Track identification?

[huntsman]

View attachment 775765 View attachment 775766 I took advantage of the thaw to head out into my woods, found this set of tracks paralleling a well traveled deer trail. Coyote, dog or other?

Scale: knife 6” sheath 5-5/8”

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Looks like a coyote. Decently sized one.

 

[Art Eatman]

Given the size and the roundness, I'd say dog. Coyote track aren't quite so rounded, and aren't all that large.

 

[Charliefrank]

My guess, dog

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Looks like yesterday's track?

I would say big dog but I don't know what kind of probability that is.

The area you are in has a lot to do with tracking.

 

[huntsman]

^ Open forest (reverting field)

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

^ Open forest (reverting field)

What kind of critters do you have in that area?

Is a stray dog with big feet likely? is there evidence of people? did you find any other tracks nearby to suggest more than just the solitary critter you found?

Or is it pretty remote and a coyote with fat feet is more likely?

 

[Armored farmer]

I say big dog, but something screwy about the second pic. A little slippage perhaps?

Nice knife/pocket sheath btw.

 

[huntsman]

I’m in Northest Ohio and the Coyote has been here for at least 20 years, closest neighbors are about 1/4 mile. Tracks looked old and we’ve been warm the last couple of days but the tracks didn’t look as degraded as the deer tracks nearby. I followed it about 30 yards till snow ran out but picked it up again about 100 yards away along another deer trail

 

[Patocazador]

It doesn't look like my dog's track. I would decide depending on whether you had coy-dogs or the coyote/wolf hybrids in your area. Western coyotes are quite a bit smaller than the eastern variety.

 

[FL-NC]

Canine. If you find black piles piles of poo with fur in it, either coyote or feral dog.

 

[buck460XVR]

Toes 1 and 4 look to be pointed outward..........equates to a dog. Art is correct about it looking too rounded for a 'yote. Easier to tell if the track is defined enough to make out the pad. Trail pattern helps with old tracks.

 

[huntsman]

It doesn't look like my dog's track. I would decide depending on whether you had coy-dogs or the coyote/wolf hybrids in your area. Western coyotes are quite a bit smaller than the eastern variety.

This is why I listed other, I’ve witnessed a strange canine the last time was a couple of springs ago, it came in to my hen yelping.

It’s about the size of a husky and all white with gray/silver highlights. I caught a glimpse of it running toward me and my first thought was dog but when it got to the logging trail I was on it skidded to a stop and before I could raise the gun it whirled around and was gone.

I’m going to set out trail cams but that’s a shot in the dark at best.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I’m going to set out trail cams but that’s a shot in the dark at best.

Literally

 

[huntsman]

I actually have a trail cam pic, I was telling a neighbor about my turkey hunting experience and he showed a pic on his phone that he said came from a trail cam about a 1/2 mile from me. It’s on my wife’s phone( black hole of pics) and I submitted a formal request for it so IF she can find I’ll add it to this thread.

 

[JeffG]

Remember, it doesn't take much melting to make a track look bigger than the original.