Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 11:20:15 AM
Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 11:21:12 AM
Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 11:21:56 AM
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 27, 2019, 11:28:18 AM
Those are quite a bit bigger than the tracks from a 40# tom I caught earlier in the year :twocents:
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 11:28:40 AM
Post by: bearpaw on February 27, 2019, 11:34:50 AM
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 27, 2019, 11:37:54 AM
Post by: BKMFR on February 27, 2019, 11:38:27 AM
Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 11:46:04 AM
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 12:23:50 PM
Post by: boneaddict on February 27, 2019, 02:12:38 PM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on February 27, 2019, 02:17:02 PM
Cougar all the way, to big for Bobcat.yep
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 02:25:01 PM
It's not bobcat, too big. Without seeing a gait I know it's a Cougar sized track and it's for sure 100% feline.
It doesn't seem heavy enough for a mt. lion unless it's starved and weighs next to nothing. Or the snow was hard.
try to include a gait with track pictures, that helps as much as a close up shot of the toes and pads.
I'll include a lynx tracks below, without a gait for reference it can be difficult to tell from a cougar or a lynx other than weight, lion being 4 to 8 times the weight of a lynx with nearly the same size feet.
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 02:34:20 PM
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 02:35:48 PM
appears to be about 1 1/8 inches across, don't think I've ever seen a bobcat track go over 2 inches across...damn sure not 3+ :yike:
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 02:38:37 PM
I don't have a snuff can, but I got a bob in the back of my truck I could measure the track?
appears to be about 1 1/8 inches across
Well, that about does that (can't argue with a cat in the truck) ;). OK, I'll concede.... probably a small lion then.
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 02:39:52 PM
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 02:42:25 PM
Post by: horsehunter509 on February 27, 2019, 02:51:35 PM
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 02:54:32 PM
I just measured the foot on a 20 lb female bobcat that I have tanned and hanging on the wall and it is just over 2 inches. I could easily see a bigger Male bobcat being 3 inches
Yes! I'm back in the guessing contest :chuckle:
Post by: Okanagan on February 27, 2019, 03:27:15 PM
However... gait and length of stride is the only way I can tell a young lion from a big bobcat sometimes. Smaller lion tracks are usually with a momma but not always. For many reasons a younger cougar may be on its own.
The photo below is of the second largest bobcat track I've noticed. The cartridge in the photo is a hand-loaded .243 with a 95 grain Nosler Partition loaded long. Standard .243 is 2.7 inches so call this one 2 ¾ inches. Sorry that I don't have photos of its gait, but it was a bobcat, no doubt. Afterthought: it was not a lynx. It was coastal, far from lynx country. I have tracked many lynx and this was not lynx.
(https://i.imgur.com/IkqEwjO.jpg)
Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 06:38:22 PM
Post by: lewy on February 27, 2019, 06:53:32 PM
Post by: Humptulips on February 27, 2019, 07:18:41 PM
most likely a small lion with a slim to none chance of it being a lynx :chuckle:
Zero chance of it being a lynx if near Yacolt.
Two things make that a cougar track. First the size, way to big for a bobcat. The second is the weight. That snow is crusty and the track is not melted out meaning it was made on that crusty snow. That would take some weight. I doubt a bobcat would even leave a print on that type snow.
Post by: boneaddict on February 27, 2019, 07:27:59 PM
Post by: cbond3318 on February 27, 2019, 07:37:10 PM
Post by: idaho guy on February 27, 2019, 08:30:54 PM
Post by: Oh Mah on February 27, 2019, 08:36:22 PM
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 27, 2019, 08:37:28 PM
Were there by any chance any sign of the tail hitting the soft snow anywhere in the tracks cbond?
No, cuz it had no tail :)
Post by: cbond3318 on February 27, 2019, 08:42:38 PM
Were there by any chance any sign of the tail hitting the soft snow anywhere in the tracks cbond?Reason i ask is if cougar its a small one tail should drag on the snow even more than a large cougar.If no tail tracks i'm pretty confident in saying them tracks are bobcat tracks. :twocents:
No tail drag. I just thought it strange as small as they were it was by itself. Missed each other by maybe 30 minutes.
Post by: bearpaw on February 27, 2019, 08:58:27 PM
most likely a small lion with a slim to none chance of it being a lynx :chuckle:
Toes weren't right for a lynx, it's a lion.
