ISPT Tracking Gathering 2003
Don't miss out . Coming up October 17-19 at Bear Creek PA

We will have trackers of all varieties, skill sets,
and skill levels together in one place.

Come and enjoy each others presence and
share the love of tracking that we all have.

We are indebted to some great Presenters that are coming in for the
weekend.

We have room for all. Stay all weekend or come in just for the day.

We have special day rates.

Information can be gotten in the "Files" section to the left of the
yahoo page, at  www.ispt.org, or email Del Morris at del903@...



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I was wondering if any one might know if their is a way to tell if 2
trackways were formed at nearly the same time. I know that if a track
is on top of another or less eroded it must be newer but when 2
trackways have nearly the same amount of erosion is their any way to
tell if they were made with in a short time of one another, a group
of animals, or predator chasing prey, or if they were put there far
enough apart that their was no interaction between the track makers.

I've just joined.  I'm not necessarily a tracker, but think it might be
interesting to take up...as I like to hike.
Teena
Annapolis, MD
http://profiles.yahoo.com/teena_byrd

_________________________________________________________________
Cheer a special someone with a fun Halloween eCard from American Greetings!
Go to  http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/index_msn.pd?source=msne134

Hi Teena,

Tracking will definitely enhance your hikes as you will be able to tell what
animals have been around before you came by. And there is always more to learn
about tracking. One never masters it all. That's what keeps it fresh and
interesting and so fascinating to us.

Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Teena Byrd
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 1:50 AM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] New Member


   I've just joined.  I'm not necessarily a tracker, but think it might be
   interesting to take up...as I like to hike.
   Teena
   Annapolis, MD
   http://profiles.yahoo.com/teena_byrd

   _________________________________________________________________
   Cheer a special someone with a fun Halloween eCard from American Greetings!
   Go to  http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/index_msn.pd?source=msne134


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The best way to tell is try a few tests. You can step next to a track or press
your finger into the ground to make a "track." Then look to see if you can find
any aging characteristics. Rounded edges of the track, moisture content of the
soil, etc. Keep track of the weather so you will be able to age tracks based on
whether they wer emade before or after a rain, etc. Aging is something that
takes practice. There really is no other way to learn it. Hope that helps.
Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: iratevelociraptor
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 10:48 PM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] how do you tell if tracks formed at same time.


   I was wondering if any one might know if their is a way to tell if 2
   trackways were formed at nearly the same time. I know that if a track
   is on top of another or less eroded it must be newer but when 2
   trackways have nearly the same amount of erosion is their any way to
   tell if they were made with in a short time of one another, a group
   of animals, or predator chasing prey, or if they were put there far
   enough apart that their was no interaction between the track makers.




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sounds like River Otter-- I track 'em in MA also

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "daniel_anthony_stearns"
<daniel_anthony_stearns@y...> wrote:
> Last Saturday while I was out hiking with my young son near our
home
> in East Sandwich, Massachusetts we came across something I was
> wondering if someone could help us identify.
>
> It was a single continuos depression in the snow that we followed
for
> quite a long way through dense brush, over logs, across a pine
grove
> and finally into (or perhaps alongside) a salt marsh.
>
> What the track looked like was some animal dragging its belly (or
> tail or something) so that it covered up any sign of its
footprints.
> All that was left was a smooth 8 to 10-inch wide swath that was
about
> 1 inch deep at the sides and slightly deeper towards the middle--
> think big snake without the undulation. The track looked to be no
> more than a day old.
>
> Any idea what this might've been?

Mark Elbroch's new tracking book provides a wealth of tracking
info., species covered are many, and the sheer research involved is
quite impressive!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/0811726266/ref=pd_sim_art_elt/103-8296635-9484632?v=glance

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "hylaversicolor2002"
<wilsontk@c...> wrote:
> Mark Elbroch's new tracking book provides a wealth of tracking
> info., species covered are many, and the sheer research involved
is
> quite impressive!
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
> /0811726266/ref=pd_sim_art_elt/103-8296635-9484632?v=glance

Search for this title; my link didn't work

Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species
by Mark Elbroch

Hello all,

My name is Bill Eaker and I live in Northwestern Illinois.  I am a
5th grade teacher and love the outdoors.  My hobbies include
kayaking, flintknapping, hiking and just about everything to do with
nature.  I have always been interested in tracking and have recently
began to study it seriously.  I incorporate tracks and tracking into
my curriculum with my students and they absolutely love it.  I would
also like to thank you for letting me join the group and look forward
to getting to know everyone and learn from your expertise.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Welcome to the group. I would be interested in hearing how you incorporate
tracks and tracking into curriculum. Do you think it would work for high school
age kids?

