FOOTPRINTS​
Animals may be shy, but they rarely pass through without leaving a trace. A footprint in soft mud or snow can reveal a surprising amount: the species, the size, even how fast it was moving. Some prints look neat and tidy, others more like a muddy mystery. Take a closer look, see what stories you can spot, just try not to step on the evidence!​​​
DEER TRACKS
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All UK deer leave similar tracks, two long, narrow hoof prints with a neat gap between them. Size is the best clue: muntjac about 3 cm long, roe deer around 5 cm. Easy to confuse with sheep, but deer tracks taper to a point, while sheep prints are more rounded.​​
BADGER TRACKS
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Badgers are rarely seen, but their prints in mud or snow reveal where they’ve been on their nightly rounds. Look for five toes above a broad rear pad, often with clear claw marks. Tracks are about 5 cm long and up to 6.5 cm wide. They can be mistaken for cat prints, but cats show only four toes and no claw marks.
FOX TRACKS
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Fox tracks are neat and narrow, usually showing four toes and a small oval pad behind them. Fine claw marks often appear at the tip of each toe. Prints are about 5 cm long and 4 cm wide. They can be mistaken for dog tracks, but fox prints form a tighter, diamond shape with toes close together. Dogs leave rounder, broader prints and tend to wander, while foxes walk in a straighter line.
LOCALS
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If you spot a footprint like this, it’s probably from one of the locals who often wander through these woods. They’re mostly harmless and, if you listen carefully, you might hear them calling to each other in their strange, cheerful language – usually about dogs, weather, or what time the pub opens.