Tracks Describe the Animal...

[Brady Davis]

This post has me cracking up! I wasn't going to chime in too much because I have sure been enjoying all the posts. Guys from bobcat country who are bobcat hunters and we get the responses we get? I was with B-N Trees on these tracks and you freakin "cat hunters" who call it a squirrel, skunk, otter, sasquatch or anything else need your heads checked! He wasn't asking for track identification! I have sometimes wondered about the info we get on the internet and a handful of you are proving me right!

Guess what boys? First track was a big ol bobber and the set he just posted, well, as sure as I'm alive thats a lion...or puma...or cougar....or a skunk?>!

Bout the best possible guess in my opinion to the FIRST REAL question was posted by Badge...Perhaps the bobber had something large in his mouth? Or maybe he's a lazy ass bobber who didn't wanna carry his feet all the way up? LOL

Most of you guys needs track ID 101....Just don't rely on some of these other houndsmen to get it!

For those of you who know a bobcat track and a lion track....well played! LOL

[Benny G]

Finally!!!!!! Someone willing to state the obvious! KUDOS to you!

[B-N-Trees]

Thanks Brady for having my back! Maybe I should have posted in the Laugh Box

[Tim Pittman]

Here's what I know about tracks in certain snow,sand,etc.type conditions of ground.If a guy is not sure of something[providing he has some experience]and it doesn't walk like a cat move like a cat,travel like acat,leave front/rear tracks like acat-pads,toes etc.Then it's probably not a cat,because females aren't pregnant this time of year,a tom isn't packing a kill in his chops for 3miles and on and on and on.There are only a few men even here in the Northwest who only run bobcat-whether it's snow,bareground,eastern,western,rainy,desert-conditions and terrian vary but the quarry is still the same species with it's own habits and physical characteristics,and those few guys who are the most successful men I know of in this part of the world,would hesitate or turn down[even before the dogs told them right/wrong or indifferent]tracks that didn't walk and talk BOBCAT.These guys I'm refering to[not myself]don't tell people they catch 80-100 cat a year, they show them.For the aspireing guys as myself who really are intersted in being the best we can by learning and applying 40-50 years and thousands of cats of experience to our plan.B N Trees you asked what we knew of bobs shuffling and the such and none of US know what to say except-----WE WOULDN'T CALL THAT A CAT TRACK DUE TO THE BEHAVIOR OR THE PAD FORMATION OR SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HYMMM????
Tim 541-912-6464

[twist]

I would say bobcat for sure have ran and caught many tracks just like that. Last cat I just treed Sunday was in aboout 1/2 new snow and track was exact to this one. I always hope they are crippled as make the race shorter In my area it usaualy turns out to be a bigger cat than what the print shows once its viewed in the tree. Why a cat does this I dont know but I have seen 1 or 2 different tracks a year of cat walking just like this. later, Andy

[B-N-Trees]

Tim Pittman I appreciate you sharing your observations about the cat tracks you have seen. I think you are well on your way to achieving your goal of becoming a proficient bob hunter. I would be interested to hear more of your comments over the next few seasons. Good luck on your hunts.

[B-N-Trees]

I would say bobcat for sure have ran and caught many tracks just like that. Last cat I just treed Sunday was in aboout 1/2 new snow and track was exact to this one. I always hope they are crippled as make the race shorter In my area it usaualy turns out to be a bigger cat than what the print shows once its viewed in the tree. Why a cat does this I dont know but I have seen 1 or 2 different tracks a year of cat walking just like this. later, Andy

Andy, well said. I couldn't agree with you more. Part of what makes cat hunting so interesting is their mysterious nature and what we learn from them with each track we pursue. Thanks for posting.

[david]

Oh man, I absolutely love this thread Still got my vote for possibly the best ever. IF we were going to make it the ultimate destination for new hunters though, I sure would love to see some good pictures of: grey fox, fisher, otter, badger, steep granite coyotes with no toe nails, and what ever else has ever given a bobcat hunter pause for reflection.

I like the new picture. Always wanted to see wolverine tracks. I just knew they would look like cat tracks.

You are a good sport B-N-Trees.

[catdogs]

Oh man, I absolutely love this thread Still got my vote for possibly the best ever.

I agree - better than reading the morning comics!

Have seen numerous cats walk like this - both lions and bobs. Hard snow with a small fresh layer on top seems to be the most common case. Watched a young female lion walk like this for over a mile down an old set of snow mobile tracks last week. Heres some help for some of you folks. Cheers!

http://home.mcn.net/~wtu/tracking.html
Funny thing is, in this link, they say bobcats don't drag their feet.

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Geez-o-pete some of you guys need to take a track ID class.... All members of the weasel family, including coons, marten and fisher have 5 toes and asymetrical pads.

Well said. Thw wolverine have 5 toes as well and their tracks are 5 inches or so wide as well as long.

[BlazeNBrat]

Here is another foot dragger I found for ya to ponder....... What is it?



This one was caught a few days later and still dragging its feet.

[floridacathunter]

What a discussion. Dont know anything about cat tracks in snow, we dont have much around here, usually we dont see a cat stepping in his own track in the sand or dirt. Dont know? After nearly 60 yrs messin with hounds and bobcats ive come to the conclusion, I aint very bright. Really enjoying this forum. Let us be thankful for our blessings.

[david]

This one was caught a few days later and still dragging its feet.

[/i]

BlazeNBrat, I hope you weren't thinking you are helping out B-N-Trees case. I beleive the first picture is a bobcat just because B-N-Trees says it is. He was there, he knows the size, he could look down in the track, he knows his dog and on and on for pages.

But If I was a non hunter and only had these two pictures to go on I would definately say they are different animals.

And I can tell you from my personal message box there are some very accomplished people who dont want their name on here, but who will never beleive the first track is a bobcat.

I do.

But some of you guys are coming off a little arrogant for my taste. And some of you are getting your opinions from looking at a tracks web site. I went to the web site, and for the most part, those drawings barely even remind me of what I have seen in the feild.

This is not a simple open and close problem and those of you who want to insult my freinds like Tim or coastrangecathunter, you really have no idea what you are doing. If you did you would not do it. It would not surprise me in the least if the bobcats either one of those guys have caught would outnumber the cats caught by all those insulting them combined.[b][/b] And I would venture to guess that the bobcats caught by coastrange cathunters father or those caught by Tim's mentor would outnumber the cats of anyone on this board other than CJC.

I stll love this thread, but be careful folks.

[david]

Geez-o-pete some of you guys need to take a track ID class.... All members of the weasel family, including coons, marten and fisher have 5 toes and asymetrical pads.

Well said. Thw wolverine have 5 toes as well and their tracks are 5 inches or so wide as well as long.

Well, at least I learned that coons are part of the weasle family.


Did I mention that I love this thread

[floridacathunter]

Our God given right to disagree is the basis for our freedom,and our great country. Being disagreeable is not right, and stands for nothing. Think about it! Ill hush now