Thanks,
Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: koko61254
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 10:22 AM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] New Member


   Hello all,

   My name is Bill Eaker and I live in Northwestern Illinois.  I am a
   5th grade teacher and love the outdoors.  My hobbies include
   kayaking, flintknapping, hiking and just about everything to do with
   nature.  I have always been interested in tracking and have recently
   began to study it seriously.  I incorporate tracks and tracking into
   my curriculum with my students and they absolutely love it.  I would
   also like to thank you for letting me join the group and look forward
   to getting to know everyone and learn from your expertise.

   Bill


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Howdy Bill,

Illinois in the winter should give you a good
beginning at animal tracking.  I live in N.E. Ohio and
enjoy tracking in the snow (and that's about ALL I
enjoy about our winters).  It gives me the false
illusion that I am a tracker, like those in this Group
that can track an ant 10 miles over rough gravel. :)

Regards,
Mike

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LOL! I would like to meet one of those trackers.
Kim
   << like those in this Group
   that can track an ant 10 miles over rough gravel. :)>>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Mike,

I'm really excited to do some winter tracking.  I snowshoe a lot when it does
snow, so tracking while I'm doing that will be a great bonus.  Do you have any
tips for attempting casts in the snow?  I have read that water can be misted on
the track to freeze it up and then put in the plaster, but does it really work? 
I imagine a lot of detail would be lost in snow prints anyway.  Nice to meet
you.

Bill E.

coprolith1 <coprolith1@...> wrote:
Howdy Bill,

Illinois in the winter should give you a good
beginning at animal tracking.  I live in N.E. Ohio and
enjoy tracking in the snow (and that's about ALL I
enjoy about our winters).  It gives me the false
illusion that I am a tracker, like those in this Group
that can track an ant 10 miles over rough gravel. :)

Regards,
Mike

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
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http://companion.yahoo.com/

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "Kim A. Cabrera" <tracker@h...> wrote:
> LOL! I would like to meet one of those trackers.
> Kim
>   << like those in this Group
>   that can track an ant 10 miles over rough gravel. :)>>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kim,

Actually, when I wrote that - I had YOU in mind!

Mike

Greetings Bill,

I've just added a website to our "links" section that is full of good tracking
info: Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den -
<http://www.geocities.com/wind_tracker/>.  Why it wasn't already in there is a
mystery.  There are also some good links on the other Yahoo tracking Group:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/trackingandsigncuttingclub>.  Most of the members
AND moderators of this and the other club belong to both.  I guess the initial
thinking was that this club was for animal trackers, and the other for people
tracking/search and rescue.

Note to moderator: The links section needs cleaned-up, as there are totally
unrelated websites posted there.

I've never attempted casting tracks in snow.  There was just a thread that
suggested a fine mist of Windex.  And there is a Snow-Wax product.  One problem
that I can see is that plaster heats-up when setting.  However, you certainly
have a long enough Winter season there in Illinois to perfect the process - let
us know. :)

Mike

Hi All

Welcome to new members.

Here in South Africa we certainly struggle to hone our snow-tracking skills;
yet our vast bushveld plains seem to make up for the loss :-).

Regards.


----- Original Message -----
From: "coprolith1" <coprolith1@...>
To: <animaltracks@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 6:43 PM
Subject: [Animal Tracks] Re: New Member


> Greetings Bill,
>
> I've just added a website to our "links" section that is full of good
tracking info: Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den -
<http://www.geocities.com/wind_tracker/>.  Why it wasn't already in there is
a mystery.  There are also some good links on the other Yahoo tracking
Group: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/trackingandsigncuttingclub>.  Most of
the members AND moderators of this and the other club belong to both.  I
guess the initial thinking was that this club was for animal trackers, and
the other for people tracking/search and rescue.
>
> Note to moderator: The links section needs cleaned-up, as there are
totally unrelated websites posted there.
>
> I've never attempted casting tracks in snow.  There was just a thread that
suggested a fine mist of Windex.  And there is a Snow-Wax product.  One
problem that I can see is that plaster heats-up when setting.  However, you
certainly have a long enough Winter season there in Illinois to perfect the
process - let us know. :)
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> animaltracks-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Thanks for the website Mike.  I really enjoyed it.  Lots of useful
information.

