Kitty question??

[Steeleco]

Today myself, Elkhound and my PITA kid "buckwheat" LOL were out in the hills above the Coq. In an area west of the Coq lakes we happened across these tracks. The round is a 7-08 that's a COL of 2.8" so a guess would be the print is just a little over 3" wide.

How big could the cat be? Could it be a small Cougar or even a bigger Lynx??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/steeleco/My%20pictures/IMG_4014.jpg

[pearljam]

what was the stride like??? You can tell more from that then print size, Obviously a cougar will have a longer stride.....

But the positioning and shape of the toes in your pic look more like a dog.....

here is a track from a 120lb kitty


http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg203/efdkelly/GetAttachmentCAIS19R7.jpg

[TheProvider]

I agree, toes look a lil too pointed for a cat

[Fisher-Dude]

Cat track all the way - leading toe and 3rd lobe on the pad.

I'll call it as a mid-sized cougar. Better make sure you pack a 338 next time yer in that neck o' the woods. :wink:

[ex bc guide]

Sure looks like a k-9 to me

[Fisher-Dude]

http://www.bear-tracker.com/dogfeatures.gif




Here are some things that help identify this as a canine track.
A: The claw marks. Dogs usually show claw marks in their tracks. However, it is possible to see claw marks in cat tracks, but this is usually when the animal is running or pouncing.
B: The lack of a third lobe on the hind edge of the hell pad. See cat tracks below for the difference. Although it is visible in some dog tracks, the third lobe is located higher, not aligned with the other two as it is in cats.
C: The shape of the leading edge of the heel pad is a single lobe. See cat tracks for difference.
D: The alignment of the front two toes. They are side-by-side, or very close to it, in dogs tracks. There are exceptions, such as when the animal is making a turn or walking on a slope.
E: The almost triangular shape of the pads of the outer two toes.
F: Dogs have a little point where the heel pad turns. Cats share this feature.






http://www.bear-tracker.com/catfeatures1.gif

This is the track made by the front left foot of a cougar.
A: Note that the front two toes are not lined up side-by-side as the dog prints were. The toe that is further forward is analogous to a human index finger (the one you point with). The alignment of this toe will tell you whether you have a left or right track. This toe is the inner toe.
B: The leading edge of the heel pad has two parts, or lobes.
C: The hind edge of the heel pad has three parts, or lobes. They are aligned with each other.
D: This is the front track. One clue that tells you this is that the edge of the heel pad is relatively straight. See hind track for difference.
E: Cats have a little point where the heel pad turns. Dogs share this feature.

[boxhitch]

bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline

Hey FD, I was just looking at that too

[Steeleco]

Sorry for the crap picture gang, but trust me it's a cat print. Never thought about the stride. The prints were very distinct in the untouched snow. There were yote prints all over the place, these were huge in comparison.

[Barracuda]

the dogs and I are gonna need to take a closer look

could you please email me the exact lat and long :mrgreen:

[Spokerider]

Yep........lion.
Well??? What was at the end of the trail? You did trail it right?

[Steeleco]

Nope!! It disappeared into the Jungle!!!

[Nait Hadya]

no question,it is a lion, fresh one at that. so fresh i can almost smell it.:biggrin: looks like it was moving quickly. did you bump it off a kill?

[Steeleco]

No we were driving on a previously untraveled road. Maybe it heard the truck coming??