Rattlesnake warning
Of course, you should always be careful and watch for rattlesnakes when hiking, but the warm weather tends to bring them out, so it's wise to be especially watchful.
Like a lot of trails around the Irish Hills, the Bog Thistle is rocky and rough with few patches of sand for track traps. Consequently, tracking can be very difficult. It's wise to watch the sides of the trail where animals tend to walk close to cover. Starting up the trail I first came across some small deer hoof impressions, about 1-1/2" in length, so probably made by a fawn:
Fawn hoof impression
Another fawn impression
Further up the trail I came across an old, faint impression about 3" made by a larger [adult] deer:
Adult deer hoof impression
It's also wise to watch for runs and game trails that intersect the trail. These are often good locations to find impressions:
Game run
An interesting impression I found had me puzzled for awhile. After awhile I concluded that it is probably a partial impression of a Wild Turkey track:
Possible Wild Turkey track
As a comparison, here is a complete and clear track I photographed on another trail several months ago:
Turkey track
Not all spoor is tracks on the ground. Some signs indicative of an animal's passing can be observed in vegetation, like this bent Teasel stalk:
Bent Teasel stalk
The final track of the day was old and very faint in a sandy patch on the side of the trail. I could not see it very clearly but with some mirroring my impression was that it was a canine track, possibly from a Coyote:
Possible Coyote track
It was interesting to me that all the impression I observed indicated the animals were heading up the trail toward higher elevation. I was pleased to find some impressions, albeit faint and/or old, amid the tracks of countless hikers who had passed along the trail. The best part of tracking is just being outdoors enjoying natural surroundings and fresh air.
Happy Hiking!
GOBLIN RANGER
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