Bill

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "coprolith1" <coprolith1@y...>
wrote:
> Greetings Bill,
>
> I've just added a website to our "links" section that is full of
good tracking info: Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den -
<http://www.geocities.com/wind_tracker/>.  Why it wasn't already in
there is a mystery.  There are also some good links on the other
Yahoo tracking Group:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/trackingandsigncuttingclub>.  Most of
the members AND moderators of this and the other club belong to
both.  I guess the initial thinking was that this club was for animal
trackers, and the other for people tracking/search and rescue.
>
> Note to moderator: The links section needs cleaned-up, as there are
totally unrelated websites posted there.
>
> I've never attempted casting tracks in snow.  There was just a
thread that suggested a fine mist of Windex.  And there is a Snow-Wax
product.  One problem that I can see is that plaster heats-up when
setting.  However, you certainly have a long enough Winter season
there in Illinois to perfect the process - let us know. :)
>
> Mike

Hello All,

I'm starting to build my tracking library now and was wondering if
anyone would care to give me some input on what your favorite
tracking books are.  I have some field guides and would like to get
some narratives that go beyond just track identification.  I just
bought Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow with winter setting
in.  I was also thinking about getting some of Tom Brown Jr.'s
books.  Any of your input would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Bill E.

Here's a partial list of my tracking book collection. Some of these are not as
good as others. I'd recommend getting Mark Elbroch's new book on tracking
mammals.

www.bear-tracker.com/refrence.html

Hope that helps.
Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: koko61254
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 4:47 PM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] Book Recommendations


   Hello All,

   I'm starting to build my tracking library now and was wondering if
   anyone would care to give me some input on what your favorite
   tracking books are.  I have some field guides and would like to get
   some narratives that go beyond just track identification.  I just
   bought Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow with winter setting
   in.  I was also thinking about getting some of Tom Brown Jr.'s
   books.  Any of your input would be appreciated.  Thanks.

   Bill E.


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Howdy Bill,

I have built a fairly sizable tracking reference library from eBay auctions.  Do
a book search under both "tracks" and "tracking".

One animal tracking book that I must highly recommend is:
"A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America" (1986) by James Halfpenny,
ISBN 0-933472-98-6.  Dr. Halfpenny covers mammal tracks, tracking techniques AND
even has a section of color photos on scat.  My copy has a price of $13.95.

Regards,
Mike

I agree. Halfpenny's book is also the best one out there on gaits. And the price
is reasonable.
Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: coprolith1
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 9:27 PM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] Re: Book Recommendations


   Howdy Bill,

   I have built a fairly sizable tracking reference library from eBay auctions. 
Do a book search under both "tracks" and "tracking".

   One animal tracking book that I must highly recommend is:
   "A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America" (1986) by James Halfpenny,
ISBN 0-933472-98-6.  Dr. Halfpenny covers mammal tracks, tracking techniques AND
even has a section of color photos on scat.  My copy has a price of $13.95.

   Regards,
   Mike


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kim and Mike,

Thank you so much for your recommendations.  I really appreciate all
the  help you have given me.  I am going to purchase some of those
books and I'll let you know how I like them.  I'm sure they will be
very useful.  Kim, I love the bear-tracker website.  You have don't a
beautiful job with it.

Bill

Thanks Bill. Glad you liked it. Tracking is a completely open-ended hobby. You
never learn it all. That's what I love about it.

Kim
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: koko61254
   To: animaltracks@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 5:14 PM
   Subject: [Animal Tracks] Kim and Mike


   Kim and Mike,

   Thank you so much for your recommendations.  I really appreciate all
   the  help you have given me.  I am going to purchase some of those
   books and I'll let you know how I like them.  I'm sure they will be
   very useful.  Kim, I love the bear-tracker website.  You have don't a
   beautiful job with it.

   Bill


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

My favorites are Paul Rezendes' Tracking & the Art of Seeing, and
Mark Elbroch's Mammal Tracks & Sign. I've attended outings w/ both
gentlemen; & they're expert observers. Their books provide a great
reference...

