holdfast Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) I figured Id try my Army snowshoes out as my regular ones (20 plus years) were turned in when I was retired. Due to icy roads I opted not to make the trip to Saskatoon for a weekend ex. Instead I went to Big River and decided to look for some back wood lakes using my Topo map. Never did make it to a lake but I ended up exercising my slack and Idle body anyways. I took some pics and would like any opinions on some tracks. If I'm wrong let me know as I'm no tracker. There are a few sets I'm not sure of. Thanks Army Snowshoes Mukluks and and a small Pack Rabbit I believe Moose Deer These ones I have no Idea. I'm guessing a Bobcat/Lynx. There had been a set of fresh truck tracks and this thing was following it. I followed the tracks for about five Kms before I went Bush Wacking. Any Guesses? Two sets of tracks. Unknown and what are those small tracks that criss cross, a Rodent??? The large tracks really stumped me. There was only three and they just dissapeared. Could it be something Burrowing I decided to Bushwhack it but was never able to make it to the Lake. The Snow was too deep and I was running out of Day Light But on the way Back to my vehicle I happened to bump into the owners of the vehicle. It was two Cree with a load of firewood and a rifle as I figured they were also hunting by chance they came across some game. They told me the two Lakes I was looking for probably wasn't good for fishing as it was mostly Muskeg. I decided even if I found the lake there was no way I was getting there alive in the Spring without getting bitten alive. But the Natives gave me some Intelligence on where to find a path of a lake that they say holds Big Jack. That will be my next adventure ids to find this lake. I know where the Path is as they had left a marker for me that I was able to find. Edited January 19, 2009 by holdfast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubris21 Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 the pictures are gone??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 definately a samsquanch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leecher Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Sorry holdfast but can't see the pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoz Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 YA FERGOT TO PAY THE RENT!! A lotta hard work wasted on PHOTOBUCKET, because you went over your quota! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Steve what quota? I have never had an issue. BTW,How ya been bud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 definately a samsquanch Samsquanch alright. And it looks like a big one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I just figured out that if you delete pics from Photobucket after you post it on community it doesnt show. Are the pics showing now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 yeah you are good to go now. Your mystery tracks look like a dog. Wheather that be domestic, coyote or wolf, would take a little more investigating. If you look at the tracks, you will notice that the claws register in the track, so it is definatly not a cat. The main pad of a cats foot is also C shaped. Your suspected rodent tracks are definatly rodent...what kind? your guess is as good as mine. The larger tracks which are intersecting the rodent tracks are probably a member of the weasle family. Dependig on what kinda forest youre near and habitat range will held give you a clue. It's very hard to tell from 2 tracks at that angle. Might be a marten tho...size and distance between them looks about right. If you are looking for a book on the subject, i highly reccomend Tracking and the Art of Seeing. by Paul Rezendes. It covers all kinds of sign from a wide range of critters. Hope that was some help. -Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 yeah you are good to go now. Your mystery tracks look like a dog. Wheather that be domestic, coyote or wolf, would take a little more investigating. If you look at the tracks, you will notice that the claws register in the track, so it is definatly not a cat. The main pad of a cats foot is also C shaped. Your suspected rodent tracks are definatly rodent...what kind? your guess is as good as mine. The larger tracks which are intersecting the rodent tracks are probably a member of the weasle family. Dependig on what kinda forest youre near and habitat range will held give you a clue. It's very hard to tell from 2 tracks at that angle. Might be a marten tho...size and distance between them looks about right. If you are looking for a book on the subject, i highly reccomend Tracking and the Art of Seeing. by Paul Rezendes. It covers all kinds of sign from a wide range of critters. Hope that was some help. -Dave Yup helps alot. I never figured that those round tracks would be Canine. I would say not a dog as they were on top of the truck track. When the truck returned no dog. Also Im about 50 Kms from the nearest house. Kind of eliminates the dog. Again those tracks are nice and round and there was no claw marks but you can see there is a faint line with a track. Maybe a tail. Also no droppings to help ID Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Again those tracks are nice and round and there was no claw marks but you can see there is a faint line with a track. Maybe a tail. Which photo are you looking at holdfast and i'll take another look. It may not be a domestic dog, or