Snowy Tracks, Blood Trail and an end to a story

[Rob]

I love tracking in the snow. It is a great place to learn the basics, see some more subtle sign and to build on some of the analytical skills that really help you put together a picture of events.

A couple of days ago, I was wandering about in the wood behind our house. It had been great watching the ever growing maze of tracks building up as the days of snow went by. The regular additions to the snow helping to put a timescale to events and highlight the activities of some regular visitors that I had not been aware of before.

Plenty of bird life about.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/Wilderness1-2-1/Blood%20Trail/Wings.jpg

So many tracks

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/Wilderness1-2-1/Blood%20Trail/SnowTracks.jpg

Towards the boundary of the wood, where I was looking at some fallen Ash that I was planning to keep warm with, something stood out.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/Wilderness1-2-1/Blood%20Trail/BloodTrail1.jpg

The trail was a strange one. The blood trail was irregular and didn't seem to have any purpose or urgency. It became obvious that the owner of the track was on his way somewhere after a misadventure.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/Wilderness1-2-1/Blood%20Trail/BloodTrail.jpg

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/Wilderness1-2-1/Blood%20Trail/BloodTrail2.jpg

As we moved on, over the shallow stream, we found an old aquaintance had met his end. The mass of tracks surrounding the body of the fox, that lived under our old collapsed field shelter, signalling what was going to be a continued winter lifeline for a while to come. He wont be making the dash for freedom when my wanderings take me to close to his shelter anymore.

[Bushwhacker]

Is that a bad shot from a hunter?
Dogs n horses would've laid it to bed a lot quicker.

[gowersponger]

nice bit of tracking ,good post

[Rob]

The fox did have an open wound on one of his rear legs (below the knee). This is what he was carrying as he struggled through the woods - putting it down every so often - leaving the trail.

The other wildlife had already started making the most of the bounty, although there was no evidence of a gun shot wound. My money would be on a leg injury from a covered sharp object, that opened up.