-TW

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "koko61254" <koko61254@y...>
wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I'm starting to build my tracking library now and was wondering if
> anyone would care to give me some input on what your favorite
> tracking books are.  I have some field guides and would like to
get
> some narratives that go beyond just track identification.  I just
> bought Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow with winter setting
> in.  I was also thinking about getting some of Tom Brown Jr.'s
> books.  Any of your input would be appreciated.  Thanks.
>
> Bill E.

On Dec. 3, after a very long day, I was driving down the dirt road toward home
thinking about wildlife sightings I have had along there. When I passed the
place where I had seen a bobcat recently, the thought crossed my mind that,
"wouldn't it be interesting if I came around the corner down by the sewage plant
and found a cougar devouring a deer right in the middle of the road." I don't
know why that particular thought came to me at that time. I could even see it in
my imagination, blood dripping off the cougar's teeth. But when I got there, I
saw no cougar. Continuing down the road, I really didn't expect to see anything.
I just figured it was my imagination being overly active. Then, something caught
my attention out of the corner of my right eye. I hit the brakes and backed up.
Whatever it was, it didn't belong there. I know every inch of that road. I
thought it was a deer lying down, which seemed strange since it didn't get up
and run away. I backed up enough that my headlights illuminated it. It WAS a
deer, and it was lying down. And not moving. Uh oh. There was no blood visible
on it, no branch laying on it as if it had been hit by a widowmaker, no
poacher's arrow sticking out of it. Nothing to indicate why there was a dead
deer lying by the side of the road. It was definitely not sleeping in that
position, and I couldn't see its chest rise, so it probably wasn't breathing.  I
got the flashlight and went over to examine the body. My first thought was that
a poacher had killed it, and I was looking for gunshot wounds or arrow holes.
There was some blood on the mouth, and the neck was wet with saliva (not the
deer's as it turns out). No other wounds were apparent. I then looked at the
ground. The deer had been dragged there. The surface showed clear drag marks. No
human tracks around. Uh oh.  Only one animal living near me is big enough to
drag a full grown adult deer off the road like that and it was NOT the animal I
wanted to meet in the foggy dark while hobbling around so soon after having
surgery on my knee. I started to shine my light up into the trees and into the
brush behind the deer. I found a bit of blood in the drag mark area, then a
bigger spot of blood, maybe 6 inches across. Looking behind me and onto the
road, there were places where hooves had dug up the ground and dirt had been
kicked all over the place. It had rained a bit the day before, and none of this
showed signs of rain. The tracks were fresh, and on top of the outgoing vehicle
tracks I had left hours before. The deer carcass was still warm to the touch.
The fur was not wet from rain. This had not been here when I had left for my
appointment at 3:00p.m. It was now almost 8p.m. and fully dark. Fog closed
everything in and I couldn't even see the lights from the house on top of the
cliff across the river, my only neighbor. I shone my big light out into the
meadow, looking for predator eye shine. There was a deer there, but it was not
looking at me. It was looking at the hillside above me. (I flashed back to a
very similar incident a couple months ago when two deer were in the meadow in
the morning and I stopped the car and got out and walked to within 15 feet of
them and took pictures, but they ignored me and intently concentrated on
something on the hillside behind me. In that incident, I examined the madrone
tree above the road when I got home that afternoon and found marks where
something large had climbed the tree, knocking off pieces of moss. At the time,
I figured it was either the bobcat or the mountain lion, the tracks both of
which I had found not too far from this spot.) So, who killed the deer I had
just found? Not a person. There was no arrow or gunshot wound. There were marks
on the neck where it had been gripped to drag the animal off the road. There had
been quite a struggle. I had inadvertently parked on top of some of the signs of
this. When I went back to the car for the camera, I noticed blood on a coyote
brush bush next to where I had parked. The ground under the bush was ripped up.
I backed up the car and examined the road surface some more. There had been one
heck of a big struggle. I thought that what killed the deer was possibly a young
cougar. It may have been small enough that this doe could put up something of a
fight. The angle at which the neck lay was unnatural. I think it finally managed
to kill the deer by breaking its neck. But it didn't get off easy. I think I
just happened to come down the road at the time it was dragging its kill off the
road into the brush. I may have temporarily scared it off. After getting what
photos I could in the dark with the flash, I got back in the car and left.



As I continued down the road toward home, I saw a big buck that has been in rut
for the last three weeks chasing one doe out in the meadow. Another doe had been
close to the sewage plant. As I drove by the buck and doe, I noticed that they
were no longer looking up the hillside behind me. Of course, the buck hadn't
been. He was too interested in that doe. Perhaps the cat decided to retreat
until the human with the noisy car and big flashlight left. I was sure it would
be back. It wouldn't leave that carcass for long.



