What’s going on out on the land?
Are There Dangers In Smelling Red Fox Urine?
Recently, while trailing in Algonquin Park with the Earth Tracks Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship some of us bent down on different occasions to smell Algonquin Wolf, Red Fox, and River Otter scent marks, which were usually small deposits of urine placed in a prominent spot along the animal’s trail. When we got back to the Wildlife Research Station which was our home base for the weekend, we got to talking about safety around sniffing animal urine when trailing.
Personally, I have smelled animal urine literally hundreds of times. Nearly every time I see a urine deposit on an animal trail, aside from Human (Homo sapiens) and other domestic animals, I get down and sniff. But the questions got me reflecting; When tracking or trailing an animal, are there dangers in smelling animal urine?
What The Toes Show - A question of deer hooves
For the past four years there has been a bit of a conundrum at the tracking apprenticeship. There has been a theory passed around to be argued and analyzed, challenged and sustained. It has confronted, confused, and confounded many of us who have tried to scry a little more understanding from a couple of seemingly basic teachings, all from the hooves of White-tailed Deer.
Mystery scat
Earlier this year, my partner and I were paddling along the Mahzenazing River, heading back in the direction of the park entrance. We had just spent our last night at Point Grondine where we'd seen two Black Bears, three big ass Beavers, and had a late night encounter with either a Bobcat or Lynx - it was too dark to tell.
We were paddling back when my partner had to pull the canoe over so she could pee. While I waited in the canoe I noticed there was some scat on a rock nearby. This is where the mystery began…
Who’s This Plant?
A few questions about a plant unknown to me from a recent walk. Some of the answers were much harder to source than others. Hopefully more resources can emerge that might help other folks like me who’ve got a ton of questions about all the fun stuff we’re finding.
Question Book 3 : The Return of Question Book
These are question that come from observations in the field, from discussion with students and colleagues, or just from late night wonderings. I write them out in a physical book so I will not lose them and try to make time later to answer them. On to the questions!
More Praying Mantis questions from the Question Book
So again, these are some of the questions that I write up through the days while I am out on the land. Curiosities and wonderings, incomplete understandings and unknowns. If I don’t write them down, I’ll never remember to look them up.
As I keep seeing them out on the land, I keep wondering about the Praying Mantis and what their habits are. Time to share what I am learning.
A couple from the Question Book pt. 1
A couple of questions, a couple of answers from the Question Book.
What do Groundhogs eat?
Another one from my question book, but to be honest, I think this has passed through many question books, and I don’t know why I keep forgetting. It’s about time I wrote out what I’ve learned and that way folks can remind me.