register

The degree to which an animal’s hind foot lands in the track left by its front foot. In a direct register, the hind foot falls exactly in the front print, leaving what looks like a single track — common in cats, foxes, and deer moving at a walk. In an indirect register, the hind foot lands slightly off. An overstep means the hind foot lands ahead of the front print; an understep means it falls short. Register is one of the first things a tracker looks for — it immediately narrows the species and tells you the animal’s pace.