In last month's newsletter, we examined the differences between tracks and impressions, and why the distinction is important. (If you missed last month's article, it is archived here.)
This month, we'll focus on how to properly document tracks if you find them. There's more to it than you might think! Each researcher has their own method of documenting and casting a track find. Through trial and error (with emphasis on the error part! <grin>), this is what I've found to be the most thorough way to do so.
GATHER YOUR EQUIPMENT
To properly document your find, you'll need the following:
- A tape measure (NOT a 3' keychain one! I'll explain why later. You'll need a real live, honest-to-goodness measuring tape, preferably a 25 footer)
- A still camera, either 35mm or a GOOD QUALITY digital camera (3 megapixel or better)
- A video camera
- Several pounds of ULTRACAL 30, not Plaster of Paris. (Ultracal is strong, it sets quickly and it does not expand or shrink when it dries)
- One large bucket, a small container, 2 wooden spoons or paint sticks and at least a gallon of water or a water source nearby
- A notepad and a ball-point pen
- 3x5 notecards and a permanent marker
- Several sticks or pieces of sturdy wire
- A roll of brightly colored tape
- Small, colored flags on wire supports
- Several large brown paper bags
- A GPS unit
Granted, most hikers who discover tracks won't have anything but a camera, if that. But if you return to the scene to document it, make sure you've gathered the proper equipment and the job will go much more smoothly. If you DO discover tracks, and only have a camera with you, follow the instructions you'll read below for photographing tracks. Get them photographed, then protect them and come back to further document them. REMEMBER: Good, clear track finds are incredibly important and proper documentation is invaluable!
CAREFULLY EXAMINE THE AREA
First and foremost, you need to survey the location. Examine the layout of the area. Did the creature cross a creek? Are the tracks just off the beaten path, on a game-trail, or going up an road embankment? What is the direction of travel? Walk beside the entire trackway, being careful not to step IN it (walk through the brush if you have to), in both directions and locate all of the tracks, partial tracks, impressions, disturbed vegetation. If the trackway continues for several hundred yards, make a mental note of it and return to the area where the tracks are clearest.
PROTECT THE EVIDENCE
Protect your evidence. Treat your discovery as though it's a crime scene. If you're with a large group, ask everyone to stay away until you've finished your survey. ONLY ONE PERSON SHOULD CONDUCT THE INITIAL SURVEY. Then, tape off the area and do not allow people in to see the tracks until evidence collection is complete. If there are dogs in the area, tie them up immediately so they can't damage the evidence. If you're hiking, and you don't have the proper materials with you to photograph/measure/cast the tracks, leave a discrete trail marker, cover the tracks with large pieces of bark to protect them from the elements (make sure you walk BESIDE them so you don't disturb the trackway) and get back quickly with the materials - preferably the same day. Remember, other hikers or forest animals could easily destroy the evidence without knowing it. The sooner you document your find, the better.
DOCUMENT THE SCENE
Once the scene is protected, you can begin your documentation. Have an assistant available to help you, if possible. Use your colored flags to mark each track or impression similarly - either at the toe or the heel. This will make the track locations easier to discern later in photographs, and will also keep you from stepping on the trackway accidentally. Now, take out your notebook and make a rough sketch of the track area. This is important! Take care to note the location of game or hiking trails, creeks, obstacles, roadways, powerline thoroughfares, clear cuts, types of vegetation (old growth, young timber, berry thickets, and anything else of interest in the area. Not only will this enable you to "see" the area with a critical eye - the information you gather may prove important later.
PHOTOGRAPH THE TRACKS
Using your still and/or video camera, stand back at the beginning of the trackway (straddling the trackway itself) and photograph the entire trackway in the direction of travel. Take two photos: one looking down along the trackway itself (from the highest vantage point possible), then a point of view photo to establish what the creature saw as it passed through the area. If the trackway is long, repeat this as many times as is necessary to photograph the entire trail. As you finish photographing the first section, turn 180 degrees and photograph where the creature came from.
Next, photograph each track or impression in sequence. Make sure you photograph each and every track, partial track and impression. Before photographing each one, fill out a 3x5 index card with the date, time, location and track number and set these beside each track, either on the right or the left. Now, pull out your tape measure, set it on the opposite side of the track, and, straddling the trackway, photograph the track from above, facing the direction of travel. (Using a large measuring tape will enable you to view the tape numbers in the photograph!) Take two photos from this angle - one with flash and one without. Now, photograph the track from a lower angle, still facing in the direction of travel. Again, always take two photos... one with flash, and one without. Finally, step to the side of the track and photograph it at somewhat of an angle. (Many times, overhead track shots don't turn out well... the track disappears in the two-dimensional photograph. Taking a photo at a 45 degree side angle ensures that you'll be able to see the DEPTH of the impression.)
