Post by Icarus on Mar 24, 2008 11:20:40 GMT -5
Outdoor Action Guide To Tracking:
By: Rick Curtis
SIGN TRACKING
The first thing to learn about tracking is knowing where to look for animals. Much of this is done by what is called "sign tracking". Signs are anything besides a track proper that is an indication of an animal (e.g. trails, scat etc.). About 1/2 of tracking is sign tracking the other 1/2 is working with actual tracks.
LARGE SCALE SIGN
I. Landscape Tracking - this is reading the landscape to locate animals. In most landscapes there are "islands" where many species will be found. One way to look is to find the best "islands" for herbivores. Wherever there are herbivores, carnivores will follow. The areas between the islands will tend to be scarce of animals except as an area for animals to pass through.
Herbivore Needs (* = most important)
*Cover - thick tangles of vegetation, brush, rocks, to hide in and escape to
*Wide variety of vegetation - a single type of vegetation is cleaned out. A good supply is necessary to be able to stay in the habitat/home. Going outside of the habitat is dangerous. Therefore, having various types of vegetation that come in at different times helps to maintain an ongoing food supply.
Water - this is not essential since many herbivores don't need it. They get water from dew and from the plants they eat.
Indicator Animals - the presence of these animals is an indicator of the "value" of the habitat. If one of these is present it is a good habitat, if all are it is an excellent habitat.
Vole - most prolific rodent, and a major food source for all predators
Rabbits
Deer
Types of Habitats
Deep Forest - very poor as an animal habitat. There is little undergrowth and poor cover. The vegetation is not very varied. Generally there are some raccoons, birds, rabbits, but very few others.
Fields - also very poor. There is little or no cover except at the side of the fields. The middle of the field is open territory for hawks and owls.
TRANSITION AREAS - these are excellent locations to find animals. A transition area is zone of intersection between two habitats. Ex. Forest and field, field and stream, forest and stream. These offer wide varieties of vegetation and cover.
II. Travel Routes - Animals will tend to take the easiest route of travel across a landscape (just like you and I - around boulders etc.) unless they are being pursued. This results in the creation of a number of "roadway systems" within the habitat. Sticking to a roadway system when being chased is poor. The prey is usually smaller than the predator and therefore tries to push through tiny openings in deep brush where the larger predator can't follow.
Trails - are species nonspecific. Any number, size, and shape of animal will use them. These are the superhighways of the woods. They are frequently used and rarely changed. Animals know them intimately. There may be troughs, no vegetation or battered vegetation.
Runs - these are less frequently used and are very subject to change. There is some definite wearing into the landscape but varies. These are very specific to a particular animal and what it is used for (e.g. runs may connect watering areas, bedding areas, feeding areas back to a trail). Survival Note: Runs are good areas to trap. You know what animal you are going for.
Escape Routes
Pushdown - Generally only used once, crashing through the brush from a trail or run to escape. Brush is broken down.
Established Escape Route - a pushdown used repetitively. It often leads to a hide.
III. Animal Sleeping Areas
Bed - any consistent sleeping place. It is well chosen to be in the thickest area of brush to be able to hear a predator coming.
Transit Bed - an established bed used every so often.
Lay - usually used only once or twice. Used for rest, chewing cud, etc. Can be recognized by broken and crushed vegetation.
Den - only used to bear and raise young.
Ex. Fox is an open ground sleeper, it curls up in the brush. For birthing it excavates a hole or uses an old groundhog hole for a den. Ex. The groundhog hole is a place for the groundhog to live. While it is raising young it is a groundhog den.
IV. Feeding Areas
Varied Run Feeding area - where animals go through and eat off of the trail or run further and further. (80%)
Single plant feeding area - characterized by a run terminating at a single plant or group of plants of one kind.
Eat-through - where an animal or animals has literally eaten through a patch of vegetation and come out the other side.
Patched - marked by irregular nibblings along the edges of established trails or runs
MEDIUM SCALE SIGN
This makes up the largest assortment and most definitive sign. It is found all over especially on trails and runs.
I. 8 Most Important:
Rub - polished areas on the landscape
Unintentional - animal rubbing up against an object that protrudes onto the trail (e.g. a branch).
Intentional - specific area where an animal is rubbing itself. E.g. deer scraping velvet off antlers, wallowing in dirt to rid itself of mites etc.
Hair and Feathers - especially at a rub or a projection where the hair or feather gets snagged. Clumps of hair may either be purposely pulled out by the animals or clumps of hair or feathers may indicate a kill site.
Gnaws and Chews
Gnawing - like a beaver, on nuts, trees bones (rodents get their calcium from gnawing bones). You can tell the animal by the size of the teeth marks.
Chews - where a plant has been bitten off (twigs, stalks of grass, etc.)
45 degree Clean Cut - caused by an animal with incisors - rodent
Little serrated edge - deer - pull grass up against upper palette and sickle it off by pulling neck up
Masticated - teeth marks all over possibly with saliva - a predator chew, used to get minerals
Break - not a chew, this is caused by animal movement.
