<h2>ANIMAL SIGN
</h2>
<p>Animal sign is the key to
eliminating guesswork when setting
your traps. Only trap where there is
sign. Sign is anything the animal
leaves as a trace that indicates it
may have passed through the area.
There are seven types of sign you
need to know that will help you
identify things like species, eating
habits, and population numbers:
</p>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li>
<strong>Tracks:</strong> Examining tracks is
the easiest way to identify the species. This can also help
determine population numbers,
frequency of travel in that area,
and even preferred food in
cases where you can tell that
one animal has been trailing
another.
</li><li>
<strong>Scat:</strong> Scat left when an animal
defecates can also help you
identify species as well as what
food source the animal is
currently foraging.
</li><li>
<strong>Slough:</strong> Slough is something
from the animal’s body left behind after it is gone.
Examples include a strand of
hair on a fence wire, a feather
dropped while preening, or
shed snakeskin.
</li><li>
<strong>Remains:</strong> The dead body of
an animal will not only provide
possible resources such as bait
and attractants for other traps,
but it also may give some idea
of what other animals are in
the area.
</li><li>
<strong>Refuse:</strong> Refuse is the animal’s
garbage, which will help identify its species and its
travel routes. For instance, a
squirrel midden, or refuse
heap, is its favorite spot and
will be littered with shells from
the nuts it has been eating. A
beaver or muskrat leaves
behind chewed trees and
branches.
</li><li>
<strong>Dens:</strong> A den is an animal’s
home. It can be a hole in the
ground, in a bank, or in the
hollow of a tree. The type of
den is often a sure indicator of the species. You can usually
set traps at the entrance or
exit.
</li><li>
<strong>Odor:</strong> Odor is the trickiest sign
to detect, but cat urine has a
distinct smell, as does rotten
meat from a carnivore den
where a fox might live.
Obviously you’ll smell a skunk
in the area, but other subtle
smells can be identified as
well.</li></ol>
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