A Guide to Winter Tracks

These are just a few of the most common tracks we see in winter in New York State.

When you find tracks, look at the shape of each footprint, and look for toe marks. This will help you figure out which way the animal was going. The toes point the way, so follow the tracks to see where they lead. Use all the clues around you - tracks, feeding, scats, and others - to solve the mystery of what kind of animal left the tracks and what it was doing. There are many different field guides to winter tracks. They can be a big help as you get better at studying tracks and want to learn more.

image of a dog, the footprint and the track that a dog makes

image of a cat, the footprint and the track that a cat makes

image of a squirrel, the footprint and the track that a squirrel makes

image of a eastern cottontail, the footprint and the track that a eastern cottontail makes

image of a white-footed mouse, the footprint and the track that a white-footed mouse makes

image of a coyote, the footprint and the track that a coyote makes

image of a white-tailed deer, the footprint and the track that a white-tailed deer makes

image of a red fox, the footprint and the track that a red fox makes

image of a raccoon, the footprint and the track that a raccoon makes

image of a turkey, the footprint and the track that a turkey makes