Trad Gang

Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 01:07:00 PM

Title: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 01:07:00 PM
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_0685.jpg)

(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_0681.jpg)

Took these this morning at my buddy's place. I think I know what they are, but would like some feedback from my trad gang brothers...pic quality is rather poor. With the naked eye, details were much clearer and they basically showed a tri-lobe pad with four toes. Any ideas guys and girls?
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Longbowz on November 01, 2007, 01:20:00 PM
Bear.

Left front foot in first picture, right front in second picture.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: MI_Bowhunter on November 01, 2007, 01:23:00 PM
Looks like bear to me
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: pine nut on November 01, 2007, 01:29:00 PM
cougar
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Matt Fowler on November 01, 2007, 01:45:00 PM
I'm leanin' towards feline.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: bgram on November 01, 2007, 01:58:00 PM
Mt. Lion would be my guess.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Wulomac on November 01, 2007, 02:07:00 PM
four toes = cougar.  five toes = bear.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Seven on November 01, 2007, 02:10:00 PM
My guess: That thar is a bear!  I think I can see the fifth toe on the right hand side.  Catamount/cougar do in fact have a tri-lobed ending of the heel pad but they also have a bi-lobed upper edge heel pad (between the toes and the heel pad).  In this track, even in it's hard to see state of being a picture, I can clearly see more than two lobes.  I think there are four.  Looks like a black bear right front foot to me, Ursus Americanus.  With the size of your pen being about 6" I'd estimate this track to be about 4" - 4.5" wide?    But with the quality of the picture it's really hard to tell.  If you can go back and take more pictures, put a ruler next to the track in the same orientation as the track ie straight along the bottom edge, not angled.  Also if you take the picture with the track between you and the light you'll see the details better.  And if you get close to the ground say 6" off of it, you'll also get the outline better.  -Chad
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Izzy on November 01, 2007, 02:48:00 PM
Bear for sure.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Roughcountry on November 01, 2007, 03:38:00 PM
I'm gonna say bear, my blood didn't go ta high pressure like a lion track makes it.

Details are not quite there, but shape says bear to me.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 04:44:00 PM
Hmmmm....some votes fot each so far. Both are a possibility here. I was leaning towards lion, but now Im kinda confused. Here are a couple of different pics.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_0682.jpg)

(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_0686.jpg)

Keep it coming guys. Thanks.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: KrEn on November 01, 2007, 05:21:00 PM
Bear

, the "little" toe mark can be invisible. But then, i have never seen a Cougar track. Most cats tend to have a more triangular central pad, and more fore-aft separation of the side and central toes
Is there any claw marks? Bear tend to have great big claws.

K
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Ted Fry on November 01, 2007, 05:26:00 PM
Bear for sure, good one Rough Country , glad to see I am not the only one out there that happens to.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Keith361 on November 01, 2007, 05:30:00 PM
Chuppacabbra, riding on the back of a bear...
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Stalker58 on November 01, 2007, 05:47:00 PM
No doubt.
It's A Bear.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 05:51:00 PM
There were no claw marks whatsoever. Not any indication of the fifth toe either. The thing that made lean towards lion was the fact that it APPEARED that the front and back feet were roughly the same size, and the tracks were in a line instead of staggered like a bear.
Again, the track and pic quality arent great, but I appreciate everyones input. Either way, Im hunting that area tomorrow.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: GingivitisKahn on November 01, 2007, 07:55:00 PM
The bear guys are pretty confident but I think that's a big, honkin' cat.  

Were there more tracks - if so what was the pattern?  Is that critter a diagonal walker (like a deer or cat) or a pacer (like a badger or a bear) or something else?
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 08:12:00 PM
These tracks were on the edge of a large puddle. Im guessing they are about a week old, as that is the last time this ground would have been soft enough to leave these impressions.
The tracks were almost on top of eachother. Almost in a line...all tracks there were the same size. No difference whatsoever, and the gait was about 18-24", track to track. I used Petersons field guide for animal tracks and came up with lion for a few reasons. Gait of a bear differs from these tracks, their back feet leave another shape track altogether, and the gait is generally shorter(unless its a huge blackie). I then compared lion, and it all sort of fit. Shape, line of travel, gait, size. I also think that a bear with a 4.5-5" track would leave deeper impressions in the "mud" than say a 150# cat.