I figured this was a good opportunity to see how a carcass progresses in the
process of feeding other animals. Next day, I went up to check on it and see if
anything had been eaten. It was my birthday and I got a nice surprise birthday
present. I found the carcas partially buried with debris. Looking up, I saw the
culprit watching me from about 20 feet away. His eyes gazed at me intently,
unmoving. The only thing moving was his short tail, which kept twitching back
and forth. It was not a young cougar; it was a bobcat. It surprised me that he
was able to kill such a large deer. I raised the camera and got a couple still
photos of him as well as a short video clip, before he melted into the brush and
disappeared.



Since that day, I have visited every day, once a day, to take photos of the
progression and see what has changed. Although I look carefully into the brush
near the carcass, and up into the trees, I have yet to see the bobcat again. The
carcass is covered up with more debris each day, so I know he is still around.



Today, I went back to check on it again, thinking that, after 13 days and the
carcass starting to smell, the cat would move on and find other prey. I didn't
expect it to stay around this long, but maybe hunting isn't too good right now.
There didn't appear to be much missing from the carcass this time, although half
the ear had been eaten. I took a couple photos and stepped back and suddenly
something caught my eye. It wasn't movement. It was a shape. Lying in the brush,
about 8 feet from me, was the bobcat himself! He stared at me and looked away as
if he didn't think I was a threat. I slowly raised the camera and started taking
photos of him, some with the flash and some without. I started quietly talking
to him. He looked at me a couple times and I looked away and pretended to be
looking at the deer. Then he would look away, as if he didn't think I saw him.
He stayed perfectly still. Only his eyes moved. I took a step closer and his
eyes widened and looked directly into mine. He knew then that he had been seen.
I began to very slowly raise the camera and he suddenly jumped up and
disappeared. He was gone so fast, I could only listen to the crashing sounds as
he jumped away through the brush. After he was gone, it hit me. I had been that
close to a bobcat. Had I not moved, he probably would have stayed longer,
relying on his camouflage and stillness to hide him. And he was well
camouflaged. Looking through at the photos of the deer carcass, in one of them I
can see the bobcat in the brush.



It wasn't through any skill of my own that I saw him. It was just dumb luck, but
it was cool to get to see him so close up.



Kim






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

What an awesome experience Kim!!  I think I would have
been scared out of my gourd standing there at night
like that!  Nice sighting and very exciting reading.
Thanks!!

Bill E.

