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Learn to Detect Animal Sign

Many wild animals especially mammals are difficult to see in the field. Often they are active at night or at dawn and dusk and avoid humans. They do leave evidence of their presence and clues to their behavior behind in tracks, scat (feces), scrapes, scratches and other sign. Several excellent guides are available on reading animal sign including James Halfpenny and Elizabeth Biesiot, A Field Guide to Animal Tracking in North America; Olaus J. Murie, A Field Guide to Animal Tracks; Paul Rezendes, Tracking and the Art of Seeing.

Bear Print	Otter Print	Raccoon Print
Otter Scat	Bobcat Scat	Coyote Scat
Bobcat Tracks	Coyote Tracks	Panther Tracks

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