What kind of track is this

[surfchunker]

I found it in the mud along a lake is south central PA .... it was close to 4" long and seems to have 4 long toes and also a pad behind the toes like an animal and not a bird
http://pierandsurf.com/photopost/data/500/track.jpg

[hamlet]

I vote for racoon.
Check this web page

http://www.bear-tracker.com/coon.html

note midway down the picture of the hind foot, complete with ruler showing 4" and claw marks.

Just my guess.

[surfchunker]

i've coon hunted for many years .... a coons track will look like a human hand print and not show the claws/toenails like this .... and it is 4-5 times bigger than a coon track

[saltandsand]

I'll second Hamlet on this one.

[saltandsand]

i've coon hunted for many years .... a coons track will look like a human hand print and not show the claws/toenails like this .... and it is 4-5 times bigger than a coon track


What's your estimate of the gait?

[surfchunker]

but it's not a coon believe me .... the track was about the size of my hand .... a beaver track looks closer and there is lots of them in there but I don't see any webbing between the toes

[hamlet]

your hand is 4" long? So how long is the track if it's the size of your hand? more like 6" to 7" ?

[surfchunker]

the toes were as long as my fingers but the palm/pad was small

[hamlet]

I reckon if it were 'coon you would see the smaller front prints too.
Nice puzzle.

[surfchunker]

more checking first

[OBXFISHN]

http://home.mcn.net/~wtu/fisher.html

[saltandsand]

Possible hoax?

Wolverine, martin... big beaver (now save the unsavory comments...)

This stuff makes you think.

Not hi-jacking the thread but two years ago I shot a large doe toward evening. Perimeter search until mid-night or so, was cold, no luck. Resumed search just before day break. Only 5-6 hours or so between when I was in the area. Found the doe totally consumed about 50 yards beyond where I ended my perimeter search. It was completely eaten, entrails and all, the only parts left were the mast, but the head was largely eaten. Very little was left.

Fox... no, they don't consume mass or roam in packs, coyote... not sure they are in the Central Maryland area... vulctures, not at night... wild dogs, possibly but never seen or heard them...

Are there things beyond explanation in the wild???

[surfchunker]

closest I see is either a big ole snappin turtle or a goose with an extra toe

[surfchunker]

don't know what part of MD you are talking about but here in western MD coyotes are everywhere and will clean up a kill pretty fast ... maybe even a bear

[saltandsand]

Howard County, adjacent to Patapsco Valley.

I doubt it's bear... ain't heard coyotes...

What's the gait estimate on the tracks?

If it was a big ole snapper you'd see the drag over the tracks... not evident in the pics... besides that looks like a lefty and righty print (kinda like politics... one side tracks a balance on the other... :) )

[surfchunker]

maybe a foot .... looks like it might have came out of the water

[saltandsand]

That's one heck of a goose for the Holiday Feast.... nail it, feather it, and roast it!

Track still ain't the same...

http://i33.tinypic.com/1qqstu.gif

[emanuel]

How about an otter?

[lil red jeep]

My vote is for racoon also. Because the ground was soft (mud) and if the coon was running from something, his gait would be longer and once his foot struck the mud, his toes would slide forward and the pad of his foot wold come off the ground some, leaving little time for the pad to make an imprint.

Only other thing that comes to mind would be someones old hunting dog on the move. Most hunting dogs live their whole lives on dirt and their nails never get filed down so the length of the nail could be just that.

All guesses of course.

[Andre]

What's your estimate of the gait?


What's a gait ?:confused:

[surfchunker]

gait is how long it's steps are

[steve grossman]

Whats wrong with you experts?? Cant you tell, that it is the track made by a Baby Godzilla, approx 4 weeks old.....

[Andre]

Thanks.....S/C

[surfchunker]

I emailed the picture to the guy at the bear tracker in the link above and he replied that it is the hind track of a Beaver .... I knew that it was way to big for a racoon .... and there was beaver sign around too ...

[Fishing_Feud]

Possible hoax?

Wolverine, martin... big beaver (now save the unsavory comments...)

This stuff makes you think.

Not hi-jacking the thread but two years ago I shot a large doe toward evening. Perimeter search until mid-night or so, was cold, no luck. Resumed search just before day break. Only 5-6 hours or so between when I was in the area. Found the doe totally consumed about 50 yards beyond where I ended my perimeter search. It was completely eaten, entrails and all, the only parts left were the mast, but the head was largely eaten. Very little was left.

Fox... no, they don't consume mass or roam in packs, coyote... not sure they are in the Central Maryland area... vulctures, not at night... wild dogs, possibly but never seen or heard them...

Are there things beyond explanation in the wild???

