Tracking Wildlife in Winter
The snow provides a great opportunity to track wildlife and see where it goes, where it comes from and where it might be living.
Our first example is a rabbit hole. Perhaps a warren, perhaps just a sheltered area that it goes to. The round dark area slightly below the middle of the photo, while more pronounced a few weeks ago, is still obviously a hole tunneled into the bottom of a brush pile. With the large pile (approx 15′ x 5′ x 5′) covered in a thick layer of snow the inside becomes a nicely sheltered area for wildlife. A rabbit was witnessed emerging from this hole on more than one occasion and a distinct trail in the snow leading up to it was visible.
Another part of our yard had a very distinct well worn trail in the snow. Occasional footprints of lighter critters, like squirrels are visible in the right of the photo but the trail on the left had been regularly traversed. By what I could not tell but I’m suspecting possibly skunks, opossums and/or raccoons.
The trail led straight to our shed, then along the front of it before turning right into it plunging down through the snow to go underneath it. The clear signs of digging help solidify that something has taken up residence under there.
Other parts of our yard have clearly displayed vole trails, bird tracks, wing marks where a bird took flight and other signs that wildlife is coexisting in our backyard habitat.
What's In My Yard 
Intriguing….I wonder what type of animal has crawled under your shed?
Given the odor last time I was in the shed, I’m thinking skunks.