Featured Photo: A Pacific Marten (Martes caurina) in a 2×2 lope abruptly turns to go a different direction. October 28, 2025, near Cinnamon Butte, Oregon.
Snowfall brings a special kind of tracking opportunity. When hills, forests, meadows and roads–whole landscapes–are blanketed with snow, tracks can go on for many yards or miles. In addition, the relative abundance of tracks in a snowy landscape gives many opportunities to see how tracks from one animal can change in different types of snow and with exposure over time. This post synthesizes observations, experiences and lessons from snow tracking excursions in the Cascades of eastern Douglas County, Oregon, 2019-2025. Not all species that could leave tracks or sign in snow in the Cascades or Umpqua Basin were observed during these outings, but most common species were observed. Let’s take a look at this region, habitat, and its inhabitants together.
The area considered here is in eastern Douglas County in southwest Oregon, from the Cascades summit to about 20 miles west near Toketee Lake. The vast majority of this area is managed by the Umpqua National Forest, and ranges from about 2,500 ft to 7000 ft elevation, with a few higher peaks. I sometimes refer to the High Cascades, which are areas usually 4,000 ft elevation and higher and mostly within about 10 miles of the summit, though some ridges extend farther west. Prominent areas with access include Toketee Lake (2,431 ft), Lemolo Lake (4,150 ft), Cinnamon Butte Road (4,850 to 6,300 ft), and Diamond Lake (5,183 ft). The highest peak is Mount Thielsen on the east side of Diamond Lake at 9,184 ft.
The entire area is dominated by conifer forest with many rivers and streams, scattered lakes and meadows, large burned areas and open areas above timberline. Dominant forest types include Douglas-fir at the lowest elevation, then some patches of true-fir (Abies sp.), large swaths of lodgepole pine, and mountain hemlock at the highest forested elevations.
THE SNOW SEASON
Snow can occur any month of the year in the High Cascades of Oregon, but lasting snows usually become more regular in mid- to late October when cooler temperatures and cloudier days hold snow on the ground longer. Early on, shallow snow depths make for relatively easy access by vehicle and foot for many areas. As temperatures cool to near or below freezing, successive snow events begin to layer snow upon snow. In the higher forested areas of eastern Douglas County, peak snow depths in February to March are typically in the range of 4-8 feet. Snow depths can increase and decrease at any time with fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, sunshine and wind. As spring approaches, temperatures and daylight duration slowly increase bringing warmer rains and more sunshine. By April and May the snow begins losing its grip, but some off-highway roads remain closed through May and even June or July at the highest elevations.
SNOW CONDITIONS
Myriad weather conditions and sequences during snow season create many different types of snow substrates. In general, colder clearer weather results in lighter, fluffier snow, while relatively warmer and cloudy weather produces heavier, wetter snowfall. Snow melt (or rain) or solar warming and then freezing can produce hard ice crusts on top of the snow. Repeated snowfall during very cold conditions can produce deep powdery snow. Many combinations of these conditions over time can produce a wide variety of conditions and layers of snow that respond differently to animals traveling across the surface or trying to burrow. For example, a warm spell can melt snow of any type and re-freeze. Soft powdery snow can fall on top of crusty ice. In addition, things like forest canopy and topographic aspect can affect snow conditions. Forest canopies capture snow, reducing the amount that reaches the ground, whereas nearby open areas receive the full amount of snowfall. Snow out in the open can be more affected by wind and sun but be relatively clean and smooth, uncluttered to the eye, whereas snow under the forest canopy is more protected from sun and wind and experiences debris fall in the form of snow clumps, needles, twigs, and branches, cluttering the snow surface. In powdery snow, wind can reduce snow depths in one area and increase it in another. The variations are endless. Digging down through the snow can give some insight into the sequence of layers.
