What made these tracks in the snow?

[cmom]

The snow mounds like that when it is very warm and slushy. Instead of squishing and compacting under the animals foot it "flows" out and up. If you can discern claw marks then it is certainly not a cat. Cat's have retractable claws and don't use them when walking. Fox on the other hand can not retract their claws and generally leave claw marks behind. A fox track will also be more diamond shape when fresh, and cat tracks are more rounded.

 

[cmom]

Put a camera up and maybe it will be back and you can get a picture of it. Put the camera near where you found the tracks. Often times critters follow the same path/route. Good luck...

 

[hayley3]

Put a camera up and maybe it will be back and you can get a picture of it. Put the camera near where you found the tracks. Often times critters follow the same path/route. Good luck...

I have the camera you recommended but it was facing into the coop. I just turned it around to face the driveway, I'm hoping whatever it was goes across my driveway every night so I can see what it actually was. I thought I was good at identifying snow prints but obviously not.

 

[cmom]

I noticed with my cameras, quite often I saw the same predators. One coyote I saw quite often had an injured right front foot. There was a fox that was coming around quite often. It had an unusual mark on it's tail so I could clearly identify it. I love my cameras...

 

[Kirkwooder]

I am amazed at how many critters visit my coupe every day without bothering any of the birds, and then something will trigger them and they are after them.

 

[cmom]

Electric wires will solve that problem. Nothing has gotten past my electric wires. I also have my fence grounded so if anything touches the fence and the hot wires it will know it. I think the adult predators teach the young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. I have a quite powerful fence charger. If anyone or anything touches the wires they will know it and will hurt for a couple of days. I have posted this video previously, coyotes.

 

[hayley3]

I noticed with my cameras, quite often I saw the same predators. One coyote I saw quite often had an injured right front foot. There was a fox that was coming around quite often. It had an unusual mark on it's tail so I could clearly identify it. I love my cameras...

I love how well this one does night recording.
I too have an electric fence around my coop...whatever it was didn't go near my coop. I just never see stray cats or dogs...however I did smell what I thought was a skunk the other day, now that I think of it. And a fox can smell musky, similar to a skunk's scent, I've read.

 

[cmom]

I eliminated a couple of fox that killed some of my birds. They were stinky and mangy looking. From the camera picture the fox looked fluffy but up close they weren't so fluffy and as I said stinky. I was actually quite surprised.

 

[cmom]

I love how well this one does night recording.
I too have an electric fence around my coop...whatever it was didn't go near my coop. I just never see stray cats or dogs...however I did smell what I thought was a skunk the other day, now that I think of it. And a fox can smell musky, similar to a skunk's scent, I've read.

These cameras do take very good nighttime pictures. I bought some others and they don't work nearly as well as these cameras do at night. The predators roam at night here. I have some cameras mounted on post so I can easily move them around. I look for sales on these cameras and if I see them for under $50. I like to pass the info on.

 

[aart]

I thought I was good at identifying snow prints but obviously not.

Alot of tracks don't show enough details.
Looks like slushy snow on asphalt, not great conditions.
Hope to see your camera tells the tales within the next week.
I'd guess cat tho, might never come back.