Benefits of Tracking an Animal
Where do you find tracks
What kind of animals/birds are most common in your area
What types of things can you learn from tracking
The direction of the animal
What the animal might be thinking or feeling
How fast it was moving
How to dress when you are tracking
Where to find clear tracks
Tools to track
Magnifying Glass
Binoculars
Journaling – Always have a pen/pencil and paper
Ruler or Coin for Scale
Side Benefit: Learning how to be more observant
Recognizing the Prints
Fore Print
Hind Print
The size of the Print
Claw length and shape
Track width and straddle
How to categorize an animal by how they move
Animals that Hop – like rabbits
Animals that walk or trot – like a dog or cat
Animals that waddle – like bears
Animals that bound – like weasels
Each animal leaves a different track
Understanding Gaits
What is a gait
Gait will tell you what they were doing
Other things to watch for
