Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Trapping => Topic started by: wags on August 22, 2014, 11:52:27 AM

Title: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: wags on August 22, 2014, 11:52:27 AM: A friend just hiked from Chinook Pass to White Pass on the PCT. about halfway through the trip they encountered these tracks for a short distance along the trail.
I can't wait to see what happens when they finally make it to the western Washington lowlands and all the hobby farms. It should get really interesting and fun then.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: TheNoob on September 07, 2014, 11:05:57 PM: I have talked to a few people that say they have seen them around the Packwood area. In the back parts of their fields in the early morning and said they were much bigger then Yotes and not domestic dogs.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: Cylvertip on September 18, 2014, 03:54:00 PM: Nephew just came back from elk hunting up on the North side of the Monument. He said he saw tracks up there.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: sirmissalot on September 18, 2014, 04:03:30 PM: That would be a very small wolf. Even if you have huge hands. My lab has considerably larger paws than that.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: TeacherMan on November 16, 2014, 08:59:16 PM: That's totally a wolf track! About 70 lbs most likely. Most wolves aren't the size of a St. Bernard.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: Bigshooter on November 16, 2014, 09:30:18 PM: Quote from: TeacherMan on November 16, 2014, 08:59:16 PM
That's totally a wolf track! About 70 lbs most likely. Most wolves aren't the size of a St. Bernard.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a 70 lbs dog and a 70 lbs wolf track?
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: mfswallace on November 16, 2014, 09:32:06 PM: PCT trail = 99% dog :twocents:
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: Dan-o on November 16, 2014, 09:45:27 PM: Quote from: Bigshooter on November 16, 2014, 09:30:18 PM
Quote from: TeacherMan on November 16, 2014, 08:59:16 PM
That's totally a wolf track! About 70 lbs most likely. Most wolves aren't the size of a St. Bernard.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a 70 lbs dog and a 70 lbs wolf track?

I was wondering the same thing.

(I don't know enough to know if you can tell them apart, but it would be interesting.)
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 16, 2014, 09:59:06 PM: looks like a dog.... ?
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: TeacherMan on November 17, 2014, 06:57:22 AM: Generally a wolf track will be narrower than a dog. When I'm on my trapline I also look at what the track is doing. A wolf generally won't stay on the trail (at least in my area) more than 50 yds without darting off a side trail. A dog run off and on a trail but always comes right back.

Quote from: Dan-o on November 16, 2014, 09:45:27 PM
Quote from: Bigshooter on November 16, 2014, 09:30:18 PM
Quote from: TeacherMan on November 16, 2014, 08:59:16 PM
That's totally a wolf track! About 70 lbs most likely. Most wolves aren't the size of a St. Bernard.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a 70 lbs dog and a 70 lbs wolf track?

I was wondering the same thing.

(I don't know enough to know if you can tell them apart, but it would be interesting.)
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: danderson on November 17, 2014, 07:07:39 AM: Here's a wolf track from the Teanaway, my guess would be dog track that you found on the trail, I just hiked from Stampeed Pass to White Pass on the PCT seen a few outfitters with dogs in tow.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: TeacherMan on November 17, 2014, 07:18:12 AM: Quote from: danderson on November 17, 2014, 07:07:39 AM
Here's a wolf track from the Teanaway, my guess would be dog track that you found on the trail, I just hiked from Stampeed Pass to White Pass on the PCT seen a few outfitters with dogs in tow.
.
Very classic dog track. Look how the toes are splayed out.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: jasnt on November 17, 2014, 07:31:58 AM: One way to tell a wolf track is the front pad is chevron shaped. But most of the time the back foot steps on the front foot track. Back feet are little smaller than front feet. Sometimes you have to track them a ways till the step just right and back foot misses front track.
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: JakeLand on November 18, 2014, 04:40:10 PM: I say wolf track on Wags post narrow and more compact not splayed out like a fat domestic dog IMO or just a record book yote :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: South cascade wolf tracks
Post by: wags on November 18, 2014, 07:57:03 PM: When I originally posted this picture I didn't include the entire story. My friend and his two sons, all of them avid hunters and one of them a trapper since the 80's were about halfway between Chinook Pass and White Pass. The weather had been rainy and miserable, the only people they saw during the trip were a couple of bear hunters near Chinook Pass and a couple of hikers down near White Pass. It had rained all night, they got up, began hiking and ran across these tracks a short time later. The tracks followed the trail a short ways then disappeared. The trail was very muddy, no recent human tracks within miles.
I think a stray dog in that location would be more than a little unlikely.