HOW SNOW CONDITIONS AFFECT ANIMAL TRAVEL AND TRACKS
An infinite variety of snow conditions and animal behavior results in infinite variability in tracks, as in all substrates. Here I just give a taste for this variation with a few examples. Animals travel differently and use different gaits in different snow conditions. For example, on a hard crust or packed snow their mode of travel may be very similar to that on solid ground, such as a coyote using a side trot or a marten using a 3×4 lope. However, in somewhat deeper, softer snow, the coyote may resort to a direct register walk and the marten to a 2×2 lope, putting the rear feet in the holes made by the front feet. And both may resort to a bound or even plowing in the deepest, fluffiest snow. Similarly, animals that often travel in an overstep walk such as bear or mountain lion, will resort to direct register in typical snow conditions to save energy, again putting hind feet in the holes made by the front feet. The list could go on forever, but I think you get the idea. When you observe tracks in the snow, see if you can determine how the animal is moving and how the snow conditions affect its travel!
TRACKS IN THE SNOW FROM LITTLE TO BIG
Following are short narratives and photos of most wildlife species tracks and sign I’ve encountered while snow tracking in the Cascades of eastern Douglas County from 2019 to 2025. These are all from easily accessible areas on public land and either right next to a road or at most two miles of snowshoeing from my pickup. I do not have a snowmobile, which would considerably extend my reach. I have ordered these notes and accompanying photos roughly from the smallest to the largest animals. While I do mention certain features that identify some of the tracks to species, I do not go into comprehensive detail in the narratives or image captions. I recommend obtaining one or more good tracking books or apps to help you learn how to recognize tracks of different species and use compilations such as this as good ground for practice! And if you find something you think I got wrong, please share your thoughts in the comments so we can all learn!
Shrews, Voles, and Mice
I decided to group these smallest of terrestrial mammals together because, while each group has certain tracks and/or sign that are distinctive, there are also many tracks/sign that are currently ambiguous as to species for me and for many trackers. More local work needs to be done to understand tracks and sign of these species. In this section I treat known or possible tracks/sign of each group separately and end with some that I am uncertain about. If you have some insight into the creators of these tracks, please make a note in the comments.
Shrews
Shrews are the smallest terrestrial mammals in the Pacific Northwest. They are tiny and active all year as they hunt day and night for arthropods, gastropods, and even small vertebrates. When I have seen shrews on the forest floor outside of snow season, they were either traveling rather rapidly across the surface in a fast trot with occasional bounds and leaps, or more often making their way under surface debris such as leaves, needles, bark and small twigs as they searched for food. I have not yet, to my knowledge, found shrew tracks in the snow. I did find what I initially interpreted as a possible snow tunnel of a shrew based on the diameter of the tunnel being a max of 3/4 of an inch. I could fit my index finger only up to the second knuckle. Shrews seem quite at home pushing their way underneath things, so a tunnel such as this does not surprise me. However, I later wondered if this could be just a very small vole, perhaps a Red-backed Vole (Clethrionomys sp.). Let me know what you think.
Deer Mouse
The Deer Mouse is one of the most widespread and familiar of our mice. Like voles, Deer Mice spend plenty of time under cover, but commonly travel and forage on the surface, typically by jumping (bounding) from one location to another, then slow walking to look for food. When escaping a perceived threat, they can bound quite far. Deer Mouse and vole tracks in snow can show a variety of presentations, some of which are quite distinct and some of which are quite similar. For example, in the photo set below, I have included some tracks that I’m pretty sure are Deer Mouse, due to the fairly long bounding distances.
Voles
In the eastern Douglas County Cascades there are potentially three genera of voles comprising 3 or more species: Microtus, Arborimus, and Clethrionomys. Ground-dwelling voles commonly make tunnels, canals, and pathways in soil and vegetation, under bark and logs and do the same in snow. Therefore, when I see snow plowed and pushed out of the way to make holes or grooves in the snow, I’m pretty certain these are from a vole.
Mouse or Vole or Shrew?
