Tracking

[Lone Ranger]

Greetings, new member here. I've been studying and observing tracks here in Southern NH for a few years, anyone else share this interest? I wish I had more time for it but home and work life keep me tied down. Most of the time I spend on it now is with my nose in a book. Anyone have any interest in a monthly tracking get together maybe somewhere in the Manchester area?

 

[stixnstones]

yes, actually

I have done some tracking in the past. I'm interested mostly in deer and rabbits but also include squirrels, turkeys, grouse and mink. Rabbits especially after snowfall. When I can get out.

One cool tracking trek led to a set of grouse prints and took me across slush. The bird tracks intersected with those of a fox or coyote and ended with wing impressions in the slush. It told an interesting story.

I once tracked a doe to its carcass (looked like a coyote kill. It was freshly eviscerated.)

Once I came across an otter "slide" through the snow. Cool!

However, I haven't had much time to practice in a few years.

 

[Roadblock]

After a bear raided my camground in scouts and ate one of those big cans of instant coffee as well as a container of dish soap (everything else was in a bear bag) I tracked its footprints and found out that after not-very-long the dish soap started to "upset" the bear. Even though it meant no morning coffee- I felt bad for the bear; he/she was clearly VERY "upset"...so much so I could ignore tracks and just follow the trail...