February 5, 2021
If pictures paint a thousand words, then tracks in the snow paint ten thousand more - ten thousand tiny portraits left behind, of all the animals that have wandered through.
The trail cameras we have keep vigil all day and night but they only give us a snapshot of a particular spot with just a fleeting glimpse into a single moment in time. However, with a couple inches of freshly fallen snow, I can scan our entire pasture, and the surrounding fields, and be 100% certain if any predator has come along. Coyotes, foxes and bobcats leave an unmistakable trail, which is recognizable several hundred feet away- it is in essence their calling card. They walk with their hind foot stepping exactly where the front foot stepped, and this “direct register” gait leaves an unmistakable, purpose driven, seemingly effortless straight line in the snow. In absolute contrast, domestic dogs wander and sniff, and get distracted, their paws plodding along, and judging by their tracks, they appear to be in no particular hurry nor have any particular purpose...
More often than not, a predator is just passing through, leaving its tracks at the edge of our fields, skirting the edges, not wanting to be seen. But at times the tracks will detour alongside our fencing, and that likely means that, whoever it is, is weighing the risks of coming into the pasture.
In general I am happy to share this space with our four legged predatory neighbors. I know the forest is healthier with them in it, and I realize that, not unlike me, they are just trying to make a living off this land. I admire their ability to navigate and survive – but it's up to me to encourage them to find an easier meal somewhere else.
Most often it's the presence of tracks that clues me in to whatever has been going on behind my back, but yesterday it was, in fact, the absence of tracks that told me all I needed to know. A scattering of chicken feathers and blood on the snow- with no prints of any kind, anywhere, to be seen. I knew instantly that it was time to round up the chickens and keep them safely locked up, until the red tailed hawk decides to either move along or better yet, get in touch with it's inner vegan.