What animal owns these tracks?

[monarc23]

Before anyone asks nope it's not a cat, the claws are extended in every step. I am so scared it's a fisher....and I either need someone to say yes it is so I can atleast have my fears prooven, OR what else could this thing be?

It came within 20 feet of my quails and then the tracks turned around back towards the front yard.

Paws are way bigger than any 12lb cat paws....much wider....more like the size of a 20+ lb dogs paws but I know it's not a dog either the pad is shaped differently.

Please give me your know how or guesses

THis last pic is where it stopped and turned around, I dont know if it defficated here or what but it clawed the snow down deep.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Hmmm. the toes look extremely splayed. I've never seen fisher tracks, though there does seem to be a fox wandering around our yard with similar tracks. (He's never gone near the coop, thankfully.)

 

[sandypaws]

with that back foot.... the first thing i thought of was FISHER cat...

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'd say bobcat...it's claws may have been extended to help it walk in the snow...we have a cougar which has been wandering around our place lately and when I called the wildlife dude to confirm those were the tracks, I went out with him and he looked at them and confirmed they were cougar...but I also noticed some showed claw marks, but only along the driveway & up a bank...


Fishers are alot more spread out than that & longer/thinner...

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/gtr-157/Chapter_4/Ch04fisher_166K.GIF
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/474865093_e01d74dee7_o.jpg


This is bobcat:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/Pre10s/013.jpg

 

[jab91864]

does this help any ........


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

Julie

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
interesting (and scary), the only thing is every paw track has the claws extended, and this is on flat ground but it's worth a good guess!

The way fishers depleated my friends rabbitry population, id RATHER what is making the tracks BE a bobcat.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:

if so (since we're both thinking it's possibly a fisher) i hope it NEVEr comes back.....

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

could it be a housecat (large one) that the snow melted a little bit after it walked through there??

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Julie, THANK YOU!!!! Okay they look NOTHING like fisher tracks and the paws were not together like that!


Im thikning bobcat now for sure...i just dont understand the claws out on flat ground thing but now i see it as a possibility!!!!!!


THANK YOU!!!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Nope i wish, my two cats tracks are near by and are much smaller and no claws sticking out which stll confuses me because now i thikn it looks MOST like bobcat paws.