Scratchings - these can be all over, made by claws digging in on trees, scampering over sticks, boulders etc.
Intentional - for example a skunk or raccoon scratching in the ground for grubs, cat or bear sharpening claws on a tree.
Unintentional - from the animal's passing
Ground Debris - any debris on the ground that is scratched, pinched, dented, abraded unnaturally, holes, stone rolls, broken twigs etc. (stone roll = a stone out of its bed, rolled over, skidded etc.)
Upper Vegetation - vegetation breaks (see above), plants abraded and broken by animal passage. The location of the break (how high up) indicates type of animal. You can age a break by clearly noting how the vegetation has aged at the break and doing a sample break to observe and time. This is not as accurate as track aging.
Scat - tells an incredible amount. Scat tells you the type of animal by its size, shape, and consistency. It tells you what the animal has been eating. Animals leave scat in areas which they feel safe. This means that it is a good area to look for animals. Scat is often found near lays.
Scat Analysis: First determine the family shape. Then lay the scat on a piece of paper, cut it down the center carefully, then quarter it. Take a pair if tweezers or a toothpick and pick away at the edge carefully. Separate the contents into piles of bone, feathers, hair, misc. in order to see what the animal's been eating (this is for carnivores). If you find a skull, check Peterson's Field Guide to Mammals for skull or teeth identification. Herbivores tend to show loose, mushy scat in the summer because they are browsing on soft succulent vegetation. As summer turns to fall you will find more evidence of nuts, seeds, and fruits. In winter the scat becomes quiet hard and compact consisting mainly of the more woody buds, twigs, and bark. Avoid using your fingers to work with scat (wear gloves). If the scat is dry and dusty, don't inhale the dust (can lead to lung infections).
Tubular - Dog Family, raccoon,
skunks, oppossum, wolverines, bears
Tear drop or Tapered - Cat Family
Fattened Threads - Weasel Family
M&M's - Rabbits & Hares
Oblong, may have nipple at end -
Deer
Pencil Lead - Rodents
Fox - Tubular & Tapered at both ends - between dog and cat
Aging Scat: can be aged but to be at all accurate you need to see it come out of the animal. Leave a popsicle stick marker and check it every so often. Scat dries from the inside out. Find some fresh, pick it apart and examine the contents. Come back later, pick another apart and see how it has changed over time.
Pellets: Raptors (hawks, eagles, and owls) regurgitate pellets of what isn't digested. These pellets consist of bones, hair and/or feathers.
By: Rick Curtis
SIGN TRACKING
The first thing to learn about tracking is knowing where to look for animals. Much of this is done by what is called "sign tracking". Signs are anything besides a track proper that is an indication of an animal (e.g. trails, scat etc.). About 1/2 of tracking is sign tracking the other 1/2 is working with actual tracks.
LARGE SCALE SIGN
I. Landscape Tracking - this is reading the landscape to locate animals. In most landscapes there are "islands" where many species will be found. One way to look is to find the best "islands" for herbivores. Wherever there are herbivores, carnivores will follow. The areas between the islands will tend to be scarce of animals except as an area for animals to pass through.
Herbivore Needs (* = most important)
*Cover - thick tangles of vegetation, brush, rocks, to hide in and escape to
*Wide variety of vegetation - a single type of vegetation is cleaned out. A good supply is necessary to be able to stay in the habitat/home. Going outside of the habitat is dangerous. Therefore, having various types of vegetation that come in at different times helps to maintain an ongoing food supply.
Water - this is not essential since many herbivores don't need it. They get water from dew and from the plants they eat.
Indicator Animals - the presence of these animals is an indicator of the "value" of the habitat. If one of these is present it is a good habitat, if all are it is an excellent habitat.
Vole - most prolific rodent, and a major food source for all predators
Rabbits
Deer
Types of Habitats
Deep Forest - very poor as an animal habitat. There is little undergrowth and poor cover. The vegetation is not very varied. Generally there are some raccoons, birds, rabbits, but very few others.
Fields - also very poor. There is little or no cover except at the side of the fields. The middle of the field is open territory for hawks and owls.
TRANSITION AREAS - these are excellent locations to find animals. A transition area is zone of intersection between two habitats. Ex. Forest and field, field and stream, forest and stream. These offer wide varieties of vegetation and cover.
II. Travel Routes - Animals will tend to take the easiest route of travel across a landscape (just like you and I - around boulders etc.) unless they are being pursued. This results in the creation of a number of "roadway systems" within the habitat. Sticking to a roadway system when being chased is poor. The prey is usually smaller than the predator and therefore tries to push through tiny openings in deep brush where the larger predator can't follow.
Trails - are species nonspecific. Any number, size, and shape of animal will use them. These are the superhighways of the woods. They are frequently used and rarely changed. Animals know them intimately. There may be troughs, no vegetation or battered vegetation.
