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Identifying Skunk Tracks

May 21, 2010 by 1 Comment

Most people have smelled a skunk,  there’s no mistaking the odor but would you recognize a skunk’s track if you saw one?  Skunks have five toes on both their fore and hind foot  they actually resemble a miniature bear track.  The front track will measure from 1 to just over 1 1/2 inches long and the hind track will be just a bit longer measuring around 1 3/4 to 2 inches long. They have long sharp claws for digging and the claws will almost always register in their tracks. Skunks most often utilize a pacing gait where all four feet will register in the trail they leave.  If you happen to come upon fresh tracks and follow them just remember to keep a safe distance if they lead you to their owner, skunks can spray up to 15 feet  and can spray very accurately up to 10 feet.

                                                                      Happy Tracking !!

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Tracking Tips

April 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment

 One of the best places to spend some time outdoors looking for tracks is a Beaver pond. Actually an old beaver pond which the dam has broke and left a flow is even better. Dams represent the edge in the forest, an edge is where two different ecosystems meet.  Wildlife are naturally drawn to the edge of an ecosystem and spend time feeding, bedding and hunting these areas. These edges are where the majority of animal sign can be found if you take the time to look. Elevated areas like rocks and logs  in or near the waters edge are great places to find scat left by Mink, Muskrat and Otters.

This scat left by a Muskrat is a territorial marker. You can see that there is both new and old scat where he constanly freshens this scent post. You might also find a latrine area where there are piles of different aged scat, these are usually found near their core area where they spend the majority of their time.

Sign left on the trails leading to an Edge area like a Beaver Pond are also good indicators of what animals are using the area.

     This Bobcat scat on the left was found just a few feet away from the dam itself. 

This scat on the right was left on one of the trails leading to the pond by a Black Bear.

One of the best spots to look for tracks on a active beaver pond is right on the dam itself. Dams serve as a kind of natural bridge for animals to cross on. Many times the top of the dam  consists of mud placed there by beavers to reinforce the structure.  Bears, Deer, Coyotes, Fox will all utilize the top of the dam to get from one side of the pond to the other and leave their tracks there for your identification. 

Next time your on an outing try to  find the Edge whether a beaver pond, mountain meadow, stream or agricultural field and you should have no problem finding animal sign.

                                                          Happy Tracking !!

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Spring Tracks

April 9, 2010 by 2 Comments

   The last of the winter snows have disappeared and along with them went the perfect canvas for animal tracks. As I bummed as I am to lose the good tracking snow I’m very happy Spring has arrived. Along with Spring comes  mud season which not as plentiful as snow still has the ability to capture a perfect crisp outline of the animal that passed through it. I recently scouted a farm field not far from here. The great thing about the agricultural fields south of here is that they consist primarily of clay and the next best thing to Spring mud is Spring clay. I’ll probably return there tomorrow if I get a chance and do a little plaster casting of some of the tracks if the rain holds off. The best way to approach finding tracks in farm fields is to just walk the edge, there really is no need to venture any further than 10 feet from the sides of the field to find tracks. In fact most animals will be doing the same thing, just cruising the edges. Any animal that ventures out of the bordering brush will definitely leave evidence of it’s passing as long as the clay or dirt is wet. Take for instance the Weasel Tracks I found, weighing in at just under a pound this one left a very distinct track.  

    Weasels have a heel pad that is easy to recognize once you know what your looking for.  The size of the track and placement of the feet also give it away.

Farm fields really offer one of the best places to find and identify tracks. Prey animals are attracted to the crops and the carnivorous animals follow the prey so there is an abundance of sign as long as you keep your eyes to the ground.

If you don’t personally know a farmer then just stop and ask for permission if you can walk the edges of their field to do some tracking, most won’t mind as long as your respectful of the property. It’s a great way to spend some time outdoors especially with the kids and what kid wouldn’t love traipsing through the mud?    Happy Tracking !!

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Sign

February 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment

A lot of time when your picking your way through the woods the only evidence you find of an animals presence may just be the sign they left. Animal sign can be anything from a pile of cone scales, rubbed trees, scratchings on the ground to scat as well as countless other markings left behind. I had a moment of brain freeze the other day on one of my outings when I came across 30 to 40 small piles of animal scat left around the base of a tree. Maybe it’s age catching up with me because for several short minutes I stood there looking for tracks as to whose scat this was, totally bewildered. It’s not that I didn’t know who left it or who’s scat it was after all I have seen this 100’s of times but for the life of me I couldn’t remember. I regained my composure and put the pieces of all the clues together, no tracks around, fresh and older scat in the same spot which meant the animal frequents here often and a large branch overhead.  Yes, it was a Turkey roost I had found. No tracks around meant what ever was visiting here flew in and perched on the overhead branch, the shape of the scat some in the tell tale “J” shape and the size of the piles were all pointing to Turkey.

