They hunt for foot tracks and hoof marks.

They study automobile tire tracks.

They make plaster of Paris impressions of these tracks.

They follow the tracks--sometimes Indian fashion.
Often there are peculiarities about the tracks which lead to the detection and punishment of the culprits.

A horse may be shod in an unusual manner; a man may have peculiar hob nails or rubber heels on his boots or else his footprints may show some deformity.