Runs - these are less frequently used and are very subject to change. There is some definite wearing into the landscape but varies. These are very specific to a particular animal and what it is used for (e.g. runs may connect watering areas, bedding areas, feeding areas back to a trail). Survival Note: Runs are good areas to trap. You know what animal you are going for.
Escape Routes
Pushdown - Generally only used once, crashing through the brush from a trail or run to escape. Brush is broken down.
Established Escape Route - a pushdown used repetitively. It often leads to a hide.
III. Animal Sleeping Areas
Bed - any consistent sleeping place. It is well chosen to be in the thickest area of brush to be able to hear a predator coming.
Transit Bed - an established bed used every so often.
Lay - usually used only once or twice. Used for rest, chewing cud, etc. Can be recognized by broken and crushed vegetation.
Den - only used to bear and raise young.
Ex. Fox is an open ground sleeper, it curls up in the brush. For birthing it excavates a hole or uses an old groundhog hole for a den. Ex. The groundhog hole is a place for the groundhog to live. While it is raising young it is a groundhog den.
IV. Feeding Areas
Varied Run Feeding area - where animals go through and eat off of the trail or run further and further. (80%)
Single plant feeding area - characterized by a run terminating at a single plant or group of plants of one kind.
Eat-through - where an animal or animals has literally eaten through a patch of vegetation and come out the other side.
Patched - marked by irregular nibblings along the edges of established trails or runs
MEDIUM SCALE SIGN
This makes up the largest assortment and most definitive sign. It is found all over especially on trails and runs.
I. 8 Most Important:
Rub - polished areas on the landscape
Unintentional - animal rubbing up against an object that protrudes onto the trail (e.g. a branch).
Intentional - specific area where an animal is rubbing itself. E.g. deer scraping velvet off antlers, wallowing in dirt to rid itself of mites etc.
Hair and Feathers - especially at a rub or a projection where the hair or feather gets snagged. Clumps of hair may either be purposely pulled out by the animals or clumps of hair or feathers may indicate a kill site.
Gnaws and Chews
Gnawing - like a beaver, on nuts, trees bones (rodents get their calcium from gnawing bones). You can tell the animal by the size of the teeth marks.
Chews - where a plant has been bitten off (twigs, stalks of grass, etc.)
45 degree Clean Cut - caused by an animal with incisors - rodent
Little serrated edge - deer - pull grass up against upper palette and sickle it off by pulling neck up
Masticated - teeth marks all over possibly with saliva - a predator chew, used to get minerals
Break - not a chew, this is caused by animal movement.
Scratchings - these can be all over, made by claws digging in on trees, scampering over sticks, boulders etc.
Intentional - for example a skunk or raccoon scratching in the ground for grubs, cat or bear sharpening claws on a tree.
Unintentional - from the animal's passing
Ground Debris - any debris on the ground that is scratched, pinched, dented, abraded unnaturally, holes, stone rolls, broken twigs etc. (stone roll = a stone out of its bed, rolled over, skidded etc.)
Upper Vegetation - vegetation breaks (see above), plants abraded and broken by animal passage. The location of the break (how high up) indicates type of animal. You can age a break by clearly noting how the vegetation has aged at the break and doing a sample break to observe and time. This is not as accurate as track aging.
Scat - tells an incredible amount. Scat tells you the type of animal by its size, shape, and consistency. It tells you what the animal has been eating. Animals leave scat in areas which they feel safe. This means that it is a good area to look for animals. Scat is often found near lays.
Scat Analysis: First determine the family shape. Then lay the scat on a piece of paper, cut it down the center carefully, then quarter it. Take a pair if tweezers or a toothpick and pick away at the edge carefully. Separate the contents into piles of bone, feathers, hair, misc. in order to see what the animal's been eating (this is for carnivores). If you find a skull, check Peterson's Field Guide to Mammals for skull or teeth identification. Herbivores tend to show loose, mushy scat in the summer because they are browsing on soft succulent vegetation. As summer turns to fall you will find more evidence of nuts, seeds, and fruits. In winter the scat becomes quiet hard and compact consisting mainly of the more woody buds, twigs, and bark. Avoid using your fingers to work with scat (wear gloves). If the scat is dry and dusty, don't inhale the dust (can lead to lung infections).
Tubular - Dog Family, raccoon,
skunks, oppossum, wolverines, bears
Tear drop or Tapered - Cat Family
Fattened Threads - Weasel Family
M&M's - Rabbits & Hares
Oblong, may have nipple at end -
Deer
Pencil Lead - Rodents
Fox - Tubular & Tapered at both ends - between dog and cat
Aging Scat: can be aged but to be at all accurate you need to see it come out of the animal. Leave a popsicle stick marker and check it every so often. Scat dries from the inside out. Find some fresh, pick it apart and examine the contents. Come back later, pick another apart and see how it has changed over time.
Pellets: Raptors (hawks, eagles, and owls) regurgitate pellets of what isn't digested. These pellets consist of bones, hair and/or feathers.