The following track/trail images are ones that I am uncertain about. I think I will need to set up some trail cameras to be more certain of the maker of these tracks. I have some specific questions related to these mystery tracks and trails. In bounding track sets, is the pattern of having front feet closer to each other than the back feet specific to Deer Mice, or do voles and/or shrews do this as well? Do Deer Mice always have differently spaced front and hind tracks or are they sometimes evenly spaced? Do shrews, voles, and Deer Mice all show tail drag in different situations? What are those situations? If you have some knowledge that would help me and others learn about the makers of these tracks, please put a note in the comments!
Dark-eyed Junco
Juncos are one of the few ground-foraging birds that linger in fall at high elevations here as the snows begin to settle in and sometimes a tiny few remain throughout winter in areas where they can access open ground. They are small birds and their feet are small. They typically hop while they are foraging or moving casually across the snow so their tracks are usually in pairs, but they can also skip and run quickly on occasion. Sometimes long hops can resemble Deer Mouse tracks, but closer inspection will reveal the bird foot shape including the rear toe. Varied Thrushes (not pictured) are also often in forests with some or a lot of snow. Their tracks are substantially larger. Steller’s Jays, Canada Jays, and Clark’s Nutcracker (not pictured) are present all winter in snow areas and show the characteristic Corvid offset of the front middle tow (toe 3), similar to a raven (pictured later) but smaller.
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sap flow and sapsuckers become rare to nonexistent in winter in the High Cascades of Oregon. Most sapsuckers move south or lower in elevation during the cold months. Nevertheless, one may still encounter their sap wells created and used during warmer months of the year, and a sapsucker may be encountered in person early or late in the season.
Black-backed Woodpecker
This species, and the less common American Three-toed Woodpecker, are present and active all winter in the High Cascades. They rarely make substantial holes in wood while feeding like the Hairy Woodpecker and especially the Pileated Woodpecker. Rather, they typically flake off the outer bark until they pinpoint their final small access hole from which they pull out a small beetle larva. This is most commonly seen on lodgepole pine, but they can feed on any tree species. Hairy Woodpeckers also flake bark but usually end up making a few small pits into the wood. Timing of the last snow and presence of wood chips on the snow can indicate how recent the activity occurred.
Chipmunk
At high elevations, chipmunks spend the coldest part of winter (about four months most winters in this area) in and out of torpor, foraging now and then on stored food, and thus are not running around on the snow most of the winter. However, you can find their tracks, and the chipmunks themselves, when early season snows begin and again in early spring as things begin to warm up. At least four species of chipmunk have been recorded in the high elevations of eastern Douglas County and they are very difficult to identify so I will just treat them as “chipmunks.” I think I will also mention here that the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is also present in these areas but tends to go underground in fall even before the chipmunks and emerge later in spring, but it would be possible to find ground squirrel tracks in very early winter or early spring snows. I wouldn’t expect them in the middle of winter.
Long-tailed and Short-tailed Weasels
Thus far I have only twice found the tracks/trail of one of these small weasels in the snow. Both times they appeared quite small so I am guessing they are the Short-tailed Weasel (aka American Ermine). The foot impressions are roughly the size of a chipmunk, quite small, but their lope/bound pattern is distinct with only two diagonally oriented impressions being left for each leap. And in a bit softer/deeper snow there is often a drag mark between two sets, looking somewhat like a “dog bone.” Some people call these a lope and some call them a bound. What do you call them and why?
Douglas’s Squirrel
This species is one of the most common mammals active in winter in the High Cascades in this area and thus their tracks are some of the most common ones encountered. They mostly travel in a bound like the mice and chipmunks, but with impressions and trail widths being larger. As with the other rodents and rabbits/hares, in a bounding trail it is the wider-spaced and larger impressions of the rear feet that are in the direction of travel. This can switch if the animal is staying stationary for a moment rather than bounding, or even just moving much more slowly. You will notice this in some of the images below. Douglas’s Squirrels, also called Chickarees, make a variety of sounds, some of which are thought by many hearing them to be some type of bird.
