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Wildlife Identification

Developing wildlife identification skills is among the basic requirements for hunters. Knowing the key characteristics of the animal you are hunting will help you distinguish between similar species, between male and female, and between young and old animals. Mistakes in identification can lead to illegal harvest of game or nongame animals.

Imprint of deer tracks in the dirt; imprint of turkey track in the mud; wolf tracks in the dirt; an elk track in the dirt

Identifying animals accurately is a skill that improves with experience. It can be difficult, especially when you must be quick to observe small details quickly or when differences between animals are subtle. Sometimes the difference between animals within the same species is something as subtle as the size of their ears or distinctive coloring. Scat and tracks can provide additional clues.

Front cover of the Arizona Wildlife Viewing Guide

Many resources are available for learning about wildlife in Arizona. Good sources of information are books, Arizona Wildlife Views magazine, wildlife television shows, journal articles and websites, such as that of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (www.fws.gov) or Arizona Game and Fish (www.azgfd.gov). It is common to categorize wild animals into groups that are similar in some way.

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