Went out to feed livestock this morning and found...

funstuff · #61 03/05/09, 02:42 PM

wolf track. call your dnr or game and fish to report it. that way when it comes back for dinner you have it reported already. make no mistakes about wolves. we have then all over here now, sw mt., and they are making it everywhere. there is an established pack and litter from LAST year on the olympic peninsula, its habitants came from yellowstone. 3 years ago an adult female with a yellowstone ear tattoo was killed on i-70 west of denver. report it. it helps the state start a count so that numbers are known and packs are established. makes it easier to find the culprits when stock gets killed.

please report it. they are decimating some of the wildlife populations in there ranges.

neolady · #62 03/05/09, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaners

Out of curiosity, for the people who say it is a dog (I can't tell one way or another) how big would that dog be to have paws that large? I've seen plenty of golden retrievers in my day, and I have yet to see one with paws as big as my hand.

Kayleigh

I just went and measured the feet of two of my dogs - both dogs were sound asleep, so the footprint measurement was taken at rest and is not "spread" out. The smaller dog's front foot is 3.5 inches across and the larger is 4.75 inches, which means that both feet when weight is put on them will spread out considerably. Those are neapolitan mastiffs, and neither of them large examples of the breed.

Further just taking a look at the smaller of the dogs, her feet are distinctly three-"lobed" as described above.

Beaners · #63 03/05/09, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neolady

I just went and measured the feet of two of my dogs - both dogs were sound asleep, so the footprint measurement was taken at rest and is not "spread" out. The smaller dog's front foot is 3.5 inches across and the larger is 4.75 inches, which means that both feet when weight is put on them will spread out considerably. Those are neapolitan mastiffs, and neither of them large examples of the breed.

Further just taking a look at the smaller of the dogs, her feet are distinctly three-"lobed" as described above.

My point wasn't that dogs don't get that big. My point was that it would be a lot more dog than any golden retriever I've ever seen, and someone else said it was a golden retriever.

Kayleigh

VOR. · #64 03/05/09, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidUnderwood

VOR, I never offered as to what made
those tracks.

It was quite apparent from your OP that you weren't sure what made the tracks.

DavidUnderwood · #65 03/06/09, 10:11 AM

More to the point, I'm
not an arnchair expert.
Just a wise-guy with a
computer.

unregistered6474 · #66 03/06/09, 10:52 AM

Cats generally don't leave claw marks, so I have to agree with the others that it more likely to be a canine of some sort. Hope that sets your mind at ease!

Here's a picture of cougar tracks in snow, taken by the Washington State dept. of fish and wildlife (click to make bigger):

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/graphics/cougar5.jpg

You can see that the paw pad itself is wider and a different shape.

goatlady · #67 03/06/09, 06:48 PM

I really don't think a cougar would EVER sleep on the ground, but it's the natural sleeping area for any canine.