--- "Kim A. Cabrera" <tracker@...> wrote:
> On Dec. 3, after a very long day, I was driving down
> the dirt road toward home thinking about wildlife
> sightings I have had along there. When I passed the
> place where I had seen a bobcat recently, the
> thought crossed my mind that, "wouldn't it be
> interesting if I came around the corner down by the
> sewage plant and found a cougar devouring a deer
> right in the middle of the road." I don't know why
> that particular thought came to me at that time. I
> could even see it in my imagination, blood dripping
> off the cougar's teeth. But when I got there, I saw
> no cougar. Continuing down the road, I really didn't
> expect to see anything. I just figured it was my
> imagination being overly active. Then, something
> caught my attention out of the corner of my right
> eye. I hit the brakes and backed up. Whatever it
> was, it didn't belong there. I know every inch of
> that road. I thought it was a deer lying down, which
> seemed strange since it didn't get up and run away.
> I backed up enough that my headlights illuminated
> it. It WAS a deer, and it was lying down. And not
> moving. Uh oh. There was no blood visible on it, no
> branch laying on it as if it had been hit by a
> widowmaker, no poacher's arrow sticking out of it.
> Nothing to indicate why there was a dead deer lying
> by the side of the road. It was definitely not
> sleeping in that position, and I couldn't see its
> chest rise, so it probably wasn't breathing.  I got
> the flashlight and went over to examine the body. My
> first thought was that a poacher had killed it, and
> I was looking for gunshot wounds or arrow holes.
> There was some blood on the mouth, and the neck was
> wet with saliva (not the deer's as it turns out). No
> other wounds were apparent. I then looked at the
> ground. The deer had been dragged there. The surface
> showed clear drag marks. No human tracks around. Uh
> oh.  Only one animal living near me is big enough to
> drag a full grown adult deer off the road like that
> and it was NOT the animal I wanted to meet in the
> foggy dark while hobbling around so soon after
> having surgery on my knee. I started to shine my
> light up into the trees and into the brush behind
> the deer. I found a bit of blood in the drag mark
> area, then a bigger spot of blood, maybe 6 inches
> across. Looking behind me and onto the road, there
> were places where hooves had dug up the ground and
> dirt had been kicked all over the place. It had
> rained a bit the day before, and none of this showed
> signs of rain. The tracks were fresh, and on top of
> the outgoing vehicle tracks I had left hours before.
> The deer carcass was still warm to the touch. The
> fur was not wet from rain. This had not been here
> when I had left for my appointment at 3:00p.m. It
> was now almost 8p.m. and fully dark. Fog closed
> everything in and I couldn't even see the lights
> from the house on top of the cliff across the river,
> my only neighbor. I shone my big light out into the
> meadow, looking for predator eye shine. There was a
> deer there, but it was not looking at me. It was
> looking at the hillside above me. (I flashed back to
> a very similar incident a couple months ago when two
> deer were in the meadow in the morning and I stopped
> the car and got out and walked to within 15 feet of
> them and took pictures, but they ignored me and
> intently concentrated on something on the hillside
> behind me. In that incident, I examined the madrone
> tree above the road when I got home that afternoon
> and found marks where something large had climbed
> the tree, knocking off pieces of moss. At the time,
> I figured it was either the bobcat or the mountain
> lion, the tracks both of which I had found not too
> far from this spot.) So, who killed the deer I had
> just found? Not a person. There was no arrow or
> gunshot wound. There were marks on the neck where it
> had been gripped to drag the animal off the road.
> There had been quite a struggle. I had inadvertently
> parked on top of some of the signs of this. When I
> went back to the car for the camera, I noticed blood
> on a coyote brush bush next to where I had parked.
> The ground under the bush was ripped up. I backed up
> the car and examined the road surface some more.
> There had been one heck of a big struggle. I thought
> that what killed the deer was possibly a young
> cougar. It may have been small enough that this doe
> could put up something of a fight. The angle at
> which the neck lay was unnatural. I think it finally
> managed to kill the deer by breaking its neck. But
> it didn't get off easy. I think I just happened to
> come down the road at the time it was dragging its
> kill off the road into the brush. I may have
> temporarily scared it off. After getting what photos
> I could in the dark with the flash, I got back in
> the car and left.
>
>
>
> As I continued down the road toward home, I saw a
> big buck that has been in rut for the last three
> weeks chasing one doe out in the meadow. Another doe
> had been close to the sewage plant. As I drove by
> the buck and doe, I noticed that they were no longer
> looking up the hillside behind me. Of course, the
> buck hadn't been. He was too interested in that doe.
> Perhaps the cat decided to retreat until the human
> with the noisy car and big flashlight left. I was
> sure it would be back. It wouldn't leave that
> carcass for long.
>
>
>
> I figured this was a good opportunity to see how a
> carcass progresses in the process of feeding other
> animals. Next day, I went up to check on it and see
> if anything had been eaten. It was my birthday and I
> got a nice surprise birthday present. I found the
> carcas partially buried with debris. Looking up, I
> saw the culprit watching me from about 20 feet away.
> His eyes gazed at me intently, unmoving. The only
> thing moving was his short tail, which kept
> twitching back and forth. It was not a young cougar;
> it was a bobcat. It surprised me that he was able to
> kill such a large deer. I raised the camera and got
> a couple still photos of him as well as a short
> video clip, before he melted into the brush and
> disappeared.
>
>
>
> Since that day, I have visited every day, once a
> day, to take photos of the progression and see what
> has changed. Although I look carefully into the
> brush near the carcass, and up into the trees, I
> have yet to see the bobcat again. The carcass is
> covered up with more debris each day, so I know he
> is still around.
>
>
>
> Today, I went back to check on it again, thinking
> that, after 13 days and the carcass starting to
> smell, the cat would move on and find other prey. I
> didn't expect it to stay around this long, but maybe
> hunting isn't too good right now. There didn't
> appear to be much missing from the carcass this
> time, although half the ear had been eaten. I took a
> couple photos and stepped back and suddenly
> something caught my eye. It wasn't movement. It was
> a shape. Lying in the brush, about 8 feet from me,
> was the bobcat himself! He stared at me and looked
> away as if he didn't think I was a threat. I slowly
> raised the camera and started taking photos of him,
> some with the flash and some without. I started
> quietly talking to him. He looked at me a couple
> times and I looked away and pretended to be looking
> at the deer. Then he would look away, as if he
> didn't think I saw him. He stayed perfectly still.
> Only his eyes moved. I took a step closer and his
> eyes widened and looked directly into mine. He knew
> then that he had been seen. I began to very slowly
> raise the camera and he suddenly jumped up and
> disappeared. He was gone so fast, I could only
> listen to the crashing sounds as he jumped away
> through the brush. After he was gone, it hit me. I
> had been that close to a bobcat. Had I not moved, he
> probably would have stayed longer, relying on his
> camouflage and stillness to hide him. And he was
> well camouflaged. Looking through at the photos of
> the deer carcass, in one of them I can see the
> bobcat in the brush.
>
>
>
> It wasn't through any skill of my own that I saw
> him. It was just dumb luck, but it was cool to get
> to see him so close up.
>
>
>
> Kim
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


