Basic Animal Tracking

A tutorial on animal tracks, signs, and information.

By: Jenna Shafer

Introductions!Howdy, everyone! My name is Jenna Shafer and

I’m a Recreation, Parks, Tourism and

Administration (RPTA) major with WIU’s Camp

Rocky and I’ve created this brief tutorial for all you

adventurers to better identify and appreciate the

clues animals leave all around us!

We’ll go over different kinds of tracks, animal

signs, and the information we can gather from

these likely everyday sights! Thank you for joining

us this year and I hope you enjoy!

Common animal tracks

Animal tracks will vary by location- not just in the world but also by ecosystems. For our Midwestern area, 3 most common tracks will include;

➔ White-tailed DeerSplit (cleft) hoof, tear drop-like shape. Most will have two holes at the back. (dew claws)

➔ RaccoonLonger hind foot and toe, claw imprint,

➔ CoyoteDog-like footprint- Differs by smaller & narrow toe pads, oval shaped foot pad.

White-tailed Deer

Racoon

Front

Back

Coyote

Dog

Dew Claws

Tracks: A split hoof is referred to as a “cleft”hoof. “Dew claws” are the small imprint holes behind the hoof- All deer have these but not all tracks will show them.Deer tend to take the same way when traveling creating clearly defined paths we call game trails.

Tip

*Deer travel in herds so if you see one, keep looking for more!

*Best times to see deer are early morning and just before dark.

*Look along corn fields and forested areas.

White-tailed Deer

Signs: Tree rubs- From bucks rubbing their antlers on young trees, rubbing off the outer layer of bark. Also look for “scrapes”- usually below tree rubs where bucks will scrape the ground using their front hooves and release scent glands to mark their territory from other deer- don’t touch the scrapes because they usually include urine when marking!

Raccoons

Tip

You should never approach a wild animal no matter how cute they are!

Small animals like raccoons can carry diseases and be aggressive towards humans.

Tracks: back feet are longer than front. Tracks resemble small human hands with 5 long finger- like toes. Signs: common sign of a raccoon is dumped garbage cans! Being very smart creatures and having hand-like abilities, they can get into almost anything! Being a favorite food, look around rivers and streams for cracked open clam shells.Interesting facts: Raccoons are so smart they use problem solving skills and remember them for the future. Some think of them as being smarter than toddlers!

Coyote

Tip

*Coyotes are pack animals and are out mostly at night.

*If you hear a pack of coyotes howling, don’t be scared! They keep distance from humans-just sit back and listen to them talk to each other!

Tracks: Similar to dog tracks but differ by 1)narrower and pointy footprint. 2) Sharper claw marks. 3) dog pads are more round in shape while coyote are more angled.Signs: Include howling or noises at night, tracks, scat (poop) and dead animals as they are predatory animals meaning they hunt prey. Interesting facts: Coyotes run with their tails down while dogs run with their tails up.

Why Tracks Are Important

Interpreting animal tracks and signs is important for 2 main reasons;

➔ Basic InformationAnimal tracks can tell us what the animal is, how fast they were moving, and the area they live in. Also helpful with hunting.

➔ Research For ScienceTracks can map out where a specific animal lives in an area, the animal behavior patterns such as feeding, mating, and territory. And it’s just good to know what animals are in your neck of the woods!

Knowing what animals are where can serve as a protective measure for humans. We can know of areas to avoid or certain materials to bring on a hike.

Knowing what animals are where can be a protective measure for the animal as well! Creating Protected wilderness areas for animals to live in without worry of humans.

Animal tracks and signs are

just another way we humans

can learn about and

appreciate the world around

us. The more we know the

more we can work to care for

and protect our animals and

live in harmony with them!

Things To Do When

Finding Your Own

Animal Tracks

Tip

A time to find animal tracks would be after a nice rainfall as the ground will be soft.

A good place to find tracks would be around any body of water.

Any time you plan to walk in a forested area be sure to wear bright colors, such as orange, so you are easily seen by other people and are easier to find. This is VERY important especially during seasons of hunting.

Make sure the area you plan to walk in is not someone else’s property if it is not a park.

It is best to take some water with you at the least, maybe some snacks too! If you do, make sure you take all your trash with you-don’t litter!!

Take an adult with you, never go by yourself!

Lastly, make sure at least one other person knows where your going and what time they should expect you back.

Safety is everything!!!!

Remember- when you’re in nature, leave everything how you found it so others after you can enjoy it as well and leave nothing behind :)

All of us here at camp rocky thank you for coming! I hope you enjoyed

and learned something new! Now grab an adult and a friend and

go on a quest to see how many animal tracks you can find!!!

Camp Rocky 2020