run (tracking sense)
**Definition:** A well-worn path through vegetation used regularly by animals — a visible route through grass, brush, or undergrowth where repeated passage has beaten down the plants, compacted the soil, and created a narrow corridor of movement. Animal runs are as deliberate as roads and often as old. They connect bedding areas to water, feeding areas to cover, and one part of a territory to another. Some runs are used by multiple species; others are exclusive. The width and height of the cleared corridor tell you what's using it.
A well-worn path through vegetation used regularly by animals — a visible route through grass, brush, or undergrowth where repeated passage has beaten down the plants, compacted the soil, and created a narrow corridor of movement. Animal runs are as deliberate as roads and often as old. They connect bedding areas to water, feeding areas to cover, and one part of a territory to another. Some runs are used by multiple species; others are exclusive. The width and height of the cleared corridor tell you what's using it.
Etymology
Old English rinnan, to flow, to move. The same word as the river term, applied to the flow of animals through landscape.
Notes
Cross-reference with the river entry for run. Same word, same idea — a channel of movement.
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