Tracks Describe the Animal...

[Rossco]

I kinda think martin. Its hard to tell from your picture for sure, but thats what I would think. But i've been wrong before.

Ross

[Larry Emery]

Looks to me like it could be a fisher, as close as the tracks are together and for the size that B-N-TREES said that it was. jmo; Did it make them strides the whole time that you were on it?

[B-N-Trees]

These are BOBCAT tracks. I was not trying to take a good picture of the print as much as the drag marks this cat left as it traveled. What was interesting about this cat was the way it shuffled as it walked and how the prints where off set a little in each track. This bobcat moved along revines and along the rim of a large canyon. It passed by an old turkey kill and I found where it caught and killed a rabbit. It really traveled too like it had a place to be. Never really changing its pace just cruising. I think it was a big old tom checking its territory looking for the ladies.

[B-N-Trees]

Interesting commits everyone.
This is what I know, a martin or a fisher will have longer toes than a bobcat and a weird pad shape and usually not have as much hair showing around the print. In conditions like snow (shown in the picture) or soft dirt the semi retracted claws will usually show up. They also will have a bonding patten to their stride. No doubt I was on a bobcat just an unusual track. I have seen lions walk like this on a few occasions and as mentioned in this tread indicates a larger heavier tom or even quite likely a pregnant female.

Here are some other pictures if they help any:


Not to mention this dog does not lie when she's on a bobcat.

[david]

That dog broke off wolverine?

[pete richardson]

that cat passed thru here 3 years ago - - i walked behind dog a few miles - dog could only follow it ---
never jumped it -



not a fisher or marten - i assume a wolverine track is like fisher but never saw one




nyways i know exactly what your talking about ,, saw same thing , very unusual



perfect cat print -- just driveing by , you might mistake it for a porcupine -or maybe a 6 legged bobcat i was looking for bobcat tracks and i almost didnt stop and look at it ---
just guessing , but i say a lovesick tom that has exhausted himself -

[spruce mountain]

I think that it is definatly a bobcat.The pattern isn't like any of the weasle family.Like pete said,I have seen tracks like this before and almost past them up and I am sure I have driven past a few.Thinking that it was just a coyote.Usually a big old tom.JMO

[Nolte]

I sure wish I had some of you guys checking roads in front of me.

I'd throw on that track 99% of the time. I screw up IDing tracks all the time, but what is the worst that is going to happen. You're going to tree/run a fisher. And most likely if you've got a dog that has been on a few cats and bumped off a few fisher, it won't take it.

Besides, that's not a fisher. The might walk for a little while but eventually they are going to hop.

[deerhunter17]

Does not really walk like a cat. To me it sure looks like raccoon. Looks like it might have long toes...

[catdogs]

Geez-o-pete some of you guys need to take a track ID class.... All members of the weasel family, including coons, marten and fisher have 5 toes and asymetrical pads.

[coastrangecathunting]

well you guys need to get off the crack pipe. that is not a cat track,
jc padgett

[jasonrinebold]

I wouldn't say it is our it isn't unless I was there looking into it myself. I've seen bigger lions barly drag the hair on the foot like that before but it's usualy in 4 or 5 inches of snow. I always just though big old cats like that were lazy. I have never seen a bobcat doing that but it is breeding season here. Maybe he'd just been tom cattin around for 20 miles lookin for a female? If it was an extra large track with smaller than average toes I would likly call lynx. I have a friend who used to chase lynx in BC and said they drug there feet alot, but personally I've never seen a lynx track. Guess you'll have to go catch that thing and prove somebody right and a ton of us wrong.

[Nolte]

well you guys need to get off the crack pipe. that is not a cat track,
jc padgett

Marty Stouffer, please enlighten us what it is then.

We have a fairly low cat density here. You can check all day in all the crossings and not cut a single cat track. You can usually cut multiple t-wolves, coyotes, grey & red fox, fisher and other small critters, so we get to compare tracks agains all sorts of junk.

With that in mind, I'm saying it is a 35.5 tom bobcat. If the pics were better I cold narrow it down another 1/4 lb.

[blackpaws]

That's a big tom trying to stay on top of the crust is my guess. walking step for step back foot inside the front foot tracks. i have never seen a fisher or martin walking for any length. usually 2 tracks in front and 2 in the back hopping.

[coastrangecathunting]

it just looks funny to me. b-n-trees should know he got to look in the track did it have the three dimples on the back of the pad. on the top of the picture of the tracks it did some wierd steps. and the toes look to spread apart. just dont look right to me but i wear glasses and i had my beer goggles on last night . today is my 10 yr weddinng anniversery went and picked up three kages of beer lastnight for the party. i had to make sure it was a good batch of beer. was kidding about the crack pipe . have fun i will.

jc