What made these tracks?

[BarbC]

Last night, between 6 and 7 PM, some large animal left these tracks next to our house. We're thinking it is either a bobcat or a coyote. They're pretty big paws.

 

[ingmansinc]

Good morning Barb,

With that snow on the ground you could follow it. Call in sick today and go on a hunting / tracking expedition. I can't help you with the identification as the pictures aren't clear enough. I can't see how many toes or actual shape of the paw.

 

[tallpaul]

the one track looks like a boot print


It is amazing how big a dog print can be... somebody here will likely figure it out before long though.

 

[Qball]

I'd put my money on a Bobcat.

 

[sar4937]

I would vote for a cat, due to the weaving. Our coyote have smallish paws and lift them in shallow snow. We have few mountain lions, cougars, or bobcats. But house cats leave a similar pattern.

 

[BarbC]

I tried to get a close-up photo when the sun came up but the wind had smoothed out the prints. Yes, the swishy walk is probably a determinant.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Dog like animals walk with their claws extended, cats do not. Can't tell from your pics. Maybe Chuckie took the little red dog for a walk and didn't tell you.

 

[gunlovingirl]

Usually bobcats don't leave drag marks like those tracks show. Especially in that little amount of snow. Not sure what it is, because of the lack of a clear closeup of the track, but I'm pretty sure what it isn't. I don't think it's a bobcat.

 

[rburg]

Yes, the swishy walk is probably a determinant.

At the risk of offending others.... are we saying its a gay animal?

OK, I agree the tracks on the left and bottom center are clearly a man with work boots. In my limited experience, Mountain lions generally drag their tail at some point in their stroll. Its why you follow the tracks a bit to see. If you're afraid of it, track it in the direction it came from, not where its going!

Tracking both directions (not at the same time) often gives you other clues as to its habits. Sometimes they relieve themselves and that can be distinctive. Yes, I'm so anal that I have a book on North American scat. Its also helpful to measure the width and length of both the tracks (sometimes front and rear paws are a different size), and then the stride. It gives you a fairly clear idea of how far apart the front and rear paws are to each other. A lion or bear can easily be 3' or more, most other critters are significantly shorter. Measure the paw size before they have time to melt. As melt occurs, they get bigger and you don't get an accurate idea.

Sorry for not having more information. If its in your yard, get a game cam and see for sure.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Where are the other three feet? Strange photos to be sure. We have Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Coyotes, plus a variety of smaller animals where I live and I have never seen a track pattern quite like that. Generally, male cats will walk not in a straight line, but walking a meandering pattern marking their territory. I doubt if the line between prints is from a tail...might be from dragging a bad leg. Was this a one time sighting or have you seen it before??

 

[BarbC]

We'll have to keep an eye out for it to come back. I wasn't home until a few hours after the photos were taken last night and this morning the wind had blown most of them over. The tracks were pretty big - much bigger than our little dog's.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a cougar because cougars leave stilletto heel prints.

 

[sonny]

I think the "dragging" is just the toes of each and every foot before he lays down the paw. Probably good-sized cat-type animal. Given that your boot-print is probably a foot long, then the distance between prints gives an idea of the size of that animal. I'd say it's pretty big; looks like 16-18" from one paw-print to the next. Load your gun...
Sonny

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

I think the "dragging" is just the toes of each and every foot before he lays down the paw.
Sonny

Guess that's a possibility, but I have never seen it. Cats will also not normally drag their tails on the ground either. Strange.......

 

[Jim Shugart]

I'm almost certain that it's a snake with a seizure disorder of some kind.

 

[canoeguy]

Almost certainly a Chupacabra, which would be the farthest North sighting of one or it's tracks....

Which brings up an interesting point, what is the best weapon for Chupacabra?

Edited to note: Researchers have reported sightings of Chupacabra as far north as Maine, so they may be commonly found in Pennsylvania....

 

[afriqueart]

It's a Yeti

 

[Class III]

It's not a yeti, it's the Loch Ness Monster. The drag marks are from the flippers and the long tail.

Class III

 

[BarbC]

No wonder the poor little dog is afraid to go out at night.

 

[Spotteddog]

"Cougars leave stilletto heel prints"...
The woman is brilliant, BRILLIANT I say!

 

[OLDFED]

Nancy Pelosi...hunting for more stupid Americans.