Sign Language
Learn to interpret animal behavior from the clues they leave behind.
Several years ago, I had a very exciting experience while snowshoeing in Round Valley. It was the day after a big snowstorm, and I came across the sign of a very large animal, with tracks about four inches deep in the snow and about the size of my fist. And there was a two-inch-wide drag mark between the footprints—the sign of a long tail.
The tracks stopped where the animal had presumably stood “squared off,” suggesting a cautious look around. A bit further on, the animal had stopped on the ridge, and I could see from a dent in the snow where it had sat down. This indicated a studied pose, so I got my binoculars out and saw a small group of elk about 400 yards away in the scrub oak.
The large tracks I was following then made a line off the side of the ridge, angling downhill. I figured there was about to be some major action and decided not to intrude. By reading sign, I felt confident that this story had unfolded for me: a large mountain lion, having had to wait out a big snowstorm, was now hunting for his next meal. And it looked as though it would be elk steaks!
As in any good murder mystery, a person’s understanding of an unwitnessed wildlife event relies on collecting clues. And anyone can witness stories in the snow right here in our own town. Start with learning to recognize and differentiate among animal tracks (see examples above). Keep your senses attuned for signs of scat (fecal matter); tree and twig chew marks (beaver, rabbit, deer); tree rubs and ground scrapes (deer, cats); kills (bobcat, coyote, fox); sounds (a coyote’s yelp/bark, cat screams, deer and elk bleats); and compressed areas of thick brush that indicate resting places or secluded dens (moose, deer, elk, fox).
The next time you’re out and about, stop often and really look around. Discover as many clues as possible to identify and understand the happenings of our outdoor world. The rest of the story will come naturally to you.
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