I had meant to post this back after our first snowfall, as I thought it an interesting reflection on nature and man and their boundless avenues of balance.
I was walking my dog in the new fall of fluffy white, when we came across tracks. Now I see tracks all the time, but could hardly tell you which animal made what, and most of the time it’s just other people, or cars.
This was obviously a person and a dog, walking beside one another along much the same track that my dog and I take. Except for that, after a few feet along this set of tracks, there was what looked like blood under the newest snow. I thought perhpas I’d seen some old leaves just darkened with decomposition, but the color was brighter than that and, it became obvious to me, must’ve been of the dog carrying something, that was bleeding, in it’s mouth with this person away to wherever they were going.
It was grouse season, so I expect that was what the snow was telling me. Someone had shot a grouse, had their dog retrieve it, and went on their merry way.
It was kind of sad, but at the same time I thought, I wonder how many times in the past the trail has had to tell this tale?
On another walk however, I turned at the trail head and was delighted to see; BUNNY TRACKS! xD It was unmistakable, and only because now I really know what they look like having had bunnies for a year or so. The telltale two dots in front and the long swoops behind…wild rabbits for sure. I watched as the trakcs wove around in the tiny saplings and larger spruce, like little hare highways. It was so precious. For weeks during fall my dogs had been sniffing the sides of the road and wanting to go explore in places I obviously will not let them. I figured it was a neighbor’s cat or another dog. Now I know why. If it wasn’t grouse going to ground, it was these little critters.
Then the next day, same trailhead…no mistaking the tracks of a fox. They leave prints that look like they are walking on two feet instead of four. They step in their own tracks as a way to minimize their presence, to prey and other predators alike. So I can only hope the bunneis are well underground by now, and not out wherever the fox is…because he definitely knows they are there.
So, that’s my little lesson on tracking for the day. ^_^
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