• Ari Leach, owner/operator, Blackbird Guide Services, LLC

Winter means many things to many people. It can bring on a sense of longing for the sunny days of summer, it can encourage us to slow down and to rest a bit more, and it can open up a whole new way to access the natural world around us.

For me, winter means the story of nature is so much more visible, more accessible than other times of the year when it can be difficult to discern the movements of the animals through the landscape. In the winter, one of my favorite things to do is to venture into the woods or to a frozen body of water, and read the story of nature that winter has to tell.

Tracking wildlife in the winter is an exercise in awareness. Awareness that engages your sense of sight perhaps more than anything else, and that necessitates a slow pace in order to take it all in. On a recent outing to a favorite local bog, I came upon a wonderful story indeed. I found my very first North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) slides and tracks, taking me on a twisting and turning trek across a frozen tundra landscape. The thrill I felt when I spotted the very first track was indescribable. These river otter slides were something completely new and alien to me and invoked a sense of curiosity and desire to learn more of the otter’s story. 

So, I embarked on what would become a nearly 2.5 mile trek, following closely the step, step, slide pattern of the otter’s trail. At times, the tracks seemed to disappear, either dipping down into a seemingly frozen hole in the bog, or leading up the steep bank and into the forest. My mind was turning the pages, collecting information and piecing together the story of the otter. 

What surprised me perhaps the most about the otter’s trail, was the number of tracks from other species that seemed to accompany those of the otter. I saw numerous red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Eastern coyote (Canis latrans) tracks cross-crossing those of the otter, and a pine marten (Martes americana) trail that seemed to cut straight from the Eastern side of the bog over to the Western side. Were the coyotes trailing the otter? The marten? Or were they simply traveling through in search of prey? What was the marten up to, with its direct and quick cut across the bog? 

I found myself overwhelmed with appreciation for all that the winter allows us to see and to feel. The stories of different species, overlapping and blending together like the chapters that make up a book. You can’t know the entire story without acknowledging the individual pages, each set of tracks or pile of scat, every broken alder branch or downy breast feather blowing across the snow. They all come together to create something truly magical to witness; the temporary story told by snow in winter. So get out there, and be sure to check the safety of any frozen body of water before venturing onto the ice. Take a tracking card with you and see what story you are able to discover in winter!