
- Start where you can clearly see the tracks. The easiest way to start tracking an animal is to start from a place where you can undeniably make out tracks, such as in fresh snow or in a muddy spot. From there you can continue to follow the tracks even when they start to become difficult to find.
Step 2. Use a detection stick
The tracking stick is used to visualize the path of the animal. It's a handy tool to use when you've been following the tracks for a while and suddenly they seem to have vanished into thin air. You can do this yourself with a thin walking stick, securing a row of rubber bands around the lower end. When you see two tracks, you can measure their distance by sliding the rubber bands between them. Find the missing track by placing the penultimate rubber band against the last visible track: the next track should be within the end of the stick.
Step 3. Think like the animal
As you follow their trail, ask yourself why an animal has gone in a certain direction or taken a certain path. Try to understand as much as you can about the animal's intentions so that you can predict the direction it has taken. Being informed about the characteristics of the animal species you are tracking, such as its favorite food, times of greatest activity, etc., will be of great help.
- By looking closely at the tracks, you can study the pressure exerted to leave each individual track. See the places where the animal stopped for a rest, or climbed a tree, or started running or flying. Try to understand what may have caused this behavior.
- Look for clues in the animal's tracks that suggest a typical day. Animals for the most part are beings of habit, and they travel the same route every day.
Step 4. Try to see with your hands
Experienced trackers use touch in the same way as sight to imagine which way an animal has gone. Try following the trail blindfolded to gain an even deeper understanding of the animal. Touch the animal's footprints, and search the ground with your hands until you find more. Follow them until you understand which direction they are moving through the forest or meadow.
Advice
- Wear clothes that blend in with the environment so you don't risk scaring the animals. If it's autumn, dress in red, brown, and orange. If it's winter, dress in white. In spring and summer, dress in green and brown.
- Wear appropriate footwear, so as not to make too much noise. Do not step on twigs if you are close to the animal, be careful where you put your feet.
- Place the heel first and then the toe of the foot: it will help to make the step softer.
- Be quiet. Screaming, or even just talking, can provoke the animal, which may attack you. Put your mobile in vibrate mode.
- Find first-hand information. Talk to the forest rangers.
- A book with illustrations of footprints and animal droppings is strongly recommended!
Warnings
- If you are following the trail of a wild and dangerous animal, keep your distance and do nothing that could scare the animal. Use common sense to decide how far to follow the animal.
- When you go into the woods, take a navigator, or a map, or a compass with you, so as not to risk getting lost.
- If there is a field, take your cell phone with you.
