Tracks and Scat Tell about Habitat and Species
By MFS District Forester Patty Cormier
The phone call went something like this: “Hello, do you have a dead deer we could have?” The answer from the DOT guy was “sure, come on over and get it.” So with a dead deer and turkey in tow, Regional Biologist Chuck Hulsey and I headed to the woods to leave the critters. Why? We were attending a workshop on identifying tracks and wildlife forensics hosted by IF&W, and these critters never knew that in death they were providing an educational service.
A few years ago the Maine Forest Service held a series of meetings with landowners to ask them about their woodlots to help determine where we could focus our education efforts. One question was “What is your major objective with managing your woodlot?” The prevalent response: “to encourage wildlife habitat.” A first basic step with encouraging wildlife, or with just enjoying wildlife if you don’t have a woodlot, is identifying what you are looking at, both in terms of trees and wildlife.
Susan Morse, founder of the non-profit Keeping Track, in Huntington, Vt., a world-renowned tracker, instructed us. One of the first things she said was “Remember, feet make tracks” and “Half of tracking is knowing where to look, the other half is looking.” She explained that identifying wildlife by their tracks is about recognizing the whole communication repertoire they’re using, not just one aspect of a track. Another key is trying to follow tracks to look for more tracks in different conditions, such as shade or mud, or where the animal might have stopped to rest, or slow down due to an obstruction. She added, “When in doubt, follow it out; don’t be a nerd, find the turd.” As with tree ID, there are many factors to consider, such as size of the track, shape, texture, position, straddle and stride.
When looking at tracks, a good way to start is deciding whether it is a canid (dog) or a felid (cat). A dog track will have four toe impressions, roughly all the same size but somewhat angular pointed at the top, with two forward and two back. The bigger palm pad is pointed towards the toes and wider at the base. The toes of a wild dog will be more tightly packed together. With cat tracks, toes are more rounded, with one higher than the others. The palm pad is shaped like a distinct “M”, broader at the tip than a dog’s pad.
Bobcat tracks also have what she called a “hair halo,”or fuzziness in the snow around the toes and pad due to all the hair, as with the lynx and martin. The fisher, called by some the Al Capone of the woods, has a track similar to the raccoon, with the front foot bigger than the back, and the little toe on the inside. The mink has a very clean and star-like small track. We also covered the many other signs an animal leaves. Scent marking is common, with urine being one tool. Red Fox urine has a skunky smell, while gray fox urine has a sweeter finish. Scent marking aids mutual avoidance and minimizes conflict. It also helps with finding a mate. Morse suggested thinking of where you might post a garage sale sign – a visible spot. Coyotes leave urine marks and scat at trail intersections. Look for hair that might have gotten snagged. Cats are all about scent marking. Their feces often smells like sour milk. They are also big on scrapes. Your house cat isn’t necessarily sharpening its claws when it scratches; it‘s instinctively leaving messages.
With bears, saliva and scrapes are powerful markers as well; three-quarters of bear scrapes are found on four types of trees: birch, fir, striped maple and red pine. They have a sort of dot dash pattern of biting that I’ve seen mostly on white birch. They often take our markings (signs, cabin doors, outhouses) and mark them, too. Often you can see their claw marks on beech trees and messy looking collections of twigs (“bear nests”) where they’ve collected beechnuts.
Lynx scat is hairy and often left on stumps or mossy areas. Coyote scat usually has hair in it and has a much higher density than cat scat. When looking at habitats for clues, think of how the bobcat prefers cliffy areas, while minks prefer old beaver dams. A bobcat’s delicacy is turkeys and squirrels, so they love good softwood cover. Any animal’s scat is a clue to their diet.
Other suggestions for identifying tracks: If you’re out with your dog, watch where she sniffs and digs. If the track is in mud or dirt, put a little water in it and take a picture with the flash on to bring out details. Chuck Hulsey often uses spray paint for tracks in snow. Use a lighter to check where your scent is headed.
Check out Susan Morse’s website, or workshops, or tracking guides you can purchase. The websites of Maine Woodland Owners, IF&W and MFS list possible tracking workshops too. The important thing is to get yourself and the kids out there and discover clues in our natural world.
MFS District Forester Patty Cormier is the leader of the Upper Kennebec Valley chapter of Maine Woodland Owners. This article was originally published in the April, 2014 issue of Maine Woodlands.