The Valley That Never Disappoints

By Taylor Tewksbury

On a snowy morning in early December, eight participants from Missoula to Bigfork gathered at the SVC office for a day of wildlife tracking. SVC’s Conservation Director, Luke Lamar, led the group in a round of introductions, and each participant talked a bit about their journey with tracking. Sipping hot cocoa from a thermos, even our youngest tracker, who was just five years old, shared his excitement for the day ahead. Then, brushing snow from our jackets, we piled into the rig and headed out to our first stop.

Snow quickly blanketed the ground with each passing minute, covering tracks left earlier that morning. We can only laugh. It seems as though the forecast has eyes on our events calendar, as fresh snow seems to like to fall right before or during our classes, making for challenging tracking conditions. And yet, without fail and similar to this December day, we always seem to find exciting sign and have memorable days.

Beneath the shelter of outstretched evergreens, we huddled around the first track. Getting to work and compiling clues, Luke highlighted the animal’s leading toe, a characteristic of the felid family. Noting the impressive size of the print and animal’s long stride (or length between tracks), the group concluded it must belong to the valley’s largest elusive feline: the mountain lion. Ducking between low-lying branches, we followed the tracks until they disappeared into the forest understory. As the group turned towards the cars, one participant yelled out as a grouse flushed from its hiding spot. In its hastened escape, the bird left behind a parting gift: a fresh set of tracks for the group to look at before moving on to our next destination.

As we drove down the road, we idled the rig along a line of snowed-in tracks that continued on as far as we could see. Could it be a human out on an early winter stroll? No, the stride was too long. A large canine? No again. Whoever had trudged down this road had left behind large, pigeon-toed prints. As the group paced pensively along the tracks, Luke guided them through a mental dichotomous key of possible suspects. With each question, the group slowly came to a consensus: grizzly bear, one of our less common winter tracking subjects. As participants jotted down stride measurements for later use, our youngest tracker dropped on all fours and practiced his lumbering overstep walk.

After warming up chilled digits on the ride to the next stop, the group arrived at the brushy edge of a wetland. Luke parted a tangle of stiff willow branches, careful not to spill snow into the scene. The group peered in as he revealed a freshly stashed deer carcass. Who would have hid their calories in the bushes? Again, it was one of our powerful top predators, the mountain lion. Mountain lions cache their kills, piling duff and debris atop the carcass to keep birds and other scavengers from stealing their hard-earned meal. Pulling a bone saw from his pack, Luke explained to the group that the health of a deer at its time of death can be determined by examining the marrow. Luke cut into the leg of the doe, revealing fatty marrow indicative of a relatively healthy animal. Our young tracker observed intently, munching a cookie.

Restoring the lion’s cache to its original state, the group returned to the Suburban and made their way to the Elk Creek Conservation Area, one of the properties SVC manages in partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. As the group walked through the forest, Luke pointed out sign after subtle sign etched into the bark of the trees. With his rosy nose held just inches from a conifer’s trunk, a participant ran his fingers over a rough section of pale inner wood. Resin leaked from the scar where a chunk of bark had been ripped from the tree. As the group considered multiple explanations, Luke finally described the importance of scent marking in bear communication. To announce their presence to others, a bear will stand tall and vigorously rub their scent into a tree, often urinating as they work their shoulders, neck, and head into the bark. Bears leave their scent in even more ways while performing this behavior: they will stomp their pedal (foot) scent glands into the ground or reach back and bite into the trunk, tearing off chunks of bark in the process. Like the bears who had visited the tree before them, the group then continued on their way down the old road.

As we dropped down to the creek’s edge, the valley had a few final surprises to share. Participants peered into a belted kingfisher’s nesting burrow, which the bird had excavated from an earthen bank. Across the creek, a long slide mark along the ice vanished into the water, revealing the preferred transportation method of a river otter. As the group prepared to turn towards home, a participant quickly motioned towards a flash of dark brown, which disappeared under a snowcovered root wad. Drawing in to investigate, we followed the tracks as the critter dashed between piles of woody debris along the creek’s edge. Upon examination of the tracks, the group concluded that the animal was loping across the snow, a gait pattern characteristic of our culprit, the mink, and other mustelids. Crouched near a break in the icy surface, participants noted where the small, semi-aquatic carnivore had slipped away into the creek.

Bouncing back down the road to the office, surrounded again by the warmth of the vehicle, we were reminded of some important lessons. No matter how long you’ve been tracking (or how long you’ve been on this earth), exploring the landscape with others always offers the chance to learn something new. And, despite often challenging conditions, the Swan Valley never fails to provide opportunities for curiosity and awe.

Track illustrations by Eli Estey

Opposite: Mountain lion

Above: Northern flicker

Opposite: A winter tracking class following tracks along the Swan River.

Right: Going over the characteristics of felid vs canid tracks after the class narrowed down the possible suspects for these large, long-stride prints. The culprit? A mountain lion.

Check out all of our 2025 (and December 2024) wildlife tracking opportunities on the following page!

2025 Wildlife Tracks and Sign Opportunities

Interested in tracking with us? Check out these upcoming opportunities with SVC. If the event you would like to join is full, you can still join the waitlist! Need financial assistance? Scholarships are available and can be found on our website. Don’t see dates that work for you? Contact us to set up a custom tracking experience for your group.

Wildlife Track & Sign One-Day Workshops

Learn how to read tracks and sign to determine the movements and behaviors of animals in the Swan Valley and beyond. Hone your eyes to subtle clues with the help of experienced guides in this 1-day introductory class.

Dec 14, 2024

Jan 18, Feb 15, March 8, 2025

Trailing

Hone your ability to find and follow animal trails over long distances. Each participant will have the opportunity to be the lead tracker, piecing together sign to follow a continuous trail. Trailing is a crucial skill for hunters and those wishing to connect deeply to individual animals. We are offering both a workshop (up to 6 participants) and a trailing certification (4 participants). During the certification process, participants will be scored on their ability to follow a trail.

June 13 Trailing workshop with Luke Lamar- FULL, join waitlist

June 14-15 Standard Trailing certification with David Moskowitz- FULL, join waitlist

June 16-17 Standard Trailing certification with David Moskowitz- FULL, join waitlist

Wildlife Track & Sign Certification

Dive into the art and science of tracking with a two-day workshop. These certifications are both an evaluation and an immersive learning experience. There is no previous experience required for a standard certification. It is recommended that you have a score of at least 97% to sign up for a specialist evaluation.

June 19-20 Track & Sign Specialist with David Moskowitz and Casey McFarland

June 21-22 Track & Sign Standard with David Moskowitz

Wildlife Track & Sign Weeklong Course

Fully immerse yourself into the world of tracks & sign in this weeklong course. Each day will begin with time in the classroom covering foundational concepts, and the remainder of the day will be spent outdoors experiencing as many tracks & signs as we can find. This course includes five days of instruction and a two-day certification and can be taken for 2 University of Montana Wildlife Biology credits. Airport pick-up, food, and lodging are included.

January 4-12 (evaluation with Michelle Peziol)

March 15-23 (evaluation with Michelle Peziol)