Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species Paperback – August 1, 2003

Mark Elbroch's new book is a scientifically credible look at trackingThe tracking world has once again gained a great resource in the new book by Mark Elbroch. "Mammal Tracks and Sign: A Guide to North American Species" fills a gap in the availability of good quality photographic guides to tracks and sign. This is a book for the serious tracker! At 784 pages, it is the most complete guide available today on the subject. The tracking world has long awaited a book to rival Olaus Murie's "A Field Guide to Animal Tracks," which has been the field standard for years. Elbroch's book covers some new ground, bringing together coverage of subjects that previously were found only in specialized, and not widely available, publications. These include: mammal remains, a large section of sign on vegetation, identification of kills, burrows/beds/lays/nests, and a big photographic section on scat and other secretions. The very complete section on gaits will help you identify those difficult trails. Photos, drawings, measurements, and range maps are included for each species. Throughout the text are sidebars with tips to distinguish between easily confused species. This is especially useful if you have ever found yourself struggling with an identification in the field. The appendices list other tracking resources for further study, including schools, books, web sites, tracking teachers, and more.The book is a little heavy to tote into the field, but it offers so much information that it may be prudent to buy two; one to haul into the field and bang around, and one to keep at home for reference. Its weight is compensated for by the fact that it has information you would find in many different field guides all in one book, so you can leave the others at home and bring this one along. It sets a new standard for tracking as a science and brings it new credibility that may help increase its use as a tool for wildlife management.The initial price may be discouraging to many trackers, but in the end, I think you will find it is money well spent. There are many books on tracking out there, quite a few with poor drawings, inaccuracies, or errors. Although those books are much less expensive, and are probably better "mass market" sellers, a tracker needs accurate information, and this book provides it. This book is destined to become one of my favorites, and one I will recommend when people ask me which book to purchase.I think you will agree that Mark's two new books are great additions to the tracking library, and offer the serious tracker valuable resources, although these are not books that will sit on the shelf and gather dust. They are the books that will become worn and dog-eared from being hauled into the field and used. I look forward to using them in years to come as I further my own knowledge of the unlimited field of tracking.

This is a great book. It has a lot of information and the author definitely knows his subject. Information is detailed and there are lots of pictures that shows the reader those details. The only reason I did not give the book five stars is because there are a lot of occurrences at which words are separated or ran together. Usually this doesn’t bother me, but there were several times when I had to stop my reading flow to decipher these editing mistakes.

I'm big into hiking, hunting, fishing, camping and overall outdoor stuff. Time again I come across tracks and droppings that I think I know what they are but not 100%. What really got me interested in a resource was black bear scat. I think I see it time and again and would find it helpful to be more confident in identifying what it really is. This book contains a huge amount of detail and excellent photos, descriptions and is broken down in a usable format. The author did a really good job. This book goes with me on all my trips now. I have used it a number of times so far and feel it provided what I needed to identify what I had found. Helps to take out the guess work. Good luck.

Great book with loads of detail. This blows away anything else out there on the subject, but it is not a field guide or a week-end reader. This book will take you a serious amount of time to read and then a lifetime to comprehend and master. This book is a textbook and should be purchased with that in mind. I believe the organization of the book could be better arranged and more navigable. In the book there is some preaching, recruiting and praising of the Tracker and the art of Tracking early on, but it passes soon enough to be of no concern. You will come away with a new perspective regarding tracks and their interpretation. Well worth the money, and I could not beat the Amazon price either. There are other places to get the book, but they charge $10 more. Happy reading.

In the beginning, there was the Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks. Then came Tom Brown's Field Guide to Tracking and Nature Observation. Next Paul Rezendes broke new ground with Tracking and the Art of Seeing. Authors and publishers like Halfpenny, Audubon, Stokes and lots of regional track finders notwithstanding, there was a pause.The field of tracking and animal studies has been waiting for this book for a long time.Thank you Mark and Eleanor for taking field guides to a whole new level. Your photography and extensive knowledge will allow the study of tracking to take a huge step forward.The bar is effectively raised!In case you haven't figured it out, this is the one BOOK you should have to help you understand animals and tracking. Enjoy this treat of a book. I just wish I had had a copy in 1984 when I first started my serious study of tracking!

This book is exactly what I was looking for.It is comprehensive and well presented. I take it into the field, even though it is a big book.I think I would pay for this in a spiral bound, for field use.I first purchased it for my iPad, but found that to be a mistake. I need a book to flip through, using it on an iPad (or other such device) is just not efficient.I have no hesitation in recommending this book for anyone interested in tracking and learning about the wildlife that surrounds us.

I often see tracks in the snow at my parents' house in Vermont in the winter, when it is also easier to spot scat, holes, and tree damage. This book is very comprehensive and has some great photos allowing you to compare the signs that different animals leave behind. I learned so much just from a brief perusal and am already seeing a few things I didn't understand before (it helps to hike with my parents' two dogs who helpfully identify the scent mounds). I am definitely a 'beginning' tracker (if that); I am not sure if this book would be useful for a more experienced tracker but it seems like an excellent book for the curious outdoorsman.

El libro llegó en excelentes condiciones y poco antes de lo programado. Es un libro fundamental para cualquier mastozoólogo de la parte norte del continente, a pesar de que está muy enfocado a especies solamente presentes en US, es útil en otras latitudes.

Just getting interested in tracking as we have moved to a natural lakeshore property with many critters great and small. I am an elder woman having a blast in nature... Love the pictures and explanations. Great resource guide...especially when I bring pictures home on my phone taken during my beach or cliff adventures.

I've been tracking for over three decades. This is absolutely the best resource I have come across for N. American mammals.

We find the book very informative and will be using next weekend to track in eastern Ontario

fantastic. great for advanced trackers and newbies.