The track set below initially recalled a cottontail to me, with the paired hinds and offset fronts. However, upon closer examination, I could see 4 toes (1-2-1 pattern) and the proximal pads on the front feet, and 5 toes (1-3-1 pattern) on the hind feet. Therefore, I’ve concluded that these show a “rabbit-like” bound of the Douglas’s Squirrel. I have heard of this pattern but this is the first time I have seen it.
The following set of photos shows some small diameter down conifer trees or limbs that have been stripped of flaky bark by a squirrel. Both Douglas’s Squirrel and Western Gray Squirrel do this, but the diameters on many of these stripped twigs are smaller than I am used to with Western Gray Squirrels so I am putting it here in the Douglas’s Squirrel section, but I could be wrong. Note that this sign is different than that of foraging sign by rabbits or hares because only the thin flaky bark has been collected, the cambium and surface of adjacent wood has not been scraped (no incisor marks).
Pocket Gopher
I suspect most pocket gophers in this area are the Western Pocket Gopher, but it is possible that Northern Pocket Gophers are present as well. During winter, pocket gophers are active under the snow and rarely make an appearance at the surface. Their “eskers” (soil-filled tunnels under and through the snow) are revealed upon snow melt. Following are a couple photos of the only evidence I have encountered that I thought was pocket gopher during the winter. It is a collapsed (melted) tunnel that seems much too large for a vole, or even a mole. This was visible because at this time and place the snow was only about 2 inches deep. Later in winter when the snow is deeper, such a tunnel would not be visible.
Pileated Woodpecker
This, the largest extant woodpecker in North America, forages all year round including all winter in the High Cascades. Some of their foraging efforts can be small and be similar to that of the Hairy Woodpecker, but their most distinctive foraging sign are large rectangular oval excavations on standing and down trees. Sometimes these excavations end up converging and covering many square feet of a dead or partly dead tree. As with other woodpeckers, timing of the last snow and presence of wood chips on the snow can indicate how recent the activity was.
Ruffed and Sooty Grouse
Both of these species of grouse occur in the High Cascades and I have not yet watched either species make tracks in the snow. Nor do I have a reference for foot or track measurements for Sooty Grouse. I assume Sooty Grouse tracks are larger than Ruffed Grouse tracks because the birds themselves are larger. But let me know if you have some actual data or can ID these tracks with certainty.
Western Gray Squirrel
This is our largest species of tree squirrel in the Pacific Northwest, where it primarily occurs at moderate and low elevations. Very small numbers enter high elevation mountains via river corridors and occupy nearby slopes as well. Tracks and trails of this large squirrel are similar to the Douglas’s Squirrel but larger. Track and trail photos are below, but you might also review the photos of bark stripping sign that I put under Douglas’s Squirrel, which are basically identical to those of the Western Gray Squirrel, but I speculate on average might less often include the thinner twigs.
Common Raven
Ravens are present throughout the High Cascades. They commonly loiter around or patrol human concentration areas such as roads, sno-parks, resorts and such to scavenge road-killed animals or dropped food items, but presumably forage on scraps from predator kills as well. The vocalizations of this wise landscape monitor can read like a newspaper or Facebook feed for anyone who knows what they are saying. Crows, which are smaller, do not occur in the High Cascades, especially in winter.
Striped Skunk
This adaptable species occurs at least up to the western edges of the High Cascades, but may be absent at higher elevations. They typically travel in a lope. I have not yet seen them or their tracks near the lodges at Lemolo or Diamond Lakes, but wouldn’t be surprised to find them there. A trailcam watching a hollow log a couple miles from Toketee Lake revealed that a Striped Skunk was denning there. I wouldn’t be surprised to find Western Spotted Skunks in the area but have not found their tracks yet.