I went on my way content in knowing that the onset of Alzheimer’s has started……..wait….. what was I writing about?  Oh yeah, Turkeys!! So I went on my way thinking there are probably a lot of people that come across sign like this and may not have a clue as to what animal left it. If you take a few minutes and study the area and the clues left you can usually narrow it down to 1 or 2 animals.  You don’t always need a track to identify an animal if you know the sign they leave and looking for animal sign can be just as rewarding as looking for the tracks they leave. The next time I have brain freeze I won’t get frustrated I’ll take it for what it is, a chance to discover things all over again.

Happy Tracking!!

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MyNature Press Release

January 15, 2010 by 1 Comment

MyNature Animal Tracks for iPhone – Only Track I.D. App on the Market – Published on 01/15/10

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MyNature Inc. today released MyNature Animal Tracks 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch users. This is the first app on the market that can identify animal tracks using smart phone technology. Users can learn about the animal whose tracks they’ve found, see images, listen to the sounds they make and even find out what animals may be in the area where they are. Using categorized track illustrations, users can match what they’ve found against the listings in MyNature Animal Tracks.

North Creek, NY – Announcing that MyNature Inc., the developers of MyNature Animal Tracks, are excited about launching the first and only app that can identify animal tracks using smart phone technology. Users can learn about the animal whose tracks they’ve found, see images, listen to the sounds they make and even find out what animals may be in the area where they are.

No other application can do what MyNature Animal Tracks does. It makes an educational experience fun in new way. Using categorized track illustrations, users can match what they’ve found against the listings in MyNature Animal Tracks. After that, they can listen to vocalizations, see photos and range maps, or read more to learn about the animal that left the track. The app can also alert users to which animals they may find in any area in North America. This is helpful for being informed of the locations of dangerous, as well as interesting species. A user can then keep an eye out for specific tracks to avoid or follow.

MyNature Animal Tracks also includes a place for making notes, which is particularly useful for those who enjoy ‘collecting’ tracks. Users will find tips in this app that guide them to finding tracks, making plaster casts and other valuable information that has been gathered by nature field guides.

Some of the MyNature Animal Tracks Features
* Searchable database on track size and shape featuring 7 search categories. For example 4 toes round in shape the Felid family, 4 toes oval to square in shape the Canid family, hooved tracks, tracks with 5 toes, tracks that are birdlike and much more
* Clearly illustrated track drawings showing both fore and hind prints with track measurements along with a description of the animal’s habitat and life cycle
* Illustrated images of each animal’s common gait as well as other gait patterns they may use
* Digital images of an actual track of each animal in the wild
* Range maps to reference an animal’s presence in your location
* Sound waves of each animal’s vocalizations
* Full color digital image of what the animal looks like in its natural environment
* Handy ruler to measure and aid in track identification
* MyNature journal, where you can personally record the tracks you’ve found along with the location, weather conditions or just your own personal thoughts about your day in the field
* Tips on finding tracks, plaster casting and much more

Currently, MyNature Animal Tracks covers all animals in North America, from the smallest creature to the largest. If the track belongs to an animal on this continent, it’s in the app waiting to be discovered by users. MyNature Animal Tracks is a fully-loaded, one of a kind app that’s great for kids and adults alike. It is the most fun a nature loving person can have while learning.

Device Requirements:
iPhone or iPod Touch 3.0 or later

Pricing and Availability:
MyNature Animal Tracks is only $6.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. Please specify the website or blog you represent when making your request.

MyNature Animal Tracks 1.0: http:/
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mynature-animal-tracks/id338980245?mt=8
Demonstration Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtkHPIs2GYQ
Media Assets: http://s900.photobucket.com/albums/ac205/mynatureinc/MyNature%20Animal%20Track%20App%20Screenshots/

MyNature Inc. is devoted to educating people about nature in a simple, easy to understand format. MyNature designs field guides that are functional and enjoyable to use. Copyright (C) 2010 Edward Turner & Mobile-App-Marketing-Makeover. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

###

Jeff Greco
Media Contact for MyNature Inc.

mynature@mynaturesite.com

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Squirrel, Cottontail or Snowshoe Hare?

January 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Even though it’s winter and animal tracks are everywhere to be found how do you know which track belongs to what animal? Squirrels and rabbits have an almost identical track pattern and to make it worse their toes usually aren’t distinguishable in the snow.  Most often you only see a group of 4 imprints that are merely oblong impressions. If you can remember a few different trail width sizes then you’ll be an expert in telling which of these three animals left the tracks you found.

