Just Walking on By

Have you ever seen an odd track in the snow and wonder who wandered by? Tracks from familiar animals like deer, dogs, and cats can be easy to recognise but there are many other animals around whose tracks are harder to identify. If you're hiking or skiing in the mountains and see a trail made of of sets of two round tracks paired with two larger oval ones, you're looking at the tracks of a snowshoe hare. Their large hind feet function just like snowshoes to keep them from falling into the snow, hence their name.

More commonly in town, you may see medium-sized paw prints that look almost like a child's handprint. Those are the tracks of a raccoon, who have very long and dexterous fingers just like us.

Finally, if you are ever lucky enough to come across a line of paw prints set into what looks like a dragging trail, you may have come across badger tracks! Badgers are so low to the ground that their bellies drag in the snow when they walk. If the trail ends in a large dirt mound then a badger is very likely the culprit!

Interested in learning more about local wildlife? Visit the Resources section of the website!