Snowshoe Hare
Second only to Douglas’s Squirrel, Snowshoe Hare tracks are one of the most commonly encountered snow tracks in eastern Douglas County. In some areas they are more common than Douglas’s Squirrel tracks. They are quite distinctive in their typical bounding pattern, with two smaller front feet landing offset from one another and then the larger hind feet swinging past and landing even with each other in a wider placement. The arrangement of the four feet as well as the noticeably different sized front and rear feet make for a very recognizable track set. There are exceptions of course, depending on substrate, but that’s par for the course.
Pacific Marten
This is the largest of the relatively common mustelids (“weasels”) in the area. As with many species the gait and resulting track pattern of this species changes with changing snow conditions. On a hard crust, the marten travels with a 3×4 lope, as do other mustelids. In most common snow conditions, however, the marten travels in a 2×2 lope, where the hind feet land in the depressions of the front feet, thus making what looks like only two diagonally oriented tracks repeated at intervals. In the deepest and softest snow the marten, like many species, resorts to bounding or jumping to get anywhere and sometimes will even push under the snow in such conditions. Martens also climb trees and run along logs so look for those behaviors in the snow.
Red Fox
Red Foxes occur throughout much of the area. Their general track patterns and shape are similar to Coyote but smaller and usually with less definition due to their heavily furred feet. An ongoing study of the Sierra Nevada Red Fox in the Oregon Cascades continues to document their presence and examine their genetics. Genetic mixing has been documented between the “pure” Sierra Nevada Red Fox and the historically introduced (from Europe) fur trade foxes present at lower elevations. Gray Fox could conceivably occur here, but in general I think they don’t occur at these higher elevations.
Bobcat
Sometimes I wonder if there is anywhere that Bobcats don’t exist. While they are very stealthy and rarely seen, they are quite widespread in the Pacific Northwest. As with their larger relative, the Mountain Lion, they typically travel in a casual walking gait. On hard ground or snow crust they may walk with a slight overstep but in even small amounts of snow they resort to a direct register where the rear feet are placed exactly over the print of the front foot. Their prints in general are more round versus the oval of a fox or coyote. Again, like the Mountain Lion, clear Bobcat prints show an asymmetrical toe arrangement with a leading toe, and a relatively large palm pad with three lobes on the back. In the event you are tracking in the vicinity of a lot of people or dwellings where house cats might be present, adult Bobcat tracks have a pad that is wider than one inch whereas domestic cats have pads distinctly less than 1 inch wide.
Coyote
Coyotes occur in most or all habitats in Oregon, including these high elevation landscapes. They are such adaptable animals. Similar species at these high elevations include Red Fox and domestic dog. We’ve already looked at some Red Fox tracks, so perhaps you can already see the similarities and differences. One of the first things I notice at a coarse scale is it seems that Coyotes sink deeper in the snow than foxes in the same snow condition. This makes sense, given the greater weight of the Coyote. Next is the greater definition in the prints. As you can see in the images below, the toes, claws, and meta pad are are quite well defined. Other things to notice is that the toes look larger or more full, probably because they have less fur (though they can have substantial fur) among their toes. I have also noticed a great range of sizes in both Red Foxes and Coyotes, both in direct sightings of the animals as well as in prints. There is definitely overlap in print size, with 2.5 inches being the approximate center of overlap in this area and the overlap zone commonly being 0.25 inches either side.
Regarding domestic dogs, some breeds do come rather close to matching a Coyote, however, some consistent differences are that domestic dogs usually have thicker nails, wider placement of toes and rounder meta pads. Also, in my experience domestic dogs are not as consistent to direct register in the snow, but again there are more efficient breeds and more “goofy” breeds (my technical term).