Have your assistant draw the track on your area sketch. Make a note of its length (both right and left sides of the track), its width (both at the toes and the heel) and its depth.
Before you photograph the next track in sequence, take two separate stride measurements and note them on your "map" as well. First, measure the distance between the toe of this track and the heel of the next. Finally, measure the distance from the toe of this track to the heel of the next SAME FOOT track. (Toe of right foot to heel of next right foot) This is the actual STRIDE of the creature.
Continue to document each track this way. Along the way, use index cards to label any broken vegetation, and photograph that as well. When you get to the final track, turn around and photograph the trackway on last time. Finally, make a written or mental note of the tracks that are deep enough to hold plaster. Once your photo documentation is finished, you can begin casting.
CAST THE TRACKS
Mixing Ultracal properly is similar to making pancake batter and we'll use that analogy here for clarity. You'll need to mix two batches of "batter" for each track: one small, thin batch to coat the floor of the track (mixed to the consistency of pancake batter you'd use to make "thin" pancakes), and one larger batch to fill the bulk of the track (this should be mixed to the same consistency you'd use to make "fluffy" pancakes). The thin "batter" will enable you to pick up fine details (such as dermal ridges) that might otherwise be lost.
First, label a brown paper grocery sack with the date, time, location and track number. (Don't use plastic bags if you can help it. The casts will continue to set and the attached soil will need a breathable bag in which to dry). If there are leaves or debris in the bottom of the track, carefully remove them and place them in the corresponding bag. You will examine this debris later, at home, for hair.
Now you're ready to cast. Coat the floor of the track with the thin mixture by quickly spooning it into the track. Make sure the Ultracal fills any fine detailed areas, particularly the toe impressions. Then, immediately pour the thicker mixture in, filling the track completely. Finally, take several thin sticks or pieces of wire and gently press them LENGTHWISE (not across) into the plaster, being careful not to press them too deeply and affect the "face" of the cast. (This acts as a reinforcement, similar to rebar in concrete.) The cast will take approximately 30 minutes to dry. There is a chemical reaction which occurs during the setting process and the cast will feel warm, even hot, to the touch as it sets.
When the cast has cooled, carefully remove it from the ground. DO NOT BRUSH OFF ANY ATTACHED SOIL OR DEBRIS. Place the cast immediately into a brown paper sack, and label the sack with the date, time, location and track number.
Cast each track that is deep enough to hold plaster, even if it is a partial track. If the track is on a steep incline, you can use cardboard to create a "dam" around the track. In this case, try mixing your filler plaster a bit thicker so it won't run. Place each track in a separate bag.
On a side note, I have cast a track in a mud puddle under two inches of water. It still works! Also, when casting tracks in snow, you're likely to get some melt from the chemical reaction that takes place as the plaster dries. Try spraying a thick coat of hairspray into the track before casting it.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Gather all your materials (pack it in, pack it out!) Mark the location coordinates on your GPS unit. It's a good idea to come back several days later to see if the creature has passed through the area again. (You might leave a few apples in a tree as a "thank you"...)
CLEAN AND EXAMINE YOUR CASTS
As tempting as it is to clean off a track before it's dry, ALLOW YOUR CASTS AND THE ATTACHED SOIL TO DRY THOROUGHLY BEFORE HANDLING THEM. Leave them in the bags for at least 24 hours in a warm, dry environment. Start with a clean, light-colored surface like a countertop or a large piece of butcherpaper on a table. Carefully remove the cast and dump the contents of the bag on the surface. Brush of the soil from the face of the cast carefully and keep it in a pile until the cleaning is complete, then pick through the debris carefully to look for hairs. (I have found hairs in casts on several occasions - one was still embedded in a cast from 30 years earlier!) If you do find a hair, pick it up with tweezers and place it in a small sterile glass container. Email me, and I'll help you get it to the right place for analysis.
Your casts will not come perfectly clean. You can brush them off using a soft cosmetic brush... however, take care when you get down to the face of the cast. Picking out grass, pine needles and other debris can damage fine details. As you clean each one, use a permanent marker to transfer the cast details (date, time, location and number) to the flat side of the cast.
On a final note, PRACTICE casting animal or human footprints. Don't wait until you've got the find of a century to try out your technique. It can be a fun activity to explore with your kids and a great learning opportunity for them as well!
If you have question or comments on this article, I'd love to hear from you. Next month, we'll discuss how to lay a "track bed" in order to better your chances of obtaining beautiful, crystal clear animal tracks. :)
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