Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains (Paperback)

by James Halfpenny (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Don't just step past those animal signs on the trail. Those are scats and tracks and they have a story to tell. In Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, Dr. Jim Halfpenny, a nationally renowned tracker, teaches you how to decipher these messages. Was that footprint left by a fox, a mountain lion, or a wolf? Was that pile of droppings deposited by a moose, a mouse, or a marten? This book can help you determine which mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have passed your way and might be nearby. The book includes written descriptions and illustrations of the scats, tracks, and gait patterns of 70 Rocky Mountain species, an identification key, and a glossary of tracking terms. For a deeper understanding of the woods and wilderness, Scats and Tracks will prove indispensable.

From the Back Cover
Winner of the 1999 National Outdoor Books Award! See those animal signs on the trail? Was that footprint left by a fox or a wolf? Was that pile of droppings deposited by a moose, a mouse, or a marten? Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains will help you determine which mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have passed your way and could still be nearby. Clearly written descriptions and illustrations of scats, tracks, and gait patterns will help you recognize seventy Rocky Mountain species. An identification key, a glossary of tracking terms, and detailed instructions on how to document your finds are also included here. Easy-to-use scat and track measurements appear on each page, making this book especially field friendly and letting you know if a white tailed ptarmigan, a red fox, or even a black bear has been your way. (4 1/4 X 7, 176 pages, illustrations)
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560446285
• ISBN-13: 978-1560446286
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,584,461 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scats & Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, October 4, 2000

By	M Colo'n (Billings, MT United States) - See all my reviews

Winner of a 1999 National Outdoor Book Award, this small guide contains a wealth of information.

As an environmental educator who has been teaching tracking classes for over 15 years, this is the book I now use for all of my classes. Page for page, "Scats and Tracks" is the most useful and useable resource for track identification in the field that I have found.

Packed with information that is useful to both the novice and the more experienced tracker, "Scats and Tracks" is the easiest of the various guides for beginners to use, yet contains enough information to remain relevant as one's skills improve.

The quality of its contents make the book an invaluable resource; its size, format, and organization make it easy to understand and use effectively. If you're going to buy just one of the many books now available on track identification, "Scats and Tracks" should be the one!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Small Jewel, December 29, 2002

By	C. Ryan (Winthrop, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, 2nd (Scats and Tracks Series) (Paperback)

This small field guide supposedly covers from Colorado/Utah north to the Canadian border, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and California, so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great , easy-to-carry field guide, December 29, 2002

By	C. Ryan (Winthrop, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This small field guide supposedly covers from Colorado/Utah north to the Canadian border, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and California, so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.