# Animal Track Help.............



## Shipper50 (Feb 5, 2011)

I saw a coyote stroll by my mailbox earlier today and thought, gee in broad daylight. It was snowing here at the time and then I went down to check my mail and found these prints. I should have taken my camera with me then or got it, but waited till about 3 hours later and then took the following pics.

It has 4 toes, and by the size of it I would guess it weighs over 150 pounds. I dont know any dog around here that big, so anyone have an idea of it?

Thanks
Shipper


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## gzecc (Feb 5, 2011)

Does look like a coyote track. Doubt very much it was 150lbs. Coyotes max out around 65lbs.
If it were >100lbs it was probably a dog. But a dog track is a little different.


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## Shipper50 (Feb 5, 2011)

I am not sure what coyote tracks look like and the one who went by before this animal did wasn't that big. Maybe 60-70#. I have never seen a dog print this big and if it was a dog, it was one big mother.

Shipper


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Feb 5, 2011)

definitely canine.  I don't think it's that big.


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## Shipper50 (Feb 5, 2011)

~*~Kathleen~*~ said:
			
		

> definitely canine.  I don't think it's that big.


 I guess if your saying a paw print 3.5 inches across isn't big, and the gate is around 22 inches from back to front, I would hate to see big.

The pics don't really show how big it looked when I first saw it, but its the biggest print I have ever seen in the wild.

Shipper


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## thewoodlands (Feb 5, 2011)

Here's a link that will show a dog and coyote tracks.


http://leavenotracecommunity.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-rules-get-broken.html





Zap


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## Shipper50 (Feb 6, 2011)

After looking at your link Zap I know it wasn't a dog. If this was a coyote it was one big momma. The print was as big as my palm and I wear a large glove. It was 3.5 to 4 inches across and from front to back it was at least that big. I will show the picture to my local mailman as he knows all the critters around here.

Shipper


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 6, 2011)

Coyote tracks are more oval.  Dogs are more round.  Coyotes self register more (step in own tracks with hind feet), and dog tracks tend to be more meandering.


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## JustWood (Feb 6, 2011)

Coyote tracks are triangular not round like that one is.
Nails are too pronounced for a coyote.
A dogs gait can be any length.   If you can put a size 12 boot between walking  tracks with plenty of room its over 25 lbs. If its less it's a  small dog or fox.
Freezing and thawing can distort the size of a track considerably.
That definetLEE isn't a coyote


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## Shipper50 (Feb 6, 2011)

localLEE said:
			
		

> Coyote tracks are triangular not round like that one is.
> Nails are too pronounced for a coyote.
> A dogs gait can be any length.   If you can put a size 12 boot between walking  tracks with plenty of room its over 25 lbs. If its less it's a  small dog or fox.
> Freezing and thawing can distort the size of a track considerably.
> That definetLEE isn't a coyote


 Well Lee, I am glad you said it wasn't a coyote. I saw the print before I took the pics and it was very clear and BIG. They do talk about big cats around here and I saw a pic of a cougar and it was not more than 15 miles from here and it was over 300 # they say. 

I have also seen 3 bob cats up on my hill behind me in the woods, but they are not that big, maybe 15-20# at most.

Shipper


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## Bxpellet (Feb 6, 2011)

BigFoot?


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## colebrookman (Feb 6, 2011)

Cats retract their toe nails when walking so this is someones dog out looking for deer.  Be safe.
Ed


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## Shipper50 (Feb 6, 2011)

colebrookman said:
			
		

> Cats retract their toe nails when walking so this is someones dog out looking for deer.  Be safe.
> Ed


And how big a dog you think this is? I have been around many many dogs in my life and have seen Mastiffs and never saw one with a paw this big.

Shipper


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## JustWood (Feb 6, 2011)

Shipper50 said:
			
		

> localLEE said:
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I think the track is prolly just distorted. Sun and then really cold will really distort them. 
It may also have been a track in a track or the dog slid a little bit as it stepped.
I get a kick outta people telling me stories about seeing  a big cat. I always let them indulge me for quite some time before I instill doubt in their mind. I spend a good amount of time in the woods well away from civilization and have NEVER seen a cat track other than bobcat and ya gotta look hard to tell if it's a bobcat as they resemble a gray fox track. My finishing doubting blow is  the fact that cats eat only fairly fresh meat and have a big appetite , especially a 300lber. You'd see lots of  cattle, swine, and deer carcasses if a cat that big was around.


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## Shipper50 (Feb 6, 2011)

localLEE said:
			
		

> Shipper50 said:
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I saw the track not more than 30 mins after and I didn't take a picture till it had snowed some on it. I tried to clean out the track without messing up the outline. What has a gate of 23 inches or more, I mean where the front paw and the back are in the one picture?

Shipper


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## gzecc (Feb 6, 2011)

Shipper50 said:
			
		

> I saw a coyote stroll by my mailbox earlier today and thought, gee in broad daylight. It was snowing here at the time and then I went down to check my mail and found these prints. I should have taken my camera with me then or got it, but waited till about 3 hours later and then took the following pics.
> 
> It has 4 toes, and by the size of it I would guess it weighs over 150 pounds. I dont know any dog around here that big, so anyone have an idea of it?
> 
> ...