Domestic Dog
It surprises many people that domestic dogs and/or their tracks can be found in very remote areas and thus when one sees canine tracks domestic dog cannot be eliminated by location alone. Other features such as the tightness and orientation of the toes, thickness and orientation of nails, and sometimes the trail pattern can be used to eliminate domestic dog. In general wild canines have a tighter configuration of toes that point more forward than domestic dog. Nails are generally thinner and point forward or even inward. Finally, wild canines when traveling tend to have a relatively consistent gait appropriate for the terrain and substrate. The trouble is, wild canine tracks and trails sometimes sometimes exhibit characteristics more typical of domestic dogs and some domestic dogs sometimes exhibit characteristics of wild canines. It is most useful to put together all clues to make an assessment. I am not going to delve into further detail on discerning wild and domestic canines in this post as a complete treatise would require a post on its own. Some example domestic dog prints are below. Looking through my photos I discovered I have not taken photographs of domestic dog trails, so I will have to add that at some future date.
American Beaver
I haven’t yet run across beaver tracks in the snow in this area–it’s all a matter of timing–but I have run across some beaver chews and trails in a snowy area. One of these days I’ll hit the timing right.
Deer
Deer generally move to lower elevations as the snow deepens at high elevations so they are able to find food to eat in areas of shallow or intermittent snow. Sometimes they are also able to find food in areas with tall, heavy conifer canopy which intercepts more snow and provides downfall of lichen-covered branches. This is the same with elk, but elk are able to manage in somewhat deeper snow. Deer sign can include tracks, scat, nipped buds or leaves and pawing the ground to access food items. All the deer at high elevations here are Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). I have seen Rocky Mountain Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) in this area in summer, but not yet in winter.
Mountain Lion
This largest cat of North America occurs throughout this area, though I suspect it is relatively sparse at the highest elevations in winter where deer are sparse or absent. Keeping an eye out in areas with clear deer sign is probably the best way to locate lion tracks in the snow. Their usual gait is a steady walk, with spacing not much different than deer in the snow, but the feet of the lion of course make large round impressions versus the narrow holes of deer. In fact, it is not uncommon to find lions following deer trails and in the photos below I included one that shows a lion impression over a deer print. I have included two sets of images. The first set is primarily of lion trails without closeup views of individual prints. They all show a pretty consistent direct register walking gait, which is what would be expected in this depth of snow. Distance from one foot hole to the next is approximately 20-24 inches most of the time, which is common for a large adult Mountain Lion. The second set of images focuses on a few footprints that were discernible in the snow.
This next set of photos show a few Mountain Lion footprints in the snow. None were very recent or clear, but on some of them I think you will be able to see key features such as asymmetrical toe arrangement and large meta pad.
Black Bear
Black Bears at high elevations likely den and become dormant for several of the coldest months when the snow is deepest, but early and late snows will show their presence. When foot holes in the snow are the only thing visible (e.g. no detailed prints) bear trails can look something like a Mountain Lion trail or even a human walking trail because of the larger foot holes and zig zag of the steps. However, an average-sized bear usually makes walking holes/impressions that are between lions and humans in size.
Roosevelt Elk
As with deer, elk tend to move to lower elevations or areas with a denser tree canopy to find food, but are able to survive in deeper snow than deer. In years of little snowfall, elk and deer may be present more throughout the area. Elk tend to travel in groups more than the Columbian Black-tailed Deer present on the west side of the Cascades, so sometimes when elk tracks are found there are tracks from a number of animals. The tracks are of course much larger than those of deer and make strong impressions in the snow.
ADDITIONAL SPECIES
There are over a dozen species whose tracks one might encounter in the snow in the High Cascades but whose tracks or sign I have not yet encountered in the snow in this area. Some I have encountered outside of the snow season. Others I have not detected at all but should be present. The hibernating species I would only expect early or late in the season, if at all. Tracks and sign of the others I hope to encounter at some point.
