Help Identifying Trail Cam Picture

[6RandomBrownLayers]

Just for scale, that shrub to the right of the animal is 3-3.5 feet tall.

 

[unkadan]

Pretty tough call from that picture, I have bobcats, fisher, and most every predator that lives in the woods here in the far north of WI, not enough showing really for identification IMO

I say this because there are no markings showing "cat" , no tail at all showing for "fisher",,,, and size reference is vague, if that shrub is 3.5 ft how far behind it is the critter?

IF it comes back maybe now check the snow and get a good shot of the tracks as well.

Did it get to the bait?,,,,,

 

[Chirpy]

I'm not venturing a guess as to what it is but am I the only one that sees a raccoon right behind it to the left? It looks like it is turning it's head toward the raccoon. ?????

I will admit that I use glasses to read and don't have them on now.. so, I could just be seeing things... but???

 

[RedIII]

That, my friend, is a puma, aka a mountain lion

The tail is blurred and somewhat behind the body, but the body proportions, color, and the poof and length of that tail all say puma to me. They aren't necessarily a huge cat, not when compared to something like an African lion. I think I can make out the dark spot of one ear there, though it is very blurred.

 

[woodmort]

That, my friend, is a puma, aka a mountain lion

The tail is blurred and somewhat behind the body, but the body proportions, color, and the poof and length of that tail all say puma to me. They aren't necessarily a huge cat, not when compared to something like an African lion. I think I can make out the dark spot of one ear there, though it is very blurred.

I seriously doubt it given where the picture was taken.

 

[RedIII]

I seriously doubt it given where the picture was taken.

Just curious, but what makes you say that? It does look an awful lot like one to me. Cougars have been known to come right down into heavily populated areas of California and sit on people's garages while they wait to pick off dogs and cats. So I just wouldn't be surprised to see them in NY, too.

 

[centrarchid]

Just curious, but what makes you say that? It does look an awful lot like one to me. Cougars have been known to come right down into heavily populated areas of California and sit on people's garages while they wait to pick off dogs and cats. So I just wouldn't be surprised to see them in NY, too.

For above subdiscussion see following link. http://www.cougarnet.org/northeast.html

Photo provided by OP looks like a fox, mostly likely red. Feet to gracile to be a cougar. Long and bushy tail is evident curling away to left side of animal pointing away from camera.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Well if it was a bobcat you would see markings, the bobcats around here are spotted around their bellies and come out ANY time of the day to kill. To me it's a fox because its lighter on the belly and it doesn't have any markings as far as i can see it. And it looks like its tail is moving because it's out of focus. Bobcats probably wouldn't show their tail like that.

 

[lucky123]

Looks like a coon to me also just to the left of what ever that is. Put reading glasses on to see it.

 

[woodmort]

For above subdiscussion see following link. http://www.cougarnet.org/northeast.html

Photo provided by OP looks like a fox, mostly likely red. Feet to gracile to be a cougar. Long and bushy tail is evident curling away to left side of animal pointing away from camera.

Looking at the map--two of the confirmed cases--one in NY and the other in CT were, according to DNA samples, the same cat. It apparently wandered cross country from the Dakotas--it was IDed as being in Minnesota a year or two before--only to meet it's demise in CT. Aside from that most cougar sightings in the NE seem to be mistaken idenity or cases like this http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/mountainlion2007.asp . That's why it is a good idea not to trust them.