Mystery tracks

[Rocky64]

Hi, I was walking in my drive when I stumbled upon these tracks. I've seen these tracks MANY times, they sometimes go right up to my chicken cage and my pheasant aviary. I know these tracks are not cat, I've taken my cats and dogs and compared their tracks side by side to the mystery tracks. I found fresh fox tracks yesterday, and I know they are not fox. I don't think these are coyote. They are not skunk, mink, opossum, coon, or anything else I can think of that lives around here. Maybe a stray dog?

 

[bmmkh]

It's hard to tell without some kind of scale to go by. You need to take a picture with a quarter or something next to the track. If you can get a picture of the whole set of tracks that could also be helpful..

 

[deaffarmer]

Better Picture showing two tracks to determine more possibilities. Please

 

[deaffarmer]

measure it and compare it with the pet's tracks too

 

[Rocky64]

It was getting dark and I think my area is getting some snow tonight, so these tracks will be gone tomorrow. I'll look for a fresh trail tomorrow, if needed. That's a quarter by the way.

 

[Rocky64]

There are well-pronounced claw marks, so it's unlikly to be a feline.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hi, I was walking in my drive when I stumbled upon these tracks. I've seen these tracks MANY times, they sometimes go right up to my chicken cage and my pheasant aviary. I know these tracks are not cat, I've taken my cats and dogs and compared their tracks side by side to the mystery tracks. I found fresh fox tracks yesterday, and I know they are not fox. I don't think these are coyote. They are not skunk, mink, opossum, coon, or anything else I can think of that lives around here. Maybe a stray dog?

They look like domestic cat tracks. The other possibility is mink tracks. Mink move in a hopping motion. So you may should look for this type of movement along with drag marks from thr tail.

 

[Rocky64]

I was possibly thinking bobcat, mink wouldn't have tracks that big, even with the distortion snow can have on tracks. If it's a domestic cat, it dwarfs my 2 HUGE tom cats that regularly take adult rabbits and chase fox.

 

[Cknldy]

X2 on domestic cat. Claws retracted- all I see is the same cat tracks as I have around here. Spacing of the toes, shape of the pad and not a "heavy" impression like a dog, very feline. Set up a trail cam if you can

 

[Rocky64]

The tracks were set deep in the snow, and not fresh powder snow either, it's crusty snow so it must weigh more than an average cats, which don't even make tracks on that snow.(I put the cats right next to the tracks)