Did some track reading today. (Pic heavy)

[Joey_Numbers]

Hello all.

I only know a little about tracking, don't have much experience but I have some videos, books, and websites to go on. So today on my lunch break I did some track and sign reading in a big field near my work site. Its a pretty rural area, big cattle fields next to neighborhood being built.

Started out easy.

Here are some bird tracks, looks like a type of shorebird, maybe a killdeer? I see them all the time around

Found some scat around the place.

Domestic dog, seen enough to know it. Pick up after your animals, people!

This is some sort of aerial predator, most likely owl. I see bits of bones.

Wild dog, I see coyotes often around here. Predatory animal scat is usually white because the calcium in the bones of what they eat.

Then the harder part, finding and reading the tracks.

Looks here like some dog tracks, could have been a coyote or maybe someone's pet. I didn't see any human tracks along side it though. Followed these tracks for about 50 feet then lost it.

Here you can see another (possibly the same) dog tracks along side what I think is a rabbit track. The rabbit track is the middle one and the coyote is in the upper left corner. Maybe the coyote was tracking it! Its the only rabbit track I have found though, they are rather small.

This dog was slightly larger than the one above, you can see the claw marks and the X shape between the toes. Both distinctive of dog paws.

Same dog, I think.

This track is funny if I am reading it right. To me it looks like a quick sprinting point. Like the animal (possibly a rabbit) was trotting along then got scared, dug in its paws, and ran like Hell.

These paw prints were the hardest for me to read. It looks like a big cat print. But I didn't think the cats could live in this area, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to shelter. The tracks have most of the qualities of a cat print. Rounded shape, as opposed to dog tracks which are more oval. You cant really draw a perfect X between the toes, also indicative of dogs. And you cant see claws, cats can retract them. There maybe a slight sign of a claw in the furthest toe to the left. Mountain lions are too big for the area, so if its a cat it may be a bobcat. Followed the tracks nearly 200 feet before I lost them. I wanted to make a plaster cast, but couldn't.

Learned from experience:
Finding the track seems to be the hard part, reading feels easy to me.
Bring a small aerial map to plot out the routes and placements of the tracks.
Ask around if anyone knows the animals in the area.

That is about it, I hope to do more soon. Feel free to correct me where needed, I'm still learning. Thank you for reading.

 

[Nagual]

Cheers for this, quite interesting read!

 

[Laughoutlouder]

Ì aggree, very interesting and nice photos.

Here are some of mine from South Africa.

elephant tusk

zebra

lion..played with the contrast but cant get it better. No scale either

Hippo

Rhino at the same pond

Hyena skat at same pond as above 2

African wild dog (painted dog) on the run. I was surprised how big the tracks were. Same size as hyena(spotted).

snake, i forget which.

Thats kinda it for S.A.

 

[GordonM]

Spot on Joey-Numbers! Two things to add...In the last photo I can make out the three lobes of the heel and there is a leading toe. I would agree with Bobcat!

Gordy,
Avid predator hunter

 

[Joey_Numbers]

Thank you, Gordon! I was surprised to find such a big cat in the area. There is nothing within miles of the neighborhood but massive open cattle fields. After a bit of research I found its not uncommon for them to be in areas like this. Learn something new everyday!

Laughoutlouder, those pictures are great!

For my own practice and added bonus points! The hippo and the rhino tracks look pretty old. The hippo because of the bird tracks in the print and the rhino because it looks like the print was made while the top layer of mud was still wet. Also both tracks look pretty worn. And the snake track looks very fresh because its on top of the wheel tracks, means the snake came through after the truck drove by, and the wheel tracks still look very crisp and barely worn. This next part is TOTAL attempt at deduction. The snake's direction of travel looks like from the bottom of the picture to the top and judging by the shadows looks like the snake was going from the west to the east.

I hoped to look for more tracks in the same area this weekend but the whole field was flooded! Maybe the water will wipe the area clean and keep the ground wet for even more prints. I'll try and keep looking, I find it very fun. Thank you all!

 

[Laughoutlouder]

Thank you, Gordon! I was surprised to find such a big cat in the area. There is nothing within miles of the neighborhood but massive open cattle fields. After a bit of research I found its not uncommon for them to be in areas like this. Learn something new everyday!

Laughoutlouder, those pictures are great!

For my own practice and added bonus points! The hippo and the rhino tracks look pretty old. The hippo because of the bird tracks in the print and the rhino because it looks like the print was made while the top layer of mud was still wet. Also both tracks look pretty worn. And the snake track looks very fresh because its on top of the wheel tracks, means the snake came through after the truck drove by, and the wheel tracks still look very crisp and barely worn. This next part is TOTAL attempt at deduction. The snake's direction of travel looks like from the bottom of the picture to the top and judging by the shadows looks like the snake was going from the west to the east.

I hoped to look for more tracks in the same area this weekend but the whole field was flooded! Maybe the water will wipe the area clean and keep the ground wet for even more prints. I'll try and keep looking, I find it very fun. Thank you all!

Thanks Joey!

Was a great trip and saw some brilliant stuff. Course field trip believe it or not!

To set the scene, the hippo and rhino were at a water-hole/pond and it was quite early morning. Our first coffee stop and not long after dawn.

I aggree about the hippo. Looks well walked over by the birds but thinking about it, where did it go? Wasn't in the pond and dont think they travel that far.

The rhino track could be fresh-ish maybe? I don't really see any wear on the track(the sandy part that was revealed), no bird tracks or so which can seen in the same shot to the right of my compass.

I aggree about the snake, looks very fresh. The truck track closest to our truck(from bottom right in shadow) looks very crisp.

Are those impala tracks towards the end of the snake track (top middle, by grass)? (just noticed that)

Also, where did the snake go? Don't see it continue into the grass.
Maybe it just went out on the road for a bit of a sunbathe in the morning sun and doubled back. Maybe?
Dont see any sign of it turning. Do snakes have reverse?

I find it fun too and have plenty more once I get access to my older picks.