"Traces of a brown bear" refers to "something that indicates a brown bear was there."

What you often hear about are probably brown bear footprints and droppings.

In addition, signs of having eaten are sometimes called "feeding traces" (shokkon).

There are various signs, such as smells, claw marks, and peeling wood.

The tracks tell us things like: How big was the brown bear there? How many are there in the area? Is it really a brown bear's footprint? What was it doing? What was it eating? and so on.

Collecting these items provides clues to understanding the lives and behaviors of brown bears.