# Found These Paw Prints at my Barn in the Snow!!



## GoldRush (Dec 14, 2009)

Don't agree...cats as a species have retractable claws. Your print has clear claw marks.








This is a photo of a puma print in snow.



















This is a bear print in mud...claws are clear. So may be a small bear...


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## GoldRush (Dec 14, 2009)

Or....







Wolf print in snow


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## clipclops (Nov 16, 2009)

Not bear...has to be cat or k9.
I looked at a lot of tracks...some cougar tracks had the claw marks but not many and not as clear...like this one
http://freepages.family.rootsweb.an...mages/08-03-01_Footprint_in_sand_at_cabin.jpg

here is a bear
http://www.nps.gov/gaar/planyourvisit/images/bigbeartracks2.jpg

Wolf..
http://www.wildernessclassroom.com/polarbear/images/wolf_tracks.jpg

Bob Cat..
http://natureinquiries.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/bobcat-track-1b.jpg


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I personally think that it is probably either a wolf, or a large dog. I too can clearly see the claw marks, and cat prints don't show claw marks.


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## DarkEquine (Aug 29, 2008)

No way, canine and bear species have non retractable claws and therefore leave a claw print when leaving tracks. Feline species (excepting the cheetah, which I doubt that's what it was - even though that would be seriously cool!!) have a retractable claw and therefore don't leave claw tracks. Possibly a stray dog, or in an extreme case, a wolf, if you have them where you live?

P.S. I work volunteer at a zoo on the weekends and have seen the different tracks for myself.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Agree with the above post. Looks like a large dog, Felines don't leave claw marks, and bear *usually* show more claw. It _could_ be a bear, but I vote big dog


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## clipclops (Nov 16, 2009)

A big cat track can show claw mark if its a deep track. It can also show claw mark if in is at an incline. On flat level ground you shouldn't see any claw mark.
This is a cougar track in snow. 
http://washingtonwolf.info/wolfphotos/wolftrack_hindfootsize_002.jpg


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

nah i don't think it's a bear. bears have pretty wonky shapped bads. and the toes are big. i'm guessing either Coyote, Wolf, or a big dog


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

My black lab is about 100 lbs. His paw prints in snow or mud spread out to be MUCH bigger than his already big feet. I would put money on a large stray dog.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

^^^Snow makes the tracks look much bigger.


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## AlternativeEquineTraining (Nov 6, 2009)

The tracks where in very deep snow and on a hill... There have been "sightings" of the cougars up here. There are no wolves... the only stray dog that I have seen around here is a bassett hound lol. Im literally in the middle of nowhere.. smack dab in the middle of a 60 acres field surrounded by miles and miles of woods. The paw print was bigger than my hand... needless to say even if it is a dog im scared of it. There were small.. very small prints next to it... like as if it had a baby.... I didnt get pictures of those though. but they looked the same justa third of the size


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

I agree with that is most likely a wolf, coyote, or feral/ stay dog. Animals to naturally exspand their ranges as long as there is nothing to stop them. I would not be suprised if it is a wolf but even if it is just a stay dog. becareful. They can be dangerous to horses and people.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I agree with Kentucky. The palm on a cougar track is larger than all the digits and the shape of the palm is not higher in the center as it would be on a coyotee, wolf or dog. Hard to tell by the picture, but that shape looks more elongated and the digits collectively are not larger than the palm.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

clipclops said:


> A big cat track can show claw mark if its a deep track. It can also show claw mark if in is at an incline. On flat level ground you shouldn't see any claw mark.
> This is a cougar track in snow.
> http://washingtonwolf.info/wolfphotos/wolftrack_hindfootsize_002.jpg


Why would the link say "WolfTrack_HindFootSize" if it were a Couger track? By how the link is labeled, I would think that that picture is a hind foot track from a wolf. In fact I would put money on it. After all it is from the "washington wolf" page, in the "wolf photos" gallery....

To the OP: 

The track you found was a canine of some sorts. Anyone with barely a basic sense of tracking can tell that is not a cat. 

Just because _you_ haven't seen the dogs, doesn't mean they aren't there. I haven't seen the pack of coyotes that live in my area, but I do know they are here. I have had strange dogs show up for one night, passing through, and I never see them again. I have had the neighbor dogs come over for a night... and who knows what shows up when I am not there.

Here is a nice page with lots of pics of cougar tracks. Animal Tracks - Mountain Lion (Cougar) - Puma concolor
A nice carnivore print page.
Tracking Identification Guide from Wild Things Unlimited

If you really want to know, set up a wildlife camera.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

clipclops said:


> A big cat track can show claw mark if its a deep track. It can also show claw mark if in is at an incline. On flat level ground you shouldn't see any claw mark.
> This is a cougar track in snow.
> http://washingtonwolf.info/wolfphotos/wolftrack_hindfootsize_002.jpg


The photo itself says it is a wolf, not cougar.


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## Painted Hotrod (Dec 3, 2009)

I would bet it was a big dog, wolf, or a coyote..
I have coyote's everywhere here, and that's what their prints look like.

But, who knows, haha.
Most likely K9 though.


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

Canine


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

AlternativeEquineTraining said:


> The tracks where in very deep snow and on a hill... There have been "sightings" of the cougars up here. There are no wolves... the only stray dog that I have seen around here is a bassett hound lol. Im literally in the middle of nowhere.. smack dab in the middle of a 60 acres field surrounded by miles and miles of woods. The paw print was bigger than my hand... needless to say even if it is a dog im scared of it. There were small.. very small prints next to it... like as if it had a baby.... I didnt get pictures of those though. but they looked the same justa third of the size


I know nothing about tracks, but generally speaking because of the sightings and wildlife in your area, I would believe it. We used to have a special breed of mountain dog in the hopes it would keep those human eating animals away from our house.


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## KaylaOscer1994 (Oct 1, 2009)

I would say a stray dog or a wolf, the prints look K9


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