Black River Area Wildlife Tracking Course

Cost of this workshop is set at $180. If this presents financial challenges there will be some scholarships available contingent upon adequate sign up. Please inquire by email for details on this! Please email Nicholas at wildroots.handcrafts@gmail.com for further details, with questions, or to register.

This will be an immersive and educational tracking course focused on the diverse opportunities of the Black River area. More typically northern species like wolves, bears, bobcats, fishers, ravens, elk, and porcupines are prevalent here, as well as a host of southern Wisconsin representatives from deer, turkeys, coyotes, and cranes to opossums, songbirds, and small rodents. This array, combined with the sandy soils and the diverse, mixed forests and wetlands of this wild area make it a great destination for seeking, finding, following, and learning from wildlife track and signs.

We will spend the first day traveling and tracking the sand roads, woodlands and trails of the state forest learning foot morphology, the gaits by which these animals move, their habits, and their interconnections with each other and the land here. On the second day we will get onto the Black River on a lower stretch where there are super sandbars filled with tracks of semiaquatic mammals, turtles, raptors (last year there were more owl tracks than one could count!), amphibians, shorebirds, and more of the aforementioned wildlife. This workshop is designed to get participants immersed in the world of tracking and observing the sign left by the diverse wildlife of the upper Midwest. It is intended for both those new to wildlife tracking and looking to build a foundation of knowledge, and those who are on this journey already but are looking to observe sign of and learn about various wildlife less frequently encountered.

Accomodations and meals will be the responsibility of participants but there may be some camping secured for participants at a state forest campground on the East Fork of the Black River for group camping. There may be some loaner canoes and some for rent locally if needed for our second day. Paddling will be dependent on water conditions but this is generally a good time of year for it.

Cost of this workshop is set at $180. If this presents financial challenges there will be some scholarships available contingent upon adequate sign up. Please inquire by email for details on this! Please email Nicholas at wildroots.handcrafts@gmail.com with any questions or to register.