Weeklong Wildlife Tracks & Sign
Earn college credits and your certification!
2026 Dates
Spend a week in the field with us, earn two credits through the University of Montana (WILD 291), and gain your Wildlife Tracks & Sign Certification through CyberTracker North America!
*Includes: food, lodging, transportation around the Swan Valley, and pick-up from Missoula
Each course limited to 10 students
Remainder of tuition due through payment plan set up post-registration. Looking to bring a friend or family member along with you? We offer $100 tuition discounts for each person when you register with multiple people! Discounts are applied after registration and deposits are paid.
COST: $1,600*
+ $155 University of Montana Credit Fee
*10% non-refundable deposit ($160) due at registration
About the course & certification
Wildlife Tracks & Sign develops observation skills that students can apply to future careers in wildlife biology and other natural resource fields. This course builds upon knowledge gained in biology and ecology classes and transforms this understanding into tangible field skills. Study Swan Valley megafauna, microfauna, field necropsy, and more.
The Track and Sign Certification is an internationally applied, professional-level certification used to promote wildlife tracking and knowledge. This two-day field experience is both an assessment and a training, with an emphasis on open dialogue and real learning.
The tracks and sign of any and all species encountered in the field may be asked, whether big or small, clear or obscure, fresh or old. After participants give their answers for a set of questions, a dialogue ensues between the evaluator and participants to provide the opportunity for everyone involved to internalize field marks, wildlife behavior, and natural history.
There are four levels of certification (I, II, III, and IV), which will be determined by your evaluation score.
(Certification & lodging ONLY may be available for registration, email taylor@svconnections.org to inquire)
What our students are saying…
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"As someone who has spent a lot of time in the woods, it was amazing to me how much more I could understand about this world that I have always loved just by paying attention to the little things. If I look closer at mouse tracks, I can see its tail flopping into the snow, if I look at the shape of a feather I can see the aerodynamics for flight, and if I follow a mountain lion’s tracks, I might see where it rubbed its face on a tree trunk to leave its scent behind."
Jessica Pavelka
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“One of the most impactful moments for me during the program was being able to witness my very first kill site on the second day of hiking. It was surreal. I did not think I would get the opportunity to see something like that. They talk about all these things in the classroom, and that’s one thing, but being able to experience it in the field is a totally different thing. The kill sites tell a story, they tell you so much about what a predator is doing. Being able to see this story unfold as we tracked these animals was an adrenaline rush.”
Jonathan Thorstad
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“This experience made me start to think of nature in a different way. As a birder and an amateur wildlife photographer, I always crave seeing live animals, but never paid attention to all the traces they left. Tracking, for the very first time, allowed me to slow down and really pay attention to all the marks animals left for us. I still remember the day we were looking for lynx tracks on a highland, and while looking at the surrounding mountains I suddenly understood Aldo Leopold’s saying: 'Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the wolf...'””
Carol Ge
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“This course has impacted my future by providing me with education, experience, and the opportunity to achieve a certification in tracking. The experience I have gained will allow me to enter my career field with a broader understanding of wildlife and how they interact with each other and their environment. Using information and skills I have gained from this course, I will lead fellow members of The Wildlife Society on a tracking hike this semester.”
Noah Sechrist
FAQs
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No, this course is open to all!
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Yes! If you are eligible for either of these options and intend to use them for tuition, please let us know as soon as possible because processing of these awards can take some time. While Swan Valley Connections is not itself a Title IV school, our courses are offered for credit through the University of Montana, with credits being processed through UMOnline. In most cases, VA benefits do not cover food, lodging or credit processing fees.
*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
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Yes! The Wildlife Society will allow the following Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program for participation in Wildlife Tracks & Sign - 30 CEUs
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A 10% non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration. A remaining refund can only be issued if your spot can be filled, minus a $25 per person processing fee. If your spot cannot be filled, 90% refunds can be issued for cancellations 60 days prior to the course date. After 60 days, 50% of tuition can be refunded up to three weeks before the course start date. No refunds can be issued for cancellations less than three weeks before the start date or for no-shows.