[mec]

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=47569&stc=1&d=1163030652

[TexAg]

Looks like a canine family track to me. What area of the country?

[Blackfork]

Whatever was riding it dropped it's pistol out of their holster.

[Polishrifleman]

I would say by the wider spacing that it is Wolf track, size is a little difficult. Wolf and Coyote are very similar looking but size is the key.

[xd45gaper]

looks like a dog track. with coyote tracks the toes are closer toghter.

[USMC - Retired]

Definately Cougar.

http://www.naturealmanac.com/cougars/notes.html

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

Keep these things in mind. It could be a cougar, I'd like to see the context of the tracks, the behavior signs of the animal, but here are some things to consider from a life long tracker...

It's not a wolf. Wolves 'toes' are in a more linear, straight line, from the main pad - not splayed out as in the photo. I know the wolf well.

Canines walk with claws out since they don't care as much about them as do cats! Cats keep those useful tools withdrawn when walking so there shouldn't be any claw marks - the uniformity of the track suggests no aggressive, evasive movements, which might prompt those claws out. And yet, it almost seems like I see a few claw marks. . . .

Lastly, cats walk in a straight line. Their foot path signature is smaller as they are advanced stalkers. The straight line keeps noise down, minimizes risk of hitting objects. Cats are so hard core about this that they step right in the same prints as rear feet move forward!

Dogs don't mind stepping wherever, esp. domestic dogs, kind of like the prints in the picture.

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

dogs running around

[mec]

"Definately Cougar."

Interesting that you should say that. Just about everybody insists it has to be a canine of some sort. This even though no claw marks are showing in this print. Here's another that clearly has no claw marks at all. the widget over the upper part of the track is a coon track overlaid.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/949073/clawsin.jpg
This is on the verge of a corps of engineers lake in Central Texas. Not usually considered puma country but they actually have been here for decades. These tracks are lenier with frequent back/front overlays. the mud is quite soft and there are tracks of the same age that have claw marks -not extending from the front pads outward but just about straight down into the mud. some of these tracks are more splayed out which could be a cats response to slippery ground.

I have never know of a dog that was able to sheath its claws- or of a cat that didn't extend its claws when it wants traction.

[USMC - Retired]

Another characteristic of cougar tracks is a M shaped pad and teardrop shaped toes, like in both your photos.



http://www.easterncougar.org/tracks.gif

[Spinner]

Whatever it is has got a case of the dropsies, 'cos first it dropped its handgun and then it dropped some cash. :D

My first thought was a large "cat" of some kind because of the shape of the main pad and the lack of claw marks ...... AFAIK dogs don't sheath their claws but all cats except cheetahs do. But then what do I know, we don't have wild cats in these parts.

Spinner

[USMC - Retired]

"Definately Cougar."

Interesting that you should say that. Just about everybody insists it has to be a canine of some sort. This even though no claw marks are showing in this print.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail....

[ArcherandShooter]

I once had a standoff with the biggest wildcat I've ever seen up there in the woods near the western end of the lake.

It was back in 1998, and I was bowhunting hogs, working to ambush a family of little grunters, when I saw this monster cat (NOT a cougar, it had spots and a short tail) stalking them about 20 feet in front of me.

When he spotted me I tried to raise my bow slowly enough to avoid spooking him, but he ran off into the brush anyway.

[grizz]

1. No claw marks visable in deep mud.
2. Paw is wider than long.

[mec]

This is a little lake about fifteen miles east of waco. One of those corp of engineer projects from two and three decades ago dedicated to damming up every creek in the universe and creating first a lake and then a swamp and later, a bog.

There definately are some thumping big bob cats around. People are reporting felix concolor all over this county now. It is basically an urban county with the utility companies and subdividers dedicated to destroying ever vestige of nature inside of it. The state is even planning a multi lane toll way to help illegal aliens come from the southern countries more easily. Nevertheless, we are seeing suburban varmints of all sorts scarfing up kitty cats, puppies and bird seed from liberal bird feeders.
Define cougar: They get called cougars, puma, panthers, painters, wompus kitties, catamounts and koghers ( last two from Navarro county where they call yard gophers " salamanders" and mud cats "polywogs." One county north of waco/mclennan, they have been seeing "black panthers" for years . this is probably nothing more than a dark family of pumas

This week a guy saw a puma in his back yard and reported it to the paper. A local oligarch told people to " please not shoot " any such cats they saw. this was not because of a desire to preserve some semblance of the natural world. It was just puritanical reaction to the idea that somebody might actually enjoy shooting something.

[Pumpkinheaver]

When I first saw it I said to my self, "some kind of cat."

[.45Guy]

I've never seen a cougar track in person, but bobcat, and my purebred American barn cats have more rounded toe pads. Learn something new every day. Thanks MEC!

[mec]

it's been a few decades since I saw a clear one myself. I looked around on the web but USMC's pictures and text are the best things I've seen.

[Odd Job]

More dog vs cougar tracks info here:

http://www.easterncougar.org/Downingtrackcomp.htm

[ZeSpectre]

Been a loooong time since I've seen one but I'm pretty sure it's a cougar track. I was thinking bobcat until I realized the size. Appears to be the front feet not the rear.

-No clawmark in evidence. Dogs can't retract their toenails so the marks almost always show.
-The pawmark is very wide, much wider than a dog.
-the backside of the rear padmark has the distinctive "3 lobe" mark of a cat. Dogs don't have that center lobe.


Ah ha, found a good webpage to illustrate. Scroll down to the photos
http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

[USMC - Retired]

Originally posted by mec
it's been a few decades since I saw a clear one myself. I looked around on the web but USMC's pictures and text are the best things I've seen.

OK, so what did I win for the first correct answer? :evil:

[Northslope Nimrod]

Could be cougar. Toe spacing and direction look a little funny. Could be the thick mud.

If it is a cougar, it is a small one. I've seen tracks double that size.

[.45Guy]

I just found this site, pretty darn neat: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://frontlinegraphics1.com/isaiahrobertson/images/coyote_track.jpg&imgrefurl=http://frontlinegraphics1.com/isaiahrobertson/tracks.html&h=399&w=600&sz=121&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=xCWzbKZZhp9UjM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoyote%2Btrack%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

[mec]

"OK, so what did I win for the first correct answer?"

The satisfaction of being right. We just told the land owner about the tracks and he said " Oh yeh. theres a whole family there. One morning he saw the mother cat and a kitten.

The first time I posted pictures on a couple of boards, I made the mistake of labeling it "Cat Tracks". this brought out internet experts who guaranteed that they were dog prints.

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

the second pic is much better, facts mentioned earlier still true...fun stalking ground, have fun! (first pic not as clear in lacking claw marks). Lots of traffic explained by being close to home base

[Sunray]

"...since they don't care as much about them as do cats..." Dog claws don't retract. That's a kitty track.
"...when it wants traction..." Yep and it doesn't matter that it's a house cat on your stomach either.

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

???
not being rude here...wondering what that above post means. I'm sure you are good at IDng tracks. I have lived off of tracking related skills for along time...still not a master, but been around long enough to know dogs dont retract :D

[mec]

but it is true that cats like to dig their claws in when they launch off your stomach.

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

hence the 'for traction' remark.....
*ouch

(examines deep red holes on his chest)
:what: