Otter Spraints and Squirrel Stripes
On a cool and cloudy day last November, nine new acquaintances walked up a mossy ridgeline in Fletcher. They paused to examine a patch of earth next to the trail, noticing the soil looked disturbed and pieces of moss had been pushed or flung aside. Closer inspection revealed two grooves where an animal’s hind feet had scraped the moss away while depositing scent, followed by a blocky, fur-filled poop. The group of wildlife trackers leaned in to examine their first scat together.
The next moment was an initiation into what would become a routine for every group discovery of wild animal excrement: they noted the context and appearance of the scat, then found a pair of sticks to poke at it, assessing its density and finally teasing it apart to reveal the contents. This one was densely packed with fur and small bone fragments, in blunt segments with a smooth exterior—distinguishable from the more loose, twisty and tapered scat of a coyote. This was a bobcat scrape.
And so began the eight field days of CHC’s new Wildlife Tracking Immersion program, which just concluded its first iteration this May. The training took place across the Cold Hollow region and saw the group following otter and bobcat trails in Bakersfield, tracking moose in Belvidere, examining bear-marked trees in Enosburg and Montgomery, exploring beaver wetlands in Waterville—and so much more.
The goal was to gain fluency in identifying wildlife sign, for the fun of familiarity, and also to train new volunteers to assist in CHC’s wildlife monitoring efforts. This monitoring program focuses on the movement corridors of wide-ranging mammals including moose, fisher, bear, bobcat, otter and mink, but the training included all types of wildlife tracks and signs. The first outing, for example, introduced participants to porcupine dens and squirrel scent-marking “stripes.” The latter refers to patches of tree bark where grey squirrels bite and rub their cheeks to deposit scent messages (territory, breeding status, and probably much more)—their version of a coffeeshop bulletin board.
Learning each of these signs—and where to look for them—can be like flipping a switch that makes them visible from that point onwards, illuminating the landscape with the stories of wildlife activity that are all around us.
As the group developed their eye for detecting wildlife sign, they also used their observations to inform placement of wildlife cameras, capturing interesting behaviors like an otter depositing spraint (a specific term for otter scat) at a regular “latrine.” They also practiced field survey and data collection techniques, using the iNaturalist app to record observations.
The Immersion program culminated in a two-day evaluation of track and sign ID skills with Nate Harvey of Tracker Certification/CyberTracker North America. Participants were asked to identify 57 wildlife signs that ranged from mud dauber and paper wasp nests, to pigeon and grackle tracks, grouse and porcupine scat, and a beaver scent mound. They were also quizzed on tracks of a frog, weasel, mink, muskrat, raccoon, otter, mink, and much more. Impressively, all of the immersion participants managed to identify at least two thirds of what was asked, and three participants walked away with a Level 2 Track & Sign Certification, meaning they accurately identified over 80% of questions.
These newly-certified trackers will be recording wildlife activity at monitoring sites throughout the CHC region this summer, alongside long-time volunteers of our Keeping Track Program. For those eager to join them, stay tuned for an announcement this summer of the 2024-25 Tracking Immersion dates, as well as other training opportunities with CHC’s Community Science Coordinator (and Certified Track & Sign Specialist) Sophie Mazowita.
Learning each of these signs—and where to look for them—can be like flipping a switch that makes them visible from that point onwards, illuminating the landscape with the stories of wildlife activity that are all around us.
