The Complete Tracker The Tracks, Signs and Habits of North American Wildlife - Hardcover

McDougall, Len

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1567313264 ISBN 13: 9781567313260

Publisher: Mjf Books, 1999

Synopsis

How to get closer to wildlife.

Here is a concise, thorough, and fully illustrated guide to the tracks, signs, and habits of North America's most common species of wildlife. Readers learn the secrets of a master tracker, assembling a clear picture from tracks, scat, and other signs. Was it a dog or a wolf? Fox or coyote? Did it pass by yesterday or an hour ago? And readers also learn the secrets of getting close to animals -- everything from brown bears to beavers, marmots to moose. This invaluable resource will find a welcome home in the backpacks and bookshelves of nature lovers everywhere.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The Complete Tracker is a concise, thorough guide to the tracks, signs, and habits of North America's most popular species of wildlife. Readers learn the secrets of a master tracker, assembling a clear picture from tracks, scat, and other signs. Was it a dog or a wolf? Fox or coyote? Did it pass by yesterday or an hour ago? The Complete Tracker also teaches how to get close to animals - everything from bobcats to beavers, marmots to moose - by knowing the details of their habits and a master-tracker's tips on avoiding detection. Over eighty line drawings show tracks of forty-five different species of wildlife under a great variety of terrain conditions. (4 1/2 X 8, 288 pages, b&w photos, maps, illustrations, diagrams, charts)

From Library Journal

Though these two books are related, they each serve a different need. Watching Wildlife offers a broad overview that will appeal especially to the armchair naturalist just venturing out. It covers such basics as descriptions of habitat regions and types of animals to find there; when to observe animals (specifying their cycles, both daily and seasonal); and tips for observing animals, arranged by broad group (e.g., birds of prey, waterfowl, bats, and more). More specific advice is offered on what to look for and listen to, how to equip yourself, and categories of public and private land to investigate (e.g., national parks, state parks, sanctuaries, even some private lands). An important chapter deals with the safety and ethics of observing wildlife. Appendixes list state, federal, and Canadian agencies as well as wildlife conservation organizations. For the reader who wants actually to track and observe mammals in the wild, The Complete Tracker provides detailed information on: habitat and range, foods, mating habits, seasonal habits, tracks, scat, signs, and vocalizations. A brief section provides basic advice on how to equip yourself, track, stalk, read sign, and, once found, observe the animals. While this field guide is very useful and engagingly written, don't withdraw Olaus Murie's classic, A Field Guide to Animal Tracks (in the "Peterson Field Guide" series, 1975. 2d ed.). Both books are recommended for public libraries and are suitable for academic and school libraries as well. (Photos not seen for either.)?Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Mjf Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1567313264
• ISBN 13: 9781567313260
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 273