No it was a pack of coyotes PALIN and SIMPLE LMAO:D

[Fishing_Feud]

Nutria

[Lightload]

That's not a beaver.

Try this:

http://www.nationaltrappers.com/nutria.html

[hamlet]

nutria in central PA?
Isn't that a considerable ways out of their range?

[sprtsracer]

Muskrat!

And for steve grossman, I have a recipe for muskrat smothered in onions if he wants:D

[outfishin28]

you guys are all wrong, that is a plataweisel track, they migrate South every fall.:D

[sprtsracer]

you guys are all wrong, that is a plataweisel track, they migrate South every fall.:D

No...those are called "Canadians":D Their track is more like a hunting boot, with traces of flannel shirts around their rubs and empty LaBatts bottles scattered nearby, eh?

[Lightload]

nutria in central PA?
Isn't that a considerable ways out of their range?

They're in Maryland so why not Southcentral PA. MD is right next door.

[Big Rad]

Howard County, adjacent to Patapsco Valley.

I doubt it's bear... ain't heard coyotes...

What's the gait estimate on the tracks?

If it was a big ole snapper you'd see the drag over the tracks... not evident in the pics... besides that looks like a lefty and righty print (kinda like politics... one side tracks a balance on the other... :) )


I hunt Howard County and I can verify that there is a very large coyote population.

[Fishing_Feud]

I hunt Howard County and I can verify that there is a very large coyote population.


Dem guckers are everywhere now. In fact it is my understanding from a reliable source that the auto insurance companies are trying to play god by releasing a few truckloads of coyotes to control the deer population as to avoid collision claims. I have seen the deer population go to hell in a hand basket in recent years up in South Central Pennsylvania, Bedford Co to be exact. You use to be able to hunt and see 100-200 deer a week 25-40 in a herd. Now your lucky to see 20 all week. And I have seen where the coyotes have fed on them, hair piles strung out for 50 yards. Coyotes need to shot onsite if you can see them. They are a very elusive creature not to mention cunning.

[saltandsand]

I hunt Howard County and I can verify that there is a very large coyote population.

Where abouts? Just like to know if we're talking the same areas.

[saltandsand]

Dem guckers are everywhere now. In fact it is my understanding from a reliable source that the auto insurance companies are trying to play god by releasing a few truckloads of coyotes to control the deer population as to avoid collision claims. I have seen the deer population go to hell in a hand basket in recent years up in South Central Pennsylvania, Bedford Co to be exact. You use to be able to hunt and see 100-200 deer a week 25-40 in a herd. Now your lucky to see 20 all week. And I have seen where the coyotes have fed on them, hair piles strung out for 50 yards. Coyotes need to shot onsite if you can see them. They are a very elusive creature not to mention cunning.


I thought the GECKO was taking care of all those problems. :D

[surfchunker]

where do you live ? yes bedford co is a dead zone just about any more between the bears, cotoyes, and 15,000 to 20,000 doe tags plus all the crop damage tags it's no wonder ....

And it was beaver tracks ... I was back there today and seen better tracks and there was their slide there and all .... Beaver fur sure ...

Lightload ... the nutria in Md are on the eastern shore .... nowhere near me

[Fishing_Feud]

;)where do you live ? yes bedford co is a dead zone just about any more between the bears, cotoyes, and 15,000 to 20,000 doe tags plus all the crop damage tags it's no wonder ....

And it was beaver tracks ... I was back there today and seen better tracks and there was their slide there and all .... Beaver fur sure ...

Lightload ... the nutria in Md are on the eastern shore .... nowhere near me

I live in C hespeake, Va but we have a place close to B edford and in B reez wood. I grew up between there and Bre ezewod. I still hunt up there every year and we do pretty well. I can actually say we are killing better bucks now than in years past when there was alot of deer. We have gotten some monster bucks the last few years. May have even seen 1 or 2 of the deer killin bobcats:D. But there not in season there however we do our best to help the deer population ;). There is some coyote up around there now but thaey seemd to come in overnight a few years back. Between six of us we usually take about 6-8 deer and let alot walk. But it sure aint the good ol days. I have seen 3 bears during buck season and a bunch of tracks up there. I could have layed em down but they were out of season. Pretty cool though.

I use to to Rocky Gap when I was a kid LOL

Are you scouting now?

[Lip Ripper]

looks to me like someone's pet iguana got too big and they let it go. with the long center toe, and the fact that it looks like it was walking pigeon toed, that would be my guess. but it should have a stripe in between the tracks where the tail drags?

http://www.manuelantoniovacationrentals.com/files/mavrentals/images/casa-maravilla-local-animals_acb.jpg

[Fishing_Feud]

I thought the GECKO was taking care of all those problems. :D


I think it was the State Farm