Day 46: How to Track Animals in the wild

Skill: Follow Animals by What They Leave Behind

Tracking animals helps you find food or stay away from danger. You don’t need gear — just your eyes and a little patience.

Why It Matters

  • Helps you find animals to hunt

  • Keeps you safe from predators

  • Shows you where animals go

  • Helps you learn the land

How to Do It

1. Look for Footprints

Animals leave tracks in mud, dirt, sand, or snow.
Each animal has its own shape.

  • Deer tracks look like a heart

  • Bears have wide feet with 5 toes and claw marks

  • Coyotes or wolves have 4 toes and claws

  • Mountain lions have round prints with no claws showing

2. Find dung (Animal Poop)

Yes, poop matters.

  • Meat-eaters leave dark poop with fur or bones

  • Plant-eaters leave lighter poop with grass or leaves

3. Look Around You

  • Bent grass or broken branches show where an animal walked

  • Smooth paths in the dirt mean animals come through often

4. Look for Food Signs

  • Bitten leaves, dug-up roots, or scratched trees mean an animal ate there

5. Check How Fresh the Sign Is

  • Sharp, clean tracks = recent

  • Blurry or filled-in tracks = old

  • Wet poop = recent

  • Dry poop = old

Tips

  • Walk slowly and stay quiet

  • Look for tracks early in the morning

  • Always look where the animal might be going

Bottom Line

Animals leave clues. If you can follow them, you’ll find food or stay safe. Tracking is one of the best survival skills there is.

When your tracking animals not only do you need a flashlight you also need a self defence system the riot light is both grab it above now.

step by step on how to track animals

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Day 47: how to deal with being bit by a snake

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Day 45: How to Signal for Rescue Without Electronics