[Cherokee Moon]

Thought I'd seen about every kind of track..but not sure what these are. About 4-5 inches between tracks, each track/scratch about 2 inches wide, 1/4-/12 inch deep and some single ones 8-12 inches long.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/cherokeemoon1/Tracks/IMG_0780.jpg (broken link)

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/cherokeemoon1/Tracks/IMG_0779.jpg (broken link)

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/cherokeemoon1/Tracks/IMG_0776.jpg (broken link)

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/cherokeemoon1/Tracks/IMG_0778.jpg (broken link)

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg149/cherokeemoon1/Tracks/IMG_0777.jpg (broken link)

[_redbird_]

Deer rut? Scent marking coyote? You know how dogs run their paws on the ground after urinating?

I have no idea. Some lady from Yeager said she saw a mountain lion last month.

[EarthBound?]

As narrow as you said they were (and look) and the comment that RB stated about dog pawing at the ground after urinating (whick is true). I'm gonna guess that a coyote made the marks.

[Cherokee Moon]

Originally Posted by _redbird_

Deer rut? Scent marking coyote? You know how dogs run their paws on the ground after urinating?

I have no idea. Some lady from Yeager said she saw a mountain lion last month.

Thanks Redbird. Wish I could have got better pictures, specially the first set a week or so ago. It's hard to tell in the pics but these tracks are not similar to those a canine makes after urinating. I've seen about every kind of track in the wild, but never these. There's about 6 ft of continuous tracks. Both times in the exact same spot. No other tracks where something may have walked away after pawing at the dirt. There is a tree about 8 ft. away from our wolves' gate, on the outside of their pen. Both times these tracks were directly between the tree and the gate, and very close to the gate, which confused me a bit, because most other animals would not get so near a wolf, specially if it's growling. And mine would have been. I'm just a tiny bit hesitant about saying it could be a mountain lion, because I believe one of the natural predators of the mountain lion is a wolf. But on the other hand, a ML ran thru my daughter's yard just recently. She lives just north of us about 2000 ft. I thought of a badger maybe?? Not sure if they leave such long claw marks tho. Ahhh well, I love a good mystery, so will just keep watching

[Cherokee Moon]

Originally Posted by EarthBound?

As narrow as you said they were (and look) and the comment that RB stated about dog pawing at the ground after urinating (whick is true). I'm gonna guess that a coyote made the marks.

Thanks Earthbound. Appreciate your reply! Have a good day

[_redbird_]

I think it could be more than one species. But since it is so close to your wolf pen, that makes it even stranger.

I know when our gsd is penned, those skunks and armadillos will come within feet of her fence. Which of course, makes her bark like crazy. She has a specific bark for those occasions!

I also thought maybe it was a wild hog. I think we are a few miles north of you, so you are the second source of a mountain lion here in Hughes County within the past month or so. I am sure they have been here for a long time, we just don't see them.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by _redbird_

I think it could be more than one species. But since it is so close to your wolf pen, that makes it even stranger.

I know when our gsd is penned, those skunks and armadillos will come within feet of her fence. Which of course, makes her bark like crazy. She has a specific bark for those occasions!

I also thought maybe it was a wild hog. I think we are a few miles north of you, so you are the second source of a mountain lion here in Hughes County within the past month or so. I am sure they have been here for a long time, we just don't see them.

I wonder... something came through my corner of town a few nights ago and every dog around had absolute fits for about an hour. Occasionally a coyote will come looking for the geese at the cemetary, and the dogs bark then, but this time was very different. I'd be inclined to think otherwise, but where I lived in WA, it was in a cougar's territory, which ran along the corridor between I-5 and Puget Sound, from Bellingham northward of the Canadian border. That's very heavily built up, like a single long giant suburb.

[Cherokee Moon]

Originally Posted by _redbird_

I think it could be more than one species. But since it is so close to your wolf pen, that makes it even stranger.

I know when our gsd is penned, those skunks and armadillos will come within feet of her fence. Which of course, makes her bark like crazy. She has a specific bark for those occasions!

I also thought maybe it was a wild hog. I think we are a few miles north of you, so you are the second source of a mountain lion here in Hughes County within the past month or so. I am sure they have been here for a long time, we just don't see them.

Oh I didn't even think of a wild hog! Very possible. Found more of the same tracks again today, but not in the same place. And once again, at the base of a tree. Too weird

Just after the ML ran thru my daughter's yard, one of our neighbor's told us that he had seen one chasing his cattle. The one who came across daughter's yard didn't look to be quite full grown, and it was thin. So there could be young ones about. Brown in color with a very long tail of course.

You can add panther to the list of spottings. 3 weeks or so ago, my daughter and her son spotted one about half way between here and Horntown on 75. It wasn't quite dark yet so they got a very good long look at it. It just stood on the side of the road for quite some time. My daughter said it was mighty large and black as night. She also said it was beautiful. Probably was, but I wouldn't wanna meet up with one. LoL
I guess with colder weather coming in, all the wild critters may be out hunting for food.
There used to be one who came thru ever so often out at our in-law's place, south of Calvin. Could hear it scream and it would spook the cows, but that's been many moons ago.

[Boxcar Overkill]

For a number of reasons, those don't look like animal tracks to me, (especially with the other information you provided.)

[briansgi]

Chickens! But more importantly, water your yard!