Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: DeKuma on September 28, 2008, 08:48:46 PM

Title: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on September 28, 2008, 08:48:46 PM: While out bear hunting I ran across these tracks in the mud. They meandered a ways then went up into the timber, followed them up into the timber a ways.

At first I thought they were a domestic dog, but after they went into the timber for a way, i had my doubts. These were found well off the beaten path in the Snoqualmie pass area.

What do you think they are. They were roughly 3" across, far bigger than any coyote track I have ever seen. Lots of coyote sign in the area as well, scat, tracks, and a pile of rabbit bones.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: BC CHASER on September 28, 2008, 08:51:11 PM: 1st one looks like cat.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on September 28, 2008, 08:52:31 PM: First and second are from the same path it walked. About 10 feet apart. These were the best two I could get pics of. But, I forgot to put something down for size reference..........
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: MichaelJ on September 28, 2008, 08:55:59 PM: Definitely not a cat... you can see the claw marks.... some sort of dog would be my guess???

Michael
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: BC CHASER on September 28, 2008, 09:00:12 PM: Look closer, I do not see any definate markings of claws. It is the dirt you are seeing I believe. Dogs typically have more space between their pad and toes.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: MichaelJ on September 28, 2008, 09:07:15 PM: I'm still seeing clawmarks... haha
:dunno:

Michael
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: sivart33 on September 28, 2008, 09:29:29 PM: it very well could be a house dog that someone was walking, i am sure a house dogs foot prints are different then normal outside dogs. but yea you cna see small claw marks in the mud
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: luvtohnt on September 28, 2008, 09:42:29 PM: Usually small claw marks represent something that traveled many miles, because the claws become worn. It is from a K9 of some sort I would say probably a large coyote. I have seen my 65 pound lab leave tracks in the mud that looked bigger than wolf tracks.

Brandon
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: M_ray on September 28, 2008, 09:45:14 PM: It's littletoes! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on September 29, 2008, 06:53:21 AM: I would say domestic dog as well, but the area it went into was so overgrown it was crazy. The tracks into the timber went right up a worn game trail, but it would be odd to see a domestic dog that deep into the woods....... You are right about the claw marks. They are not showing too well, but they are definitely claw marks at each toe.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: Head-shot on September 29, 2008, 07:46:12 AM: I would say feral dog, but just a guess.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: saylean on September 29, 2008, 08:56:06 AM: I have seen large dog tracks very similar to this Dekuma, up snoqualmie area. In fact, I had a pair follow me and was less than 20 min behind me, it circled my rig, followed me down the path and then went into the woods. I have seen tracks like this on 2 different occasions along the same path, months apart.

My guess was a large feral dog or something else that howled at night... ;)

Nice to see I am not the only one seeing this outthere...as I thought it strange too.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on September 29, 2008, 09:19:08 AM: Yeah, these were in the area we have talked about. Too big for coyote I thought. Lots of coyote sign in the area! They have been eating well judging by the amount of fur in their scat.

Would like to see it if it was a coyote though! He would be huge.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: eburgtrapper on September 30, 2008, 08:52:34 PM: east of you about 40 miles in the taneum last year i found a set of tracks like that. It was in about an inch of old snow and if i didn't know any better i would say a wolf. It wasn't a cat either because its claws were shown in every step.I have heard that there has been sightings in the cascades, but i really hope it wasn't! our deer population is already bad enough without those things!
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: 300rum on September 30, 2008, 09:23:23 PM: Take it for what it is worth:

I was talking to a friend who is a state bio a few months back when the state was trying to figure out if we had wolves or not. That is why I say take it for what it is worth. Anyway, he was saying that some of these folks have hybrid wolves as pets and then they go feral, that is why the state took so long, they wanted to make sure that they were true wolves and not hybrids. Evidently the hybrids can go feral and do the same things as wolves but can even reach sizes larger then a true wolf. I am not really buying into it, they say that their are coydogs out their too, Coyote/domestic dog hybrids but I don't think that I have ever seen one, evidently they can reach tremendous sizes and can be more ferocious then a coyote.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: American Rattlesnake on October 01, 2008, 04:40:05 PM: I've heard reports of coyote/domestic hybrids from good sources. According to the accounts, they get BIG. :)
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: boneaddict on October 01, 2008, 04:48:48 PM: Dog. I wolf tends to spread his toes out alot more similiar to a Mtn Lion, but even bigger. Look at my scat thread. See how there is more space between each toe.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: waoutdoorsman on October 01, 2008, 05:23:54 PM: Dont know how accurate this info is, but i was told the way to tell the difference between a canine and a feline track is that on a canine track you can draw an "X" along the heel pad and the ridge of the outer toes-its hard to explain in words-so sorry if it doesnt make sense. I dont think it would hold true if the animal was running tho.

And that the front edge of a feline heel pad has two lobes where as a canine track has a single lobe thats all i remember from the convo lol.

Like i said dont know if he was shootin the bull or if its true, but may help in identifying this critter if its true.

that said, i my vote says "woof woof"
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on October 03, 2008, 07:43:57 AM: Seeing how Saylean and I have both been in this area and seen the same basic thing, I am leaning towards Feral dog of some sort. The amount of sign in the area leads me to believe it is feral as all scat was showing signs of eating small game or deer with the bones and fur in it.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: GoldTip on October 03, 2008, 08:20:00 AM: Thats a canine of some sort for sure. Whether wild dog or wolf dog hybrid, doesn't matter. I have seen a couple of coy dogs in the past, last fall out past Springdale, a pair walked across the road, stood there like pets looking at us in an open hunting season, strange color patterns. Face was a coyote, but the rest of it looked like german shepherd and one even had white patches, tail like a coyote too. Their behavior was the only thing that saved his life.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: mikeal1234 on October 15, 2008, 12:54:50 PM: they are coydogs here in mason county they pack up and get as big as the other bread they mix with i have had them on my property try to shoot them when i can they will stalk and try to attack u where im at is ecceptionaly nasty with them. they have made it in the pappers atleast twice a year. for attacking people. had them try to attack my dogs and cat. ive shot to pityote mixes and a few sheppered yote mixes when they have came on the property and chased my dogs. had four run in the house chasing my dogs before thats when i started shooting them when they came on the property.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: bankwalker on November 04, 2008, 07:40:25 PM: Quote from: eburgtrapper on September 30, 2008, 08:52:34 PM
east of you about 40 miles in the taneum last year i found a set of tracks like that. It was in about an inch of old snow and if i didn't know any better i would say a wolf. It wasn't a cat either because its claws were shown in every step.I have heard that there has been sightings in the cascades, but i really hope it wasn't! our deer population is already bad enough without those things!

i found a couple sets of tracks along side eachother in the snow last year that were bigger then yote track ive seen and the only thing i could think of was wolves. it was two dogs running then walking along side eachother and i fallowed them from the river to the freeway and they crossed the freeway or ran down the shoulder.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: eburgtrapper on November 04, 2008, 07:46:21 PM: where was that at?
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: DeKuma on November 05, 2008, 05:23:59 PM: Which? My pics were up near Snoqualmie Pass.
Title: Re: Tracks of.....????
Post by: eburgtrapper on November 10, 2008, 11:22:42 AM: i will have new pics for spokane in a couple days!!!