Animal Track Hunt

What you need

• A field guide to animal tracks or a downloaded offline app (iNaturalist, Wildlife ID)
• A pencil and small notebook to sketch finds
• Optional: a ruler for measuring print size

How to play

1. 1.Head to a soft-ground area: muddy trail edges, sandy creek banks, or dusty clearings hold prints best.
2. 2.Move slowly and scan along the edge of any wet or soft patch.
3. 3.When you find a track, measure it and sketch it. Note: how many toes? Claw marks? Size of the print?
4. 4.Use the guide to make a best guess at the species. Check stride pattern (hopping vs. walking) for confirmation.
5. 5.List every species found. A deer, raccoon, and dog track count as three separate discoveries.

What success looks like

Most unique species identified wins.

Variations

• Track cast: mix plaster of Paris with water and pour into a clear print for a permanent cast.
• Night check: revisit a muddy spot at night with red headlamps - nocturnal animals leave overnight prints.
• Photo catalog: photograph each print next to a coin for scale and create a camp field guide.

Safety notes

• Do not follow tracks off-trail into dense vegetation.
• Fresh bear, mountain lion, or wolf tracks mean the animal is nearby - leave immediately and tell a camp host.