Salish Seasonal Guide

Kids > January > Ski Safari

Ski Safari

Mule deer along the Wenatchee River.

To really experience the winter woods, nordic skis or snowshoes are the way to go!

When to go:

December, January, February, or any time there’s enough snow.

Where to go:

What to look for:

A surprising number of animals will be out and about in the winter woods.

Crows & Ravens

These scavengers survive the winter by eating anything they can find – from carrion to your lunch.
Chickadees

These charismatic little birds eat bugs and seeds, and they form flocks in the winter. Listen for their famous chicka-dee-dee-dee call, as well as their nearly constant high-pitched “chatter.”
Deer & Elk

While most deer and elk head for the lowlands in winter, some may stay behind in the mountains. Watch for tracks, scat, and signs of browsing to figure out if there are any nearby.
Snowshoe Hare

Snowshoe hare are quite active at dawn and dusk, but they turn white in winter so you have to keep a sharp eye! Hare and rabbit tracks are distinctive and easy to learn to recognize.
Squirrels

Many squirrels are active all winter, retrieving the nuts they stored away in the fall. Look for their tracks going from tree to tree, and listen for them scolding as you pass through their territory.
Tracks

All that snow makes for some wonderful tracking! Watch for coyote, hare, squirrel, deer and elk, bobcat, cougar and even bear tracks in fresh snow.

Coyote track

Coyote tracks are often overlooked and dismissed as dog tracks. If you get a very clear print, look at the two middle claw marks. If they are parallel or slightly pigeon-toed and point forward, chances are it's a coyote track. Dog toes tend to be more splayed. Also look at the overall pattern of tracks. Dogs like to run around and leave winding trails of pawprints, while coyotes tend to be heading someplace specific, and leave a straight trail.

Snowshoe hare tracks

Hare and rabbit tracks are nearly identical, and are some of the easiest to recognize. The large back feet of the hare land in front when the animal hops, leaving a mark like two exclamation points. Most of the time the two front paw prints are a little offset from one another.

Deer track

Deer tracks will be familiar to anyone who lives in a rural area. Elk tracks are very similar but will be much bigger. The tracks of both animals may show the dewclaw marks as two small dots behind the main hoofprint.

Squirrel tracks

Squirrel tracks are made up of wonderfully delicate little pawprints. Like hares, their hind paws end up in front of their front paws when they scamper from tree to tree. Unlike a hare, all four feet are similar in size, so squirrel tracks don't look like exclamation points.

Cougar track

Cougar and bobcat tracks look the same except for size - cougar tracks are bigger. Like all cats, bobcat and cougar tracks will not show claw marks. This is the surest way to be sure you're looking at a feline track and not a canine one.

Bear track

It's unusual to find bear tracks in winter, since bears aren't very active during the coldest months. if you do find some, you'll know it - they are big and quite distinctive! The front print may almost look like a human handprint made with curled fingers (see picture), while the hind print will be elongated.