When you want to track an animal, it helps a lot to understand its habitat needs so you will know where to look for its tracks and sign. Some species, like raccoons, are true generalists and can be found almost … Continue reading →
Tracking the American marten (Martes americana) is much like tracking the fisher but in miniature. Like fishers (5 – 12 pounds), martens (1 – 3 pounds) wind through the forest, often from the base of one large tree or snag … Continue reading →
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are hardly ever the intended target species of my camera trapping endeavors because, as adaptable and abundant creatures, they show up almost anywhere, anyway. So, what I’ve learned about raccoon scent marking has been mostly (okay entirely) … Continue reading →
There have been only two studies of North American river otter vocalizations, both mentioning 12 different calls: the whine, chirp, grunt, blow, chatter, creek, squeak, scream, hiss, swish, hiccup, and whistle. You can see a description of each one in … Continue reading →
The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is one of my favorite animals to track in snow because it does a lot within a relatively short distance. It winds through the forest, often from from the base of one large tree to that … Continue reading →
A recent trail camera video I captured at an otter latrine got me to thinking about river otter winter adaptations. These animals do not wait out the cold months in hibernation. On the contrary, they are active and appear comfortable … Continue reading →
I’ve discussed moose feeding sign before but thought I’d share this video of a moose browsing in winter because it’s in color and gives another look at how these animals create the sign we trackers find in the field. Watch … Continue reading →
Like many other mammals, white-tailed deer use scent to communicate. They deposit secretions from glands on their heads, on their legs, and between their toes, and all of these are used in scent marking at deer scrapes, important communication spots … Continue reading →
In my last post about the badger (Taxidea taxus) I discussed badger dens and showed a video of the the various species using, or at least visiting, old badger digs, and we saw that a badger revisited some of the … Continue reading →
Last week I posted about an interesting encounter with an aggressive ruffed grouse. During that nearly hour long encounter, Bob and I got to see the bird consume grass seeds, partridge berries, and mushrooms. Watching animals eat and studying the … Continue reading →
