Animal Tracks

1. Animal Tracks By: Caleb Balstad Idea: 4th Hour

2. FACTS • Agait 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.)

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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 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

9. 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. 8

10. 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.

11. 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.

15. INTERVIEW Names • Lloyd Fox - Big Game Coordinator for Kansas • Matt Peak - Wildlife Research Biologist Questions • What are your duties? • What is your job title? • What education background do you have and what do I have to do to get a cool job like yours? • What tracking signs do you call key signs that a specific animal is in the area? • What is your favorite animal to track? • What is the easiest part of tracking? • Now I will answer the Q’s

16. Bibliography http://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