What is this track?

[mallory2013]

I lost three chickens yesterday to an unknown predator. My dad found one the first of the chickens not even 20 feet from the coop with just a puncture wound. I found the other about 50 feet away from the coop in nearly perfect condition, she just had some feathers missing. The other is a rooster and I fear that he got taken away by the predator because he was protecting his girls. I found these tracks in the mud about 30 feet away from the coop, in addition to some of my dogs' tracks that were left this morning. The tracks are about the size of a medium sized dog's prints, maybe 3 inches wide by 4 inches long.

First one, with no claw marks that I can see:

Other ones that look similar but have claw marks:

What do you guys think?

 

[mallory2013]

Here's another one, I outlined the clearer print with a red box:

 

[redriver]

I am going to vote for dog.

 

[ChickiKat]

I think dog..

 

[mallory2013]

I was thinking the bottom two were dog also, but do you think the top one is too? I know my two dogs were over there this morning (they are English bulldogs by the way and were inside when this who thing happened so I know it wasn't them that are responsible for the attack) and the last two looked more fresh. We also have a TON of fox in my area, as well as bobcats and fishers.

 

[redriver]

Quote:
My neighbors used to have a bloodhound that wandered all over the neighborhood. Found some tracks in the mud right outside my backdoor that looked almost identical to the first photo. If I can find the photo I took I'll have to post it for comparison. Went over to the neighbor's house and took a good look at his paws pads and decided that they looked pretty much spot on for the print. Went back to the print and took a hard look at it and finally saw there was a slight imprint of a nail on one of the toes. First photo has a couple of marks that look like nail marks to me.

 

[debs_flock]

Here's a site to help identify paw prints. I also think dog.

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

Deb

 

[mallory2013]

Quote:
Wow thank you! That is a great website! After looking at the photos you guys are right, they all sure look like dog prints. Thank you so much!

 

[redriver]

Found the bloodhound print that looks like yours.

 

[mychookschick]

Hmmm... I don't know. That first one looks like a cat print to me, but I agree that the second and third ones look like dogs.

On the first-- See how the big pad (the one on the back) is long and spreads all the way across the paw? That just screams cat to me. Also, cats can walk with their claws retracted, so that would explain why that one didn't have claw marks. I think that the ones that look dog-ish are your Bulldogs and the cat looking one is your culprit.