Author Topic: Track id (Read 1037 times)

beenthere · « **on:** January 28, 2012, 02:55:14 pm »

This morning, after a light snow last night, there was a set of tracks different from the usual coyote, deer, rabbit, squirrel, possum, racoon, cat, etc that is normal.

They were like a loping animal with pairs quite evenly spaced and side by each for about 1/4 mile. No snooping around the stacks of firewood on pallets, and for the most part right straight up the drive and past the buildings to the woods. Any thoughts? Larger than cat, possum, squirrel, and racoon. Not typical of dog gait.
I've wondered if otter, fisher, mink, or weasel.

Paul_H · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2012, 03:06:24 pm »

This seems like a good site,

Tracks

beenthere · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2012, 03:25:56 pm »

Paul
Thanks. Lot of info on that site, and one of the first I looked at.
Seems to be a "pacer" with the pair being a front and back foot. Trying to visualize a coyote doing that, but doesn't quite fit. Paw print is about size of coyote (2") but seems one of the pair of tracks is round and the other with a "heel" to it. The stride is about 13-14" (longer in places and shorter in other)

west penn · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2012, 05:58:49 pm »

I've never seen otter or fisher tracks. they look an awful lot like mink but that would be one monster mink with tracks that big. my guess would be otter since they are basicly a big mink.

kderby · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2012, 12:53:21 am »

I vote Otter!

On a snowy day I saw five otter going downstream along the creek. My young Labrador Retriever was ahead of me and I thought Oh No! He hit the hot scent and headed up the creek. Thus, no fight ensued. That is a good thing. I think one dog versus an otter family would have been a heck of a fight. I think the dog would have lost.

Paul H thanks for the link. I saw some tracks elk hunting and wanted to look them up.

WildDog · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2012, 02:27:34 am »

Interesting tracks, the pads look like fox however the gait isn't. I have never observed foxs in the snow but in long grass the red fox at times will will pounce along a bit like a startled deer, this is really left field

Did the tracks start or end in a normal gait?

fishpharmer · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2012, 02:47:36 am »

Never seen otter tracks in snow. I have seen many otter tracks in the mud and sand. Usually a mark is left by their tails as they are so low to the ground.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2012, 06:17:14 am »

A running house cat. I'm seeing 4 toes and no claw marks. Looks like he's skidding an inch as he lands. Now that's just a guess because photos are not as accurate as your eyes seeing insitu.

Chuck White · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2012, 09:42:13 am »

Looks like Fisher tracks to me.

Fisher tracks are side-by-side like the pics in the opening post!

beenthere · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:24:53 am »

Same gait the 1/4 mile I tracked "it". That is what first caught my attention. With the light fresh snow that fell over the hard surfaced drive, the pattern was near perfect "in-step". No skidding appeared.
Seems it has a good steady stride for front/back paws to land side by each.

Most likely for around here (no open water within 2 miles) it is coyote, but fisher seems a possibility. Will keep looking for more fisher sign. Can they have paws the size of coyote?

Thanks for the thoughts.

Paul_H · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:48:14 am »

A Wolverine has big paws.I shot one while hunting and was surprised at the thickness of it's ankles and legs and the size of the paws.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2012, 11:26:45 am »

Fisher and otter have way bigger feet than those pictures show, plus long nails. I have otter here on the woodlot and those are long way off for otter. Plus any slope, even a small drop and an otter is on his belly sliding. They always do it here and my woods is almost flat. The only other thing that comes to mind is porcupine, their feet are close when they walk. There is one here that travels every other day from a barn across a 100 acre field to the closest woods. He travels through my yard. The only thing though, the toes always point inward and that don't fit those tracks. Fisher have big feet and they are quite bit a bigger than martens.

Chuck White · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2012, 05:09:49 pm »

Definately not coyote!

I still say Fisher.

Burlkraft · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2012, 07:21:53 pm »

I had some fox tracks in the driveway this morning

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2012, 07:28:39 pm »

Fox are as thick as rabbits around here. Walk along the field edges and there will be fox tracks. The neighbors dog(s) are roaming around here at night now so the fox stay away. If he gets into that porcupine that's been around here he'll get a surprise.

Yeah those tracks aren't coyote, coyote walk along like a dog and similar track. Our coyotes are quite big compared to other regions. We call them coy-dogs.

Any fisher I've seen is in mixed or softwood forest and near water. Used to see one here several times by the brook over 3 or 4 years that was lined with tall mature spruce. Saw one 2 years ago, same thing, near a brook and tall softwoods. I'm not sure if those tracks are big enough for a fisher, but they walk like that.

When we worked out of camp in northern BC the martins were as thick as rabbits around camp. I used to get a kick when someone would go into the rec hall and out the door behind him a martin would have a donut in his mouth. One time a guy left his lunch bag in a truck, window down. A martin got in the window and in the lunch sack. The guy came back to the truck and things got a little squirrel for a few seconds. Crazy things.

Magicman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 03, 2012, 03:37:53 pm »

Bobcat Tracks

Bobcat tracks show four toes without claw marks, due to their retractable claws. The tracks can range in size from 1 to 3 inches (2–8 cm); the average is about 1.8 inches. When walking or trotting, the tracks are spaced roughly 8 to 18 inches (20–46 cm) apart. The Bobcat can make great strides when running, often from 4 to 8 feet (1–3 m).

Like all cats, the Bobcat directly registers, meaning its hind prints usually fall exactly on top of its fore prints. Bobcat tracks can be generally distinguished from feral or house cat tracks by their larger size: approximately 2 square inches (13 cm²) versus 1½ square inches (10 cm²).

beenthere · « **Reply #16 on:** February 03, 2012, 07:52:42 pm »

Will pursue the bobcat idea MM.

My track pics were passed around the WI DNR, and the one response was:

Quote

I think these are mustelid (weasel family ) tracks, with the typical 1-3-1 pattern to the toes (3 at front-center and one to either side). For weasels, the pair of tracks tend to be slightly offset (generally more so than here). Seem too small for a fisher, but about the right size for mink. The straddle (from left edge of left track to right edge of right track, in a pair) should be about 6" for fisher, about 3" for mink. The length of a single track should be about 2 - 1/2" for fisher, 1 - 3/4" for mink. The distance between each pair of tracks should be about 32" for fisher, 13" for mink. Mink tend not to stray far from water.

While not near water, might be a young male out looking for new territory (my imagination).
So at the present, am thinking might be mink.

Fur coat anyone?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:18:35 pm »

Mink are vicious little buggers, especially when their little teeth are in your trout you just landed on shore and you want it back.

Happened to me once when fishing on a lake that we had to walk an hour into from the nearest road.

WH_Conley · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2012, 11:05:49 pm »

Mink vs Donk. Interesting.

Magicman · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2012, 10:30:29 am »

Quote from: beenthere on January 28, 2012, 03:25:56 pm

Paw print is about size of coyote (2")

A 2" track is powerfully large for a mink.

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Author Topic: Track id (Read 1037 times)