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Over the weekend of October 3-4, the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project hosted Dave Scott for a Track and Sign Certification in Fort Snelling State Park and Crosby Farm Regional Park. Dave ran our group of eleven participants (all MWTP facilitators) through 56 questions about the tracks and sign of 13 species of mammals, 6 species of birds, one invertebrate, and one human event. Highlights included jumping mouse tracks at both sites, the predated egg of a feral pigeon, a mole trail (!!), and a challenging muskrat trail in loose sand.
During our closing circle, Dave commented on the high level of skill shown by our facilitators: One earned a Level II, eight earned Level III, and two earned the distinction of Track & Sign Professional! Please join me in sending warm congratulations to those who received new CyberTracker levels:
Track & Sign II: Ronnie Hartmen
Track & Sign IIIs: Greg Schayes, Melissa Ulrich
Track & Sign Professionals: Robert Daun, Anthony Ulrich
Tremendous thanks to all who took part in this certification! We appreciate the many ways in which y'all embody and apply the field skill of wildlife track & sign identification and interpretation, and look forward to our next time in the field together.
October 3-4, 2026, Certification Participants (L to R) top row: Dave Scott (Evaluator), Collin Arnett, John Bauhs, Mike Holtz, Robert Daun, Mark Fulton, Greg Schayes. Bottom row: Jonathan Poppele (Assisting), Eric Vehe, Anthony Ulrich, Melissa Ulrich, Ronnie Hartman, Adrian Iacovino. (Not pictured: Clipboarder Kirsten Welge)
The front leg of an unlucky Eastern cottontail. (Q23)
Trackers examine Question 24 on Otter Point.
Extremely complex otter tracks. (Q24 - Bonus question)
Track of a ring-billed gull. (Q5)
The group debriefs an otter latrine and scent mound with rolled vegetation. (Q30)
Beaver scent mound (left, Q26) and the track of a beaver (right, Q25).
Dave points out the key elements of a deer scrape (Q34) while Anthony and Melissa listen intently.
Eric Vehe contemplates the direction of this deer's travel. (Q53)
A predated pigeon egg. (Q21 & 22)
Trackers examine a question (from left: Mike, Greg, Collin, John).
No tricks, only tracks: While at first glance this resembles a hot mess of opossum, a closer look reveals the narrow fingers and carpal pads of a muskrat front track. (Q34 & 44)
An opossum trail in loose sand, showing a clear right hind track. (Q51 & 52)
Deer mouse tracks from Axel von Bergen trail. (Q16)
Jumping mouse tracks found along the Axel von Bergen trail (Q15).
Look closely: Adrian Iacovino distinguishes the features of deer mouse tracks.
All smiles from our two newest Track & Sign Professionals. Congratulations, Anthony & Robert!
This was not an official question, but an absolute delight to find: the trail of a mole!
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