Bobcat?

[TDawg]

Tracks

Will those who are in the know about these things please identify these tracks...I should have used something for scale, but the tracks were about 2" wide.

Close up

Set of 4

Breaking trail for me

 

[gaiagirl]

Definitely a dog and not a cat. From the apparent stride of the animal, red fox would be the logical suspect.

Cat tracks have a much larger bottom pad, and the toes are spread further apart. Between the toe pad imprints of anything in the Dog family you can draw a distinct X; this is not true of a cat track.

 

[TDawg]

Now that you mention it, and looking at the book I have (Scats and Tracks of the NE), they look like a fox. Maybe Grey Fox because there were no claw marks in any of the tracks?

 

[gaiagirl]

Claw marks are often not visible in snow, regardless. This is most likely Red Fox. Gray fox are rarely out openings like this; they spend a lot of time in dense forests and are often in the trees, sometimes even traveling tree to tree.

 

[TDawg]

Alrighty, there we have it.

Thanks for the replies, these tracks were with me from the parking on Rt. 118 all the way up the road to the Dartmouth Ravine Lodge and onward to the second crossing of the Baker River on Asquam Ridge Tr.

 

[stu]

Maybe not!

Not to step on anyones toes, but....in my opinion the images are not clear enough to make a definite call. Reading animal sign is often very difficult and one is often fooled. Look at a house-cats track in the snow. A bobcat track will look the same accept larger, (sometimes a little bigger, occasionally much bigger). Having said that, the third image does look like fox because of the inline gait of the tracks going up the logging road...Just my opinion, Cheers, STU

 

[gaiagirl]

Yes they are. Stride and straddle alone, in addition to location, lead you to red fox as the ID.

 

[grouseking]

I think these are bobcat tracks

 

[KayakDan]

We saw tracks similar to Grousking's pics on Crawford Path 2 weeks ago. They were very clear,and obviously from a cat. Unfortunately I spaced out and forgot my camera on that trip.

We had a pine martin visit us at Carter Notch Hut yesterday morning. Ran right up to the window,then took off down the hill.