Again, I know the pic quality is bad, maybe I can get more pics tomorrow.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Ted Fry on November 01, 2007, 08:16:00 PM
Here is a nice pic of a cat track taken today by a friend near my house, big difference.  (http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m263/raptorarchery/1nov07bigcat001.jpg)
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 08:28:00 PM
Ted, thank you. That ended all doubt for me real quick.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Roughcountry on November 01, 2007, 09:43:00 PM
Jamie, another indicator is the two tracks close together in your pic. The one on the right is a front I believe.
The cats are direct steppers, you mostly see hind foot tracks cause they step dirctly on the same spot the front foot just left. Also see how much narrower the rear pad is on Ted's pic and the definate triple lobe. Thats the front foot toes you see on the left side of Teds picture.

I have a very clear pic of a lion track in snow and a bear in snow if you want them. It will take a little while to find them and get them on photo bucket.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 01, 2007, 10:10:00 PM
Sounds good rough, whenever you get to it is good for me. Thanks for all the input everyone.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Steve Kendrot on November 01, 2007, 10:35:00 PM
Just from appearance, I'd say bear as well. All those toes in rows... No one asked where the tracks were found. If in NY, then I would say double confidence bear. I know all the rumors of Mountain Lions in, well, just about everywhere, but if that picture was taken in NY it is many times more likely to be a bear unless someone has released a pet lion. Even still, the track conformation looks like bear to me.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: JBiorn on November 01, 2007, 11:27:00 PM
Definately not a lion. The size is about right for either a large cat or a small bear. The response about the difference in walking pattern is nuts on. The only time you will see both front and rear tracks of a cat is either where they have bee loafing, or at the dead run.

What confuses me is the lack of claw marks I generally associate with bear tracks. Strange.

Wolverine?
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: fisheye47 on November 02, 2007, 01:38:00 AM
That is a black bear track-trust me!   CAM REXER
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: KrEn on November 02, 2007, 03:54:00 AM
It is definately not Wolverine, we have some of those here, it has a much longer footmark and more space between the lobes, and is so light i doubt it would leave mark on the ground Ishiw. is showing.
W. track is almost always triple tracks on diagonal lines, that is a sure telltale on wolverine.

Has anyone taken a wolwerine with a bow and arrow?

K
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Aram on November 02, 2007, 05:21:00 AM
Really, really big bunny?
  :scared:    :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: southpawshooter on November 02, 2007, 08:15:00 AM
Bear.........
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Tom Leemans on November 02, 2007, 08:36:00 AM
Wookalar!

Then again, it could be a heffalump or a woosle. Definitely not a tigger though. No bouncy flouncy tail marks.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Kevin Bahr on November 02, 2007, 09:27:00 AM
I'll vote for black bear, but the lack of claw marks has me questioning.  As for the position of the two tracks together, a cat would make that impression, while standing/stopping.  Definitely not a griz, toes would be more in a line than on a curve.  Let us know if you see the critter...if it were in the NW, I'd say Bigfoot.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 02, 2007, 09:33:00 AM
The tracks are from here in NY. And lion sightings have happened here by enough woods wise people that I dont doubt it...whether they are released pets or whatever...
I am leaning towards bear now too. Only thing that makes me question it is the lack of a fifth toe, claw marks, and the way the tracks line up....I didnt get a pic of that last feature.
Heffalump? They in season??
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Roughcountry on November 02, 2007, 09:48:00 AM
1st track is a bear, bout 200 pounder. notice no claw marks. If there were claw marks in every track I'd practice my manners, griz.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/roughcountry/Picture_1121.jpg)
This track is a very nice tom lion, should be over 150lbs. I say should be cause I never caught up to the traveling bugger, nether did the dogs.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/roughcountry/Picture_0655.jpg)
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: ishiwannabe on November 02, 2007, 10:35:00 AM
Thanks rough. Makes it easy to see what I have been looking at here.
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: Hunter John on November 02, 2007, 10:44:00 AM
I am also going with bear,here are some pics of a Florida panther track I was lucky to find when I was on vacation a few years ago.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/johnwilliamtaylor/florida059.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/johnwilliamtaylor/florida058.jpg)

John
Title: Re: Track ID???
Post by: GingivitisKahn on November 03, 2007, 07:35:00 PM
It could be man-bear-pig.  I'm super cereal.

:-p