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 09:38:56 PM
Were there by any chance any sign of the tail hitting the soft snow anywhere in the tracks cbond?Reason i ask is if cougar its a small one tail should drag on the snow even more than a large cougar.If no tail tracks i'm pretty confident in saying them tracks are bobcat tracks. :twocents:
No tail drag. I just thought it strange as small as they were it was by itself. Missed each other by maybe 30 minutes.
I tracked quite a few lions and see tail marks every so often, but they don't really just lay the tail on the ground and drag it like a bridal train. Lot of tail marks are the front feet being curled up then drug as they take a new step
I might got some pics brb
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/538ea5e90c7b1321fdb37b68b7d1edba.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/8327d1a7698e8b0d230ff86afca7bc24.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/e60f28ccf6c41fac065cfa276b16c603.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/b0d6c86f90c32739a3590ce92ad3312a.jpg)
Post by: slavenoid on February 27, 2019, 10:03:49 PM
Post by: Oh Mah on February 27, 2019, 10:07:42 PM
I agree 100% but if there are tail tracks it rules out bobcat. :chuckle:Were there by any chance any sign of the tail hitting the soft snow anywhere in the tracks cbond?Reason i ask is if cougar its a small one tail should drag on the snow even more than a large cougar.If no tail tracks i'm pretty confident in saying them tracks are bobcat tracks. :twocents:
No tail drag. I just thought it strange as small as they were it was by itself. Missed each other by maybe 30 minutes.
I tracked quite a few lions and see tail marks every so often, but they don't really just lay the tail on the ground and drag it like a bridal train. Lot of tail marks are the front feet being curled up then drug as they take a new step
I might got some pics brb
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/538ea5e90c7b1321fdb37b68b7d1edba.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/8327d1a7698e8b0d230ff86afca7bc24.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/e60f28ccf6c41fac065cfa276b16c603.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190228/b0d6c86f90c32739a3590ce92ad3312a.jpg)
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 10:09:13 PM
Post by: Humptulips on February 27, 2019, 10:24:47 PM
Thanks guys for the insight. So it would appear my tracks belong to Wapiti's giant bobcat or most likely a choke out size cougar.
I think it is a mistake to even call this a small cougar. Look at the snow conditions. That is some hard snow. Just the toe pads are breaking through. A lot of difference from soft snow prints where you see the entire outline. If that cat stepped in some powder the track would look ginormous.
Post by: slavenoid on February 28, 2019, 07:36:56 PM
That makes total sense. I don't know why that wasn't more obvious to me.Thanks guys for the insight. So it would appear my tracks belong to Wapiti's giant bobcat or most likely a choke out size cougar.
I think it is a mistake to even call this a small cougar. Look at the snow conditions. That is some hard snow. Just the toe pads are breaking through. A lot of difference from soft snow prints where you see the entire outline. If that cat stepped in some powder the track would look ginormous.
Post by: crowinghen on March 01, 2019, 08:44:59 AM
Ran across these today. First time I found some kind of predator tracks and blood so it peaked my interest.
Grizzly.
Says right there on the can.
Post by: idaho guy on March 01, 2019, 09:35:46 AM
Thanks guys for the insight. So it would appear my tracks belong to Wapiti's giant bobcat or most likely a choke out size cougar.
I think it is a mistake to even call this a small cougar. Look at the snow conditions. That is some hard snow. Just the toe pads are breaking through. A lot of difference from soft snow prints where you see the entire outline. If that cat stepped in some powder the track would look ginormous.
I agree I don’t think original picture is a “small” lion track. It’s definitely not a big one but not necessarily small either
Post by: The Marquis on March 01, 2019, 01:37:09 PM
Ran across these today. First time I found some kind of predator tracks and blood so it peaked my interest.
Grizzly.
Says right there on the can.
:chuckle:
Post by: bearpaw on March 01, 2019, 11:00:54 PM
Thanks guys for the insight. So it would appear my tracks belong to Wapiti's giant bobcat or most likely a choke out size cougar.
I think it is a mistake to even call this a small cougar. Look at the snow conditions. That is some hard snow. Just the toe pads are breaking through. A lot of difference from soft snow prints where you see the entire outline. If that cat stepped in some powder the track would look ginormous.
Bingo, somebody that knows tracks! You are right on the money! :tup: