Now that there’s some snow on the ground your most likely to come across some canine tracks on your hikes. The question is, do they belong to a domestic dog or a coyote? There are clues to telling the difference with just a little observation. First the tracks themselves, are they meandering around or traveling in a fairly straight line. Coyotes travel with a purpose, a destination to get to whether it’s water, denning or in search of prey and are usually traveling alone. Dogs on the other hand meander here to there with a more zig zagging trail pattern as they investigate every little thing that peaks their curiosity.
A coyote’s individual track will measure from 2 to 2.5 inches long and is consistent among individuals. The shape of their tracks are oblong, narrow with the two middle toes being the same length. If you were to take a stick you would be able to draw a clear uninterrupted diagonal line from just outside the two middle toes down to the opposite side of the heel pad. Domestic dogs on the other hand are variable in size and their toe pads will not show a clear uninterrupted diagonal line drawn to the opposite side of the heel pad. Domestic dogs tracks will also have more rounded dull claw marks. The front track of a coyote is also slightly larger than it’s back track. If you happen to come across some scat in the trail then figuring out whose track that was will be a no brainer. If there is hair, bones or seeds in the scat then you most definately are following a coyotes tracks.     Happy Hiking!!

Just about a foot of snow has fallen in the past 12 hours here in the Adirondacks. Adding that to the 4 or 5 inches we had from this past weekend means it’s getting just a tad deep. Last winter was a pretty hard one for the deer herd judging by the lack of deer sighted throughout the year and it doesn’t seem like this winter is going to be any easier. We’ll be out this weekend to see what we can find roaming around the woods. The deer will be leaving earlier this year to yard up so I’m not expecting to find to many deer tracks in my hike. As the deer go so go the coyotes which won’t leave but a random fox track, some squirrels and an occasional grouse or two and the Snowshoe Hare to find. Don’t forget, if you go out bring along the MyNature Animal Track app with you. www.mynaturesite.com

Yesterday’s snowfall made for some good tracking today, part of the day anyway. I spent around two hours this morning trying to find some Cottontail tracks and struck out. I wouldn’t have minded if it were close to home but it was an hour each way to get to the some land I have permission to hike on. The area is perfect habitat for Cottontails, swampy lowland with thick, thick brush but they just weren’t on the move today. In fact I saw no tracks there at all of anything except two Whitetails. It was a disappointing outing on the one hand but anytime I get to spend outdoors alone is a great time.
I came back up to the mountains later in the day to look for Snowshoe Hare and got the needed track images of those with no problem and some Porcupine scat to boot. It really helps if you know what the animals preferred habitat is to find their tracks. Cottontail and Snowshoe Hare rarely overlap as Snowshoes prefer coniferous forests and Cottontails bottom lands with dense brush. Once you see the two tracks there is no mistaking the snowshoe for anything else. While their tracks are usually obscured the sheer size and shape give it away. So next time your out try to learn the habitat of different animals and that will give you some insight as to which animals track you may have found. If you get a minute check out our new app on the iPhone for tracking at www.mynaturesite.com