the guy might have been running his dog behind the truck and then put him in it for the return? Very hard to tell the various dogs apart...but that doesnt make them any less interesteing lol -Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The drag is due to the snow depth, the animal isnt picking its feet up bause the snow id fluufy enough and shallow enough to not impead movement. That is the exact photo i used to distinguish the claw marks and the pad shap. If you look at the very from of the toes the center 2 toes are clearly registering the claws. I have been thining about what you have said about the tracks, and was wondering if they ever veered off the trail. The wild canine speces as well as with cats tend to wander some. They stop to check out things and investigate. If they stayed with the vehical tracks, with a constant pace, i'd be further inclined to side with doestic dog. Here is a site i found which better explains the claw marks and C in the pad shape i was refering too. Pictures are better then words for this sort of thing. http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html -Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitespinnerbait Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The tracks you refer to as Rabbit tracks ..are in fact squirrel tracks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I never followed the Trail long enough to see if it veered off. I thought it may of been a Dog too. But that vehical came back and I was talking with the hunters for a good 15 minutes and there was no dog. Of course they could of shot it. Really, squirrel tracks? Need another opinion WhiteSpinnerbait. Thanks Rambleon and WhiteSpinnerbait for your input. It has peaked my interest now and certainly made me more aware. Thanks again. Off to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 i thought you followed them longer, and was not aware you spoke with the drivers. If it was coyote and they did shot it i suspect that they would have told you. Quite possibly it was a wild canine then. The "rabbit tacks" could definatly be squirrell. i was much more interested in the canine track. Rabbits typically have their front feet register in a line. like this... http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3880/rabbitdevil9hb.jpg However if there is cottontail in your neck of the woods, and the "buny" is doing slow short hops you could get similar sign to that of a squirrel. If you look closely to the faint drag marks at the center top of each track it appears the critter is holding its feet beside each other as opposed to one infront one it back. Also in the lower photo of the critter track it seems that the feet are landing besides each other. But as i have said before 1 track isnt enough to be sure. I think Spinnerbait is probably right here tho...and i didnt care enough to notice lol. my bad. have a good day at work. -R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAB Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 My two cents. Top ones are in my book definitely squirrel or weasel. Up at Big River should have snowshoe hares and you would definitely see the rear footprints. Should be no cottontails that far north. Mystery tracks definitely look like coyote. See them alot along roads and truck tracks in the winter as they use the path of least resistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Yup top definitely not Rabbit. Believe it or not I seen Rabbit tracks at work to compare. Ill take a pic tommorow, only as a comparison. JohnAB good to hear from you. Im thinking Coyote also as I figure a lone wolf would be bigger. Thanks to RambleOn I went from cat to dog. Goes to show ya, I was right. I dont know my tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramble Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Knowing you don't know is the 1st step to knowing lol....learning isn't too hard for the more common tracks. I definatly think its worth the time to work on them. I havnt been out much this year to brush up, but i am hoping too very soon. Even after looking at common tracks for years, every now and then you see something from an animal that astonishes you. Good look holdfast. Keep the critter tracks coming man. I love looking at them. -Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 definately a samsquanch Totally disagree. It's definitely the tracks of the dreaded............................ MANBEARPIG!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch312 Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 (edited) first set of pics are squirrel tracks. a coyotes front paws will be a little bigger than the rear while most dogs tend to have paws that are the same size. in the 4th pic in the canine set it looks like 2 critters and coyotes typically wander around in pairs. pretty sure they are coyote tracks. go buy a gun, it would give you a reason to keep tracking them. and even when a bunny is hopping around looking for food their tracks look nothing like a squirrel. larger tracks and one of their hind feet always lands farther than the other. theres also no claw marks until they start running. Edited January 20, 2009 by ch312 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snag Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Totally disagree. It's definitely the tracks of the dreaded............................ MANBEARPIG!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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