Help with track ID

[ChrisB]

Anyone have an idea what made these winter tracks? (I thought the top one was too big for a dog.)



And these under a bridge



Thanks

 

[iAmKrzys]

For whatever it's worth, there is an group called "Animals Don't Cover Their Tracks: Animal Track Identification Help Group" on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/271764596196849 ) that I have been following for few years and I got some good feedback from there.

 

[Andrew]

1st one looks like a dog track to me. So it may be a big coyote, or just a big dog. At my woods coyote track is frequent, but I often get much bigger tracks when my neighbors dogs travel onto our trails. Some real big domestic breeds out there. Another thing can be the characteristics of the track; with a wandering canine track more evident of a domestic, as a wild coyote usually travels with clear intent, with divergences to check out spots for potential food sources. I also notice the claw marks on most domestics to be more clear and sharp in a track as they tend to be longer (nails), but not always if the domestic dog is trimmed or very active outdoors. The wild dogs rugged lifestyle wears their claws.

The second track looks like an otter. The location triggers the first thought and it looks so. Next time you see similar look up and down the track path for a pitch and see if you can spot sliding to confirm.

I was trying to figure out a track last week, and I'm convinced it was a bobcat carrying a snowshoe hare that was still wriggling, looks like he dropped it once.

 

[ChrisB]

1st one looks like a dog track to me. So it may be a big coyote, or just a big dog.

The second track looks like an otter. The location triggers the first thought and it looks so. Next time you see similar look up and down the track path for a pitch and see if you can spot sliding to confirm.

Thanks Andrew. Next time I'm in that area I'll look for slide spots.