Help me ID these predator tracks

[seanps]

Found these along the Squamish River. They were much larger than my 90-pound Lab's footprints, and you can tell the stride in one of the shots is nearly three feet (er, my feet). My initial guess was coyote, but they were way too large.

I could tell the animal meandered through the woods for a bit, ran a little while, walked along some fallen logs, and apparently crouched for a bit (is that what's happening in the last photo?).

At one point it looked like there were two, walking side-by-side before one suddenly veered off, to the left, running.

http://i.imgur.com/QX1fQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/y5YQw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0Zs4c.jpg

BONUS: What was this?

http://i.imgur.com/EFGmS.jpg

[Caveman]

Looks like a big old wolf track

[gerrygoat]

Wolf tracks and the jaws of a spawned out chum salmon :)

[seanps]

Here's a better shot of the jaw.

http://i.imgur.com/bVY0h.jpg

[springpin]

That has some really hooked teeth...interesting

[longstonec]

A dog salmon ready for the BBQ.

[seanps]

Yeah, the hooked teeth were about three-quarters of an inch long.

[Ddog]

wolf tracks,, or large dog anyways. and spawned chum jaw,, i have a few of those spawned chum jaws,, its real cool how big the get for a salmonid

[6616]

Do a Google search, lots of really good info on this on the net.

http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

[shadow1982]

All the experienced hunters please correct me if I am wrong…
I have noticed feline and canine tracks usually look the same, with the difference that Cat tracks usually have no nails in front of it, on the other hand Canine usually have nail marks infront of the track?

[835]

either big dog or Wolf.
a big dog track can melt out to look huge in the snow.

And yep, thats a Chum jaw

[seanps]

Thanks everyone. Thought it could be a dog, but the location didn't quite fit. And while the tracks could have melted out, the stride was still huge.

[835]

Yep the stride can tell you alot as well!

[longstonec]

Friends bull mastiff has snow shoes for feet. It's under 100lbs and it's paws are an easy 3x the size of my 55lb golden.

[Scouter Bear]

They look like wolf tracks to me. Whenever I go out hiking with the family or out with my scout troop, I always get the kids to identify any tracks that we come across. It is a way to get them to know and understand that they are not alone in the woods and be aware of there surroundings at all times. I also went out and bought a book that I carry with me. It is called Animal Tracks of British Columbia. It is put out by Lone Pine and the authors are Ian Sheldon & Tamara Hartson. I have used it several times and it is a good reference to have when you are out in the field.

[shadow1982]

Do a Google search, lots of really good info on this on the net.

http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html


Great read learned a lot, thanks

[BlacktailStalker]

All canine species double track, felines single track.
Identify that and there is nothing to guess.

[tomcat]

All the experienced hunters please correct me if I am wrong…
I have noticed feline and canine tracks usually look the same, with the difference that Cat tracks usually have no nails in front of it, on the other hand Canine usually have nail marks infront of the track?

Wolf is more elongated than cat tracks which are basically round. Also, wolf will generally show a stagger track pattern whereas cats generally pattern in a straight line.

Wolf
http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt231/tomcat37-2009/015-1.jpg http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt231/tomcat37-2009/014-1.jpg Lynx
http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt231/tomcat37-2009/IMG.jpgCougar (front & back foot)

[seanps]

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful.

There was a patch of raised dirt/rocks that appeared to be urinated on and scratched up, so I set up a trail cam there in the hopes of photographing something interesting. I'll check back in a couple months.

[TheProvider]

definately wolf tracks