The Magic Tracking Stick

Ever want to follow a trail in the woods? OK, probably not, but since I'm about to teach 7-9 year olds about life in the woods I need to find those trails. Without snow, tracking is difficult, but the magic tracking stick helps. This is a 3 foot long piece of 3/4" dowel with three small scrungis looped over it. You can place the stick next to a track's toe and slide the first scrungi down the dowel to the back of the track. This gives you the size of the track. Place the first scrungi on the inside edge of the track. Slide the second scrungi over to the inside edge of the track on the right, and you have the width of the animal. Now put the end of the dowel next to the toe of one track and slide the third scrungi back to the tip of the last track behind on the same side. This gives you the length of the stride.

A muddy spot on a trail will usually give you two or three tracks so setting up the stick is possible. The magic comes when you lose the trail. Put the last scrungi in the middle of the last track and lay the stick down in  the direction the animal was going. The top of the stick should land at the base of where the next track should be. There us might see a faint impression or some gravel out of place or something that would allow you to follow the trail. If the animal picks up speed or turns left or right, this might not work, but it might give you enough to pick up the trail even then.

While bird watching is all about seeing the bird. Unless you want to spend hours in a blind or tree stand watching mammals is all about invisible animals and visible signs. Recently I've "seen" long tailed weasels, squirrels, foxes, deer, rabbits, and probably coyotes. I've even found a spot where a squirrel ate an acorn and a predator ate a squirrel.  Nature is full of signs if you look hard enough.