Tracks were in a straight line about 25" apart. Dollar bill is 6" long.

Looks like a cougar.

Nails made impression in several of these dirt tracks (hard to see) as well as in the snow.

Large dog or wolf

X2

whoops! cougar--maybe. Got a view/pict where we can see the X a little better?
http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

Cougar

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
whoops! cougar--maybe. Got a view/pict where we can see the X a little better?
http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

The track above is almost 6" from the nail to the back of the pad (small rock)
One of the tracks in the snow. Again, tracks were made in a stright line, not meandering like a dog.


Taken just a few miles south.


Showed the pictures to a "Biologist", (was told we don't have any wolf specalists here) and in less than a second he replied large dog. Then wanted me to report finding the tracks on the wolf website.

My ex-wife!

6 inch long tracks seem awfully large for a wolf, but with the nails showing I go with canine of some type.

One thing that needs to be thought about, especially tracks in snow is that there is some distortion as to size as the snow softens and refreezes after the track is made. JMO.

It looks like a wolf track to me!

"Lupe Garu"

Thanks for the second photo. My guess is still___ (changed to wolf). The visible claw marks are touching the toes--not separated from them, the leading and trailing edges of the pad are just not clear enough to see, but the the X on a canid should just cut off the inner and outer toes, and not go thru the middle two like cats do--although this is more an H-shape like on some domestic dogs. The eveness of the middle toes is also suggestive of a canid. So its got some of both. I may have just talked myself into the canid camp. In fact, now I think the X is visible in the first photo, and the symmetry in the second, both of which would be wolf.

These are cougar tracks. The bi-lobe leading edge of the pad, and the tri-lobe trailing edge are visible. The X goes thru the middle toes. Your critter might be twice as big!

large wolf track.reference "idaho wolf" if you think the track is too big
mt.lions and other cats don't leave claw marks.claws are retractable and used for defense and catching of prey.i will add you will sometimes see claw marks from cats when they scrape their bathroom spot defining territory marking or sharpning of claws on trees.that said it takes nearly perfect tracking conditions to spot said markings