How to Track Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

Eastern cotton tail rabbits live in woods along the edge of the forest, brushy areas and grassy plains areas. The front feet have five toes, while the hind have only four. The eastern cottontail rabbit is primarily a nocturnal mammal that people see mostly around dusk and the hours of early dawn.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look at the front prints. The prints of the eastern cottontail are pointed and measure about 1 inch wide. The fur on the foot often prevents details from being clear. Examine the hind prints. The hind prints are more oblong, around 3 to 4 inches long.

2. Check the stride length. Depending on the speed of travel the stride can be anywhere from 7 ½ to 39 inches. To find the stride, measure from top edge of the aft print to the top edge of the fore print. Use prints on the same side, i.e., right side or left side steps.

3. Measure the straddle. Measure from the outside edge of the stride line to the outside of the opposite print. For example, draw a stride line using the left prints, then measure across to the outside edge of the right print. The eastern cottontail has a straddle of 4 to 5 inches.

4. Look at the trail as a whole for a boxy pattern, with prints in sets of four. The print clusters should show typical rabbit movement , the hind feet coming above and on the outside of the front feet. When the rabbit is moving quickly, you see less of the hind print. Depending on the type of substrate, you may get lucky and see a typical avoidance trail, where the rabbit jumps far to one side to break the trail when a predator chases him.