__________________________________
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Thanks Bill. It was a little scary being out there in the fog and dark. But I
think my interest in what I had found outweighed it. Probably not a real smart
thing to do though, especially since I didn't know at that point that it was NOT
a cougar. :)

Kim

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Great account Kim; was this a Western cat? I hope to find new sign
of a bobcat (NE MA variety) this winter; I believe I've found an
active travel corridor... We're lucky to have a sighting here every
few years.

-TW

--- In animaltracks@yahoogroups.com, "Kim A. Cabrera" <tracker@h...>
wrote:
> On Dec. 3, after a very long day, I was driving down the dirt road
toward home thinking about wildlife sightings I have had along
there. When I passed the place where I had seen a bobcat recently,
the thought crossed my mind that, "wouldn't it be interesting if I
came around the corner down by the sewage plant and found a cougar
devouring a deer right in the middle of the road." I don't know why
that particular thought came to me at that time. I could even see it
in my imagination, blood dripping off the cougar's teeth. But when I
got there, I saw no cougar. Continuing down the road, I really
didn't expect to see anything. I just figured it was my imagination
being overly active. Then, something caught my attention out of the
corner of my right eye. I hit the brakes and backed up. Whatever it
was, it didn't belong there. I know every inch of that road. I
thought it was a deer lying down, which seemed strange since it
didn't get up and run away. I backed up enough that my headlights
illuminated it. It WAS a deer, and it was lying down. And not
moving. Uh oh. There was no blood visible on it, no branch laying on
it as if it had been hit by a widowmaker, no poacher's arrow
sticking out of it. Nothing to indicate why there was a dead deer
lying by the side of the road. It was definitely not sleeping in
that position, and I couldn't see its chest rise, so it probably
wasn't breathing.  I got the flashlight and went over to examine the
body. My first thought was that a poacher had killed it, and I was
looking for gunshot wounds or arrow holes. There was some blood on
the mouth, and the neck was wet with saliva (not the deer's as it
turns out). No other wounds were apparent. I then looked at the
ground. The deer had been dragged there. The surface showed clear
drag marks. No human tracks around. Uh oh.  Only one animal living
near me is big enough to drag a full grown adult deer off the road
like that and it was NOT the animal I wanted to meet in the foggy
dark while hobbling around so soon after having surgery on my knee.
I started to shine my light up into the trees and into the brush
behind the deer. I found a bit of blood in the drag mark area, then
a bigger spot of blood, maybe 6 inches across. Looking behind me and
onto the road, there were places where hooves had dug up the ground
and dirt had been kicked all over the place. It had rained a bit the
day before, and none of this showed signs of rain. The tracks were
fresh, and on top of the outgoing vehicle tracks I had left hours
before. The deer carcass was still warm to the touch. The fur was
not wet from rain. This had not been here when I had left for my
appointment at 3:00p.m. It was now almost 8p.m. and fully dark. Fog
closed everything in and I couldn't even see the lights from the
house on top of the cliff across the river, my only neighbor. I
shone my big light out into the meadow, looking for predator eye
shine. There was a deer there, but it was not looking at me. It was
looking at the hillside above me. (I flashed back to a very similar
incident a couple months ago when two deer were in the meadow in the
morning and I stopped the car and got out and walked to within 15
feet of them and took pictures, but they ignored me and intently
concentrated on something on the hillside behind me. In that
incident, I examined the madrone tree above the road when I got home
that afternoon and found marks where something large had climbed the
tree, knocking off pieces of moss. At the time, I figured it was
either the bobcat or the mountain lion, the tracks both of which I
had found not too far from this spot.) So, who killed the deer I had
just found? Not a person. There was no arrow or gunshot wound. There
were marks on the neck where it had been gripped to drag the animal
off the road. There had been quite a struggle. I had inadvertently
parked on top of some of the signs of this. When I went back to the
