How to Track Raccoons

The raccoon is one of the wild animals humans encounter most commonly in North America. Raccoons are nocturnal, and smart enough to use their hands to open jars, latches and even doorknobs. They are equally at home in the city as they are in the woods.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Examine the tracks. The raccoon has 5 toes on each foot, with the toes of the hind feet much longer than the front toes. The front feet resemble a child's hands. The claw marks are often visible on all toes in the raccoon's prints. The heel pad is a shaped like a "C." The front feet measure about 2 to 2 1/2 inches, while the hind feet measure about 4 inches in length.

2. Follow the gait. The raccoon has a widely varied gait, but the general pattern is the left hind beside the right front foot, then the left front beside the right hind foot, with the large hind foot constantly changing sides.

3. Measure the stride. Measure from the top edge of the first print to the top edge of the second print. The average raccoon stride is from 10 to 17 ½ inches.

4. Find the straddle by measuring the outside edge of the left stride line to the outside edge of the right stride line. The average straddle for a raccoon is around 6 inches across.

Tips & Warnings

• If the heel of the hind foot doesn't register, it may be very difficult to distinguish it from a front footprint.
• Though they most often walk, raccoons can run at speeds up to 15 mph.