Snowshoe Hares will always have the largest trail width averaging around 6 inches wide.  Once you have identified a Hares tracks you’ll never confuse them with any others. Another important thing to take notice of is where are the tracks. A Snowshoe will almost always be found in a coniferous forest.  I’ve seen them in the open of hardwoods, but there was always the cover of evergreens within site.

This set of tracks on the right are of a Cottontail Rabbit.  The trail width of a Cottontail is approximately 3 to 4 inches wide.  Their feet are much narrower than a Snowshoes but the gait pattern and track pattern are identical. Cottontail tracks will usually be found in brushy areas, the thicker the brush the better the habitat for Cottontails. They will also be found along hedgerows and agricultural fields. The length of the Cottontails hind track is approximately 3 to 3 1/2 long.

This set on the left is of a Red Squirrel. These tracks are more commonly confused with those of Cottontails. Red Squirrels as well as Gray Squirrels are more boxed shaped in the track pattern and are much smaller in length. Even though the trail width can be quite similar the rear track size will distinguish the two apart.  The rear print of a Gray Squirrel will usually be just under two inches long while a Red`Squirrels rear track will be approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.  Depending on how deep the snow powder is squirrel tracks can appear much larger than they actually are as more of the foot and leg tend to leave an imprint.

With that little bit of knowledge you should be able to tell these tracks apart on your next outing.  Happy Hiking!!


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Redtail Hawk 0, Snowshoe Hare 1

January 7, 2010 by 1 Comment

I was tracking a Snowshoe hare today and he turned out to be one tough rabbit. I came across a spot where he was attacked by an obviously hungry Redtail Hawk. I’m assuming it’s a redtail since I saw one in the area and the sign at the crime scene was as fresh as could be.

The spot of the first attack, they wrestled around here for a few minutes. The spot is trampled so much from the Hare escaping the clutch of the hawk several times.

The hawk drew some blood at this point in the attack.

Here is where the final attempt to catch the hare took place. The hawk did manage to get a talon full of hair but not a meal. I followed the tracks for 100 yards and with the exception of a few drops of blood the Hare was traveling at a normal gait. There was a lot of Coyote sign around so I’m sure they will be on his trail tonight.  He’ll probably do fine since he seems to be one tough Snowshoe!!

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iPhone and Animal Tracks

January 1, 2010 by 1 Comment

As the snow starts to pile up distinguishing individual tracks of larger animals can get a little tricky. Most tracks of heavier animals fill in with snow as one foot is lifted and the next in line pushes more into the imprint. Often times their trail  may just appear as a trough throw the snow obscuring most of the details. When this happens if your not lucky enough to find an identifiable print you need to look more at the animals gait pattern, trail width and stride.  Not all animals traveling gaits are the same, some are bounders, some are pacers and some are diagonal walkers. Learning their gait patterns will eliminate some possibilities of which animals tracks  your looking at.  Just as their gait is different so to is their trail width. Trail width is the measurement from the outside of  the left track to the outside of the right track. If you can distinguish in the deep snow the edges of the tracks then you have narrowed down your choices even further. The last measurement to help you out is the stride of the animal. The stride is the measurement from the back edge of one track to the back edge of the next same track. An Elk will have a larger stride than a Mule deer or Whitetail.

Just because the snow gets deeper doesn’t mean identification is impossible. Next time your out bring along the MyNature Animal Track app, everything you need to know about stride, trail width and gait patterns are just a push  button away. So pull on your long johns, strap on the snowshoes and hit the woods and see what’s living in your back yard.

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Otters on Your iPhone

December 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Yep!! there’s an app for that to. Whatever you wanted to know about an Otter or any other mammal is now on the iPhone. Learn  how to identify their tracks, about their habitat, listen to the sound they make and much more. The tracks below were made by an Otter and you can see the different gait patterns it uses to travel. Most often Otters will use a bounding gait where all four feet register close to one another and the track sets will be spaced one to two feet apart, it’s tail may not be show in it’s trail when bounding. Otters will also use a walking gait where each track registers seperately as in the picture below. The tail drag is a dead give away when walking.  You can look for other clues too as to which animal left a set of tracks. Does it go up a tree? does it go into the water?  what size are the feet and the trail width?  All the evidence left behind will point to which animals track you found.  Good luck on your next outing and don’t forget to pick up the MyNature Animal Track App on the way!

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Grouse Tracks

December 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment

It’s always interesting to see what stories are laid out in a set of animal tracks. This is an image of where a Grouse had been hiding in the cover of a fir tree and for whatever reason decided to leave the safety of it’s afternoon hideout. Of coarse it could have been eluding me but since I didn’t hear it take off I’m assuming it was something else that disturbed him. I always know when a grouse takes off because it just precludes the heart attack they usually give me. I’m not that jumpy of a person but for some reason, maybe because they usually wait until your right on top of them, grouse always startle the hell out of me.

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