MyWildYard.com

Many people tell me they never see wildlife when they are in the forest, their backyard, or even the local park. That is because they haven't learned how to spot wildlife or even where to look. There are many key factors and tons of sign that wildlife are there .   

Walking in the Woods

 When walking in the woods it is best to walk slowly and quietly while looking ahead of you. One way to spot deer while walking in the woods is to look closely at anything that just looks a little different than the surroundings.  Most objects in the forest are vertical; trees, tall grass and bushes all stand vertically but a deer's body is longer than it is high. The horizontal line of a deer's back is fairly easy to spot among all the vertical lines in the woods.  Also keep a look out for the white flick of its tail.

There are  resting deer in the very back of this picture, remember look for a break in the vertical line of the trees. Can you find them? If not click here.

Some signs of deer in the forest are rubs or scraps. Rubs are small saplings that have had about 6 inches of bark stripped by a buck scrapping the velvet from his antlers. Scrapes are an area on he ground where all the leaves and debris have been removed.  Scrapes are usually made where there is a low branch that the deer can rub its scent glands on to warn other bucks of their territory. You may sometimes find some fur on the low branch around a scrape.

Listen to the birds while walking in the woods. Most of the time birds chirp loudly all around you. If you are making too much noise when walking, the birds will stay silent or give warning calls to others.

Owl pellets are easily found if you are walking in the woods. Owl pellets are regurgitated by owls after they eat. The pellets contain all the parts the owl's body could not utilize during digestion such as fur, feathers and bones. An owl cannot eat until it regurgitates the  pellet from the prior meal.

owl pellet	opened owl pellet	tiny skull

Where To Look

There really is wildlife all around you. If you see a field or a meadow it is often best to look in the corners or  near the edge of the woods. Wildlife such as fox like to have access to quick cover, so they stay near the edge of the woods when venturing out for food.

Winter Wildlife

Winter is one of the best times to look for wildlife. It is especially easy after it has snowed. Go for a walk after the snow has stopped falling. The white landscape also makes it easier to spot many types of animals. It is easy to find different tracks in the snow. It can be fun to follow the tracks to see where the animal went or what it did. You can pick out the trails in the woods that many animals use by looking for many sets of tracks.

These pictures show some tracks that I found after a recent snow storm.

Fox tracks	Deer tracks	Bird Tracks	Squirrel Tracks