What am I seeing here. The ruler shows the width of that print at appox 3.5". My 80lb dogs print is 2.75".


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## Beetle-Kill (Feb 6, 2011)

Domestic Chupacabra. Check the telephone poles for "Lost" flyers.  ;-)  Ok, I didn't crosscheck the prints, but have any of your neighbors ever reported seeing a wolf? We don't have wolves in Colorado, yet one was killed on the highway about 3 years ago, about 7 miles from me. About 5 years prior, a friend of mine saw wolf tracks (he's a wildlife biologist, studying ptarmigan). What'dya think?


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## ironpony (Feb 6, 2011)

I have a St. Bernard Hound mix
weighs 100 pounds
paw print is huge in the snow
next time were out with snow 
I'll snap a photo
I'd also guess her gait is about 20 plus inches


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## Beetle-Kill (Feb 6, 2011)

ironpony, I'm having a real tough time seeing "coyote", and your pups profile. Can you post a pic. of your beast?


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## bogydave (Feb 6, 2011)

Looks like a metric tape measure, but maybe not.
Coyote here have pretty sharp toe nails but may not be visible in loose snow,   but can see the toe nails in wet snow pretty good.
The bushy tail usually is a dead give away. 35 lbs average  a big one 40lb here. Eastern coyote are a little bigger , the fluffy fur makes them look bigger.
Medium dog size tracks.
 150 lbs would be a wolf, & the track well when you see it, the  hair on your neck stands up, (You just know) it is big.  ain't many large dogs that compare, a real big track, 5" or so.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Feb 6, 2011)

A big cat track is rounder overall, but I agree it's bigger than I first thought.


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## MillHeat (Feb 6, 2011)

I'm going with wolf. http://michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12141_12168-31682--,00.html


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## Shipper50 (Feb 6, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> Looks like a metric tape measure, but maybe not.
> Coyote here have pretty sharp toe nails but may not be visible in loose snow,   but can see the toe nails in wet snow pretty good.
> The bushy tail usually is a dead give away. 35 lbs average  a big one 40lb here. Eastern coyote are a little bigger , the fluffy fur makes them look bigger.
> Medium dog size tracks.
> 150 lbs would be a wolf, & the track well when you see it, the  hair on your neck stands up, (You just know) it is big.  ain't many large dogs that compare, a real big track, 5" or so.


Dave, its an all American yard stick in the snow. I guess I should have taken the picture as soon as I saw it. But didn't think till later.

Shipper


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## muncybob (Feb 6, 2011)

My female St Bernard @ 110lbs leaves a similar track. I'll have to measure next time she's out and after our ice covered snow softens up a bit.


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## John_M (Feb 6, 2011)

For comparison purposes and to reinforce what Dave said: Many years ago I hunted caribou and moose down the Tyone River in Alaska. One night a wolf pack left their prints on a sand bar just below our camp. My partially spread-out hand from tip of thumb to tip of small finger (Xtra Large glove) was the same size as some of the wolves' paw prints.  Ya' gotta see it to believe it! :gulp:  John_M


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## bogydave (Feb 6, 2011)

Shipper50 said:
			
		

> bogydave said:
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Was a joke, I knew it was inches. 
Definitely a big track. Maybe it is a wolf track. Coyote track here are not that large.
Just a wolf track is huge (size of a mans hand) & have long legs , to get around in the snow well. 
Could be a few wolves in your area, who knows. They are making a comeback in many areas. Rarely seen here, so would be more rare there.

There are allot here & just recently a confirmed human killed by wolves here in AK (remote village school teacher). 
Not as many trappers, few ways to hunt them with the new laws. Fish & Game have a tough time managing them due to political pressure
from the lower 48 states & animal activists. Fort Richardson & Anchorage just had issues with them, so F & G are planning some population management
in that area.

I never want to see wolves gone from the wild, but one in my back yard, I'd be concerned & do what I thought needed done.
Some FYI photos, old moose hunt pic. wolf came in on my kill site, old male, worn teeth (like me now)


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## joel95ex (Feb 6, 2011)

Chubacabra----oh wait that is only in TX.  not sure about indiana


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## AVIVIII (Feb 7, 2011)

My 100lb Golden's paws are close to 3" wide and a gait of 19-20"

I have a friend with 2 dogs, Great Dane/Newfie mixes and they are each 165lbs and are 32" tall to the SHOULDER. Their paws completely eclipse my x-large (glove) sized palms.

St. Bernards, Newfies, Bernese Mt. Dogs, Mastiffs, etc, can all me much larger than that. There is also someone in a near-by town that has wolf-dog hybrids that are absolutely massive.

It is not unreasonable that is is a large dog, but be aware that you might have some wolves in your area. Call your state's fish and game / DEM or whatever, send them the pics and ask them what they think it might be, also find out the rules of dealing with them if they are wolves. Generally wolves are protected, but you are justified (in most states) in shooting them if they pose a threat to persons or animals.


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## billb3 (Feb 7, 2011)

our mastiff leaves huge feetprints


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## ironpony (Feb 7, 2011)

Beetle-Kill said:
			
		

> ironpony, I'm having a real tough time seeing "coyote", and your pups profile. Can you post a pic. of your beast?



not for looks...
just the size of her paw print in the snow
for comparison of size
here is a pic anyway


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