Shrews (at least two species present in area)
Jumping Mice (hibernator)
Several bird species (especially hawks, owls, jays, and woodpeckers)
Coast Mole (possible but unlikely or rare in area)
Humbolt’s Flying Squirrel (detected in area outside of snow season)
Belding’s Ground Squirrel (hibernator)
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (hibernator)
Western Spotted Skunk (likely present at lower elevations)
Douglas’s Ground Squirrel (hibernator and edge of range)
Muskrat (possible, though I’m not aware of observations in the area)
Porcupine (I would expect them to be present but no records)
Yellow-bellied Marmot (hibernator and edge of range)
Virginia Opossum (detected outside of snow season, rare in area)
Badger (rare, documented near Diamond Lake in snow)
North American River Otter (present in area)
Wolverine (likely present at least occasionally)
Gray Wolf (this area is the home range of the Indigo pack; I have camera trap images and probable scat)
I hope this gives you some ideas of what to look for the next time you are up in the snow in the Cascades of eastern Douglas County and elsewhere. Most of these observations were made in the vicinity of Toketee Lake, Lemolo Lake, Cinnamon Butte Road, or Diamond Lake, all accessible from the North Umpqua Highway (Hwy 138). Let me know if you have any questions or would like to join me for some tracking or other outdoor adventures. For more wildlife images, fieldnotes and tracking content see my Umpqua Basin Wildlife facebook page and other blog posts. Enjoy!–Matt
This Post Has 12 Comments
Very interesting stuff, Matt! Your work really pushes me to want to be more inquisitive myself about the natural world, and not just pass by without closer examination. Last month Mary signed us up for a mushroom hunt. Olivia joined us too and we had a great time exploring and learning about fascinating phenomenon and facets of nature that I have rarely given any attention to before. Because it has always been difficult for my mind to recall exact names and facts, I have mostly settled with a very general understanding of things. I.E.: large animal tracks verse small animal tracks. In fact, it doesn’t even enter my mind to think about what a particular animal may have been accomplishing while moving through the snow, or digging holes, or chewing on a tree branch. That’s just what they do! But life is truly more spectacular when you get down to brass tacks and appreciate the interplay and patterns of God’s creation, even when the only thing before our eyes is clues from the past, or tracks in the snow.
I did recognize the slightly smaller snow shoe size difference of a Lisa. 😉 Perhaps I can coaxs my bride to join me in exploring in the snow this winter as well. 🙂
Not being familiar with winter tracking (or any tracking), the first thing that came to my mind was “Boy! It must be REALLY COLD!”
Even being unfamiliar with tracking of all types, I am impressed at how you can guess the animal/bird that made those tracks.
Good Job Matt!
I am really impressed!!!
It takes a lot of experience to become familiar with their tracks an habits and you’ll notice that I have a LOT of questions!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Not being familiar with wildlife tracking, (I live in a very warm climate) the first thing I thought of was “My! it must be REALLY COLD!!! ”
I can only imagine what those birds and animals look like. and how they must labor on a daily basis just to find something to eat and to continue living!
GOOD JOB MATT!!
Thanks Matt! I will be taking more photos of tracks next time I get in the snow! What fun and really interesting!
Amazing amount of information. My only suggestion would be to add an index or a search function so a person would be able to seek out a specific plant or animal with out looking through the whole post
Hey Jim! Good to hear from you! Yes, it is a LOT of information, isn’t it!? For me it is more like a reference piece versus a short blog post. To search, from a computer browser menu, go to Edit, then Find in page. The shortcut for this is usually CTRL+F. I haven’t tried to do this from a cell phone.
This is great work Matt! Have you ever seen great horned owl tracks (and wing marks) in the snow?
Hi Dick! I have not seen GHOW tracks or plunges in the snow in person. I’ve just seen others’ photographs. I’m looking forward to the experience! I have seen GHOW tracks in mud.
Matt your powers of observation are phenomenal! Thank you for sharing this info with us.
Matt,
Thanks for this. It’s super-informative and fun. It just snowed here in La Grande, so tomorrow I can go out to the feeders and check out some bird prints. well-done!
Very interesting.