EarthTracks

I enjoy going out and exploring nature. Looking for unique tracks is always fun and worth the adventure. Currently I’m working in Missouri exploring the rivers by canoeing. This is a great method for spotting wildlife as well as studying the sign and tracks of river otter, beavers, mink, muskrat and other animals that live and work around water. Seeing the slides of otter for the river add a different perspective. Underneth bridges can reveal very fine soft sand and dirt that will allow tiny mouse tracks and bird tracks to show up with incredible detail. It also seems to be a good place for oppossum, raccoon, and anything crossingunder the roads. Sandy or dusty roads and trails is also a great place to spot tracks of deer, coyote, foxes and the occassional bobcat. We should not forget about ponds. Finding tracks of turtles, frogs and toads can add to your overall knowledge of tracking and naturalist studies.

Bridges, river, ponds, and dirt roads are great places for a beginner tracker as well as the experienced to start learning to identify and read tracks.

I had a great time in Austin. My presentation was well recieved on Thursday night. It was the first time I did my power point for so many people, as well as stand and speak into a microphone. I was glad to survive.

The tracking class on Saturday was a blast. We had a lot of scat left behind on the road, bobcat, deer, dog, coyote, and raccon. We also found several different kinds of tracks deer, coyote, bobcat, gray fox, dog, as well crow, killdeer, and sparrow just to name a few. Also found a really nice beaver (haul out) scent mound that several people took turns smelling. I also photographed a river otter track, but want more evidence to confirm it. I’ll post the picture soon.

I’m looking forward to another trip to Austin.

I’m heading to Austin Texas this week to do share tracking with the Travis Audubon Society. I’m looking forward to hanging out with these incredible people.

My good friend and tracker Kendra Bauer is finishing up her studies (PHD) at the University of Texas. I meet Kendra several years ago while working on a wildlife project for Texas A&M. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the art and science of tracking with her. Here is a link to her website. If you don’t know what a Tapir is you can find out here.

http://www.savetapirs.org./

Tracking is like dancing, because your body is happy. It is telling you the hunting will be good. You feel it in the dance. It tells you. When you are tracking, and dancing, you are talking with God.       from the Great Dance

In the wilderness we hear the voice of God. If we destroy the wilderness the voice of God will die and we also.  Ingwe

“We will be known by the tracks we leave behind.”      Dakota proverb