Chapter 6: Basic Hunting Techniques
Planning and Preparation (continued)

Animal Characteristics

Whatever you're hunting, a basic understanding of an animal's features will help you develop an effective strategy for identifying and tracking it.

• Animals can be identified by these basic features.
  • Distinctive Markings: The black cheek patch on male pronghorns; the "flags" of the white-tailed deer; the face pattern on a gray fox; the green head on a mallard drake; the red, white, blue, and black on the head of a male turkey
  • Sounds: The wild call of the falcon; the familiar honk of the goose; the gobble of a strutting "tom"; the grunt of the deer; the howl of the coyote
  • Movement: The bounce of mule deer; the fast or slow wing beats of some waterfowl; the zigzag in-flight pattern of the common snipe when flushed
  • Group Behavior: Flock patterns, such as the familiar "V" shape of certain migratory birds; various types of herd behavior
  • Game Sign: Animals leave "signs" indicating their presence in an area. These signs can include tracks, fecal droppings, scrapes or rubs, and beds
• Further study will help you learn other ways to identify and understand your quarry, including its ability to hide and its behavior.