car for the camera, I noticed blood on a coyote brush bush next to
where I had parked. The ground under the bush was ripped up. I
backed up the car and examined the road surface some more. There had
been one heck of a big struggle. I thought that what killed the deer
was possibly a young cougar. It may have been small enough that this
doe could put up something of a fight. The angle at which the neck
lay was unnatural. I think it finally managed to kill the deer by
breaking its neck. But it didn't get off easy. I think I just
happened to come down the road at the time it was dragging its kill
off the road into the brush. I may have temporarily scared it off.
After getting what photos I could in the dark with the flash, I got
back in the car and left.
>
>
>
> As I continued down the road toward home, I saw a big buck that
has been in rut for the last three weeks chasing one doe out in the
meadow. Another doe had been close to the sewage plant. As I drove
by the buck and doe, I noticed that they were no longer looking up
the hillside behind me. Of course, the buck hadn't been. He was too
interested in that doe. Perhaps the cat decided to retreat until the
human with the noisy car and big flashlight left. I was sure it
would be back. It wouldn't leave that carcass for long.
>
>
>
> I figured this was a good opportunity to see how a carcass
progresses in the process of feeding other animals. Next day, I went
up to check on it and see if anything had been eaten. It was my
birthday and I got a nice surprise birthday present. I found the
carcas partially buried with debris. Looking up, I saw the culprit
watching me from about 20 feet away. His eyes gazed at me intently,
unmoving. The only thing moving was his short tail, which kept
twitching back and forth. It was not a young cougar; it was a
bobcat. It surprised me that he was able to kill such a large deer.
I raised the camera and got a couple still photos of him as well as
a short video clip, before he melted into the brush and disappeared.
>
>
>
> Since that day, I have visited every day, once a day, to take
photos of the progression and see what has changed. Although I look
carefully into the brush near the carcass, and up into the trees, I
have yet to see the bobcat again. The carcass is covered up with
more debris each day, so I know he is still around.
>
>
>
> Today, I went back to check on it again, thinking that, after 13
days and the carcass starting to smell, the cat would move on and
find other prey. I didn't expect it to stay around this long, but
maybe hunting isn't too good right now. There didn't appear to be
much missing from the carcass this time, although half the ear had
been eaten. I took a couple photos and stepped back and suddenly
something caught my eye. It wasn't movement. It was a shape. Lying
in the brush, about 8 feet from me, was the bobcat himself! He
stared at me and looked away as if he didn't think I was a threat. I
slowly raised the camera and started taking photos of him, some with
the flash and some without. I started quietly talking to him. He
looked at me a couple times and I looked away and pretended to be
looking at the deer. Then he would look away, as if he didn't think
I saw him. He stayed perfectly still. Only his eyes moved. I took a
step closer and his eyes widened and looked directly into mine. He
knew then that he had been seen. I began to very slowly raise the
camera and he suddenly jumped up and disappeared. He was gone so
fast, I could only listen to the crashing sounds as he jumped away
through the brush. After he was gone, it hit me. I had been that
close to a bobcat. Had I not moved, he probably would have stayed
longer, relying on his camouflage and stillness to hide him. And he
was well camouflaged. Looking through at the photos of the deer
carcass, in one of them I can see the bobcat in the brush.
>
>
>
> It wasn't through any skill of my own that I saw him. It was just
dumb luck, but it was cool to get to see him so close up.
>
>
>
> Kim
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi TW,

Yes, it was a Western cat. Northern California. Yesterday, I looked in the brush
behind the deer carcass and found several flattened areas where he had probably
gone to eat and lie down to digest the meal.

Happy tracking!

Kim


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Have any folks observed latrines established by fisher? Not just the
occasional scat at the base of a tree, but several recent deposits
over a short amount of time... possibly from two of more fisher.

Any feedback from mustelid trackers would be appreciated.

-TW