Cougar 1, me 0

[Okanagan]

Ran on to a fresh cougar track in snow this afternoon, too fresh maybe.  He acted like he spooked and hustled away from me before I set up to call.  The snow was soapy slick, and I spun out when I stopped on a slight hill to check the track that came on to the road and went up it, so I walked on up the road to follow it.  The tracks felt as fresh as mine.  Once in awhile the cat would walk fast with long strides for 50 feet, and all of its strides were kind of long for such a small track.  It was a dink as lions go, maybe 60 lbs.  (and likely less).  

I considered whether I should even try for such a small one,   for a second, and then thought that I would be an idiot to pass a good chance to call one.  

After 200 yards the cat left the road steep uphill in some thick second growth.  I walked on ahead to see if there was a better spot to call, and after another 150 yards the road turned uphill in a switchback curve, heading back above where the lion had left the road.  The cougar's tracks came down this road to the curve, where it left the road heading on around the contour of the mountain, on a trace of grown up old road on a narrow natural bench.

I set up at the bend of the road, called for an hour, and I am pretty sure nothing came in.  I walked a loop around the possible approaches and found no tracks.  I was downright surprised that the cat did not return, but I suspect it was moving fast enough that it was out of earshot by the time I set up.  And it apparently knew I was following and speeded up, judging by the tracks.

The cougar's tracks and stride.  Ruler is four inches long.



Cougar tracks coming down the road, on the right side of the photo, as he headed toward the curve where he left the road.



He left the road and headed straight into this timber when the road curved downhill to the right.  The cougar's tracks are to the left.



Walking back down toward my vehicle, gives a perspective on the terrain.

[Hawks Feather]

Sorry you didn't get the big cat called in, but thanks for the pictures.

Jerry

[HaMeR]

Too bad you didn't get the cat but I know you're not done trying!! 

[alscalls]

 

[FinsnFur]

An opportunity many can only embrace the mere thought of.

Boyeeee that sounded kinda flakey didnt it? LOL 

The cat was probably watching you the whole time
Thanks for taking us along.

[vvarmitr]

An opportunity many can only embrace the mere thought of.

Actually I was thinking the same thing ...... not in those exact same words. 

That's really neat; glad you shared that w/ us. 

[Okanagan]

The cat was probably watching you the whole time

That's happened WAY too many times!    Sneaky devils.

[LBLDOG]

Pics R amazing especially the last one

[bambam]

I sure hope you get one. That would be a thrill I would think.

[KySongDog]

I like the looks of that snowy landscape.   Tracking after a new snow is great. 

[John_NY]

Sounds like alot of fun  even without getting the cat. The pictures are great and that road is my kinda road. No tire tracks.

John

[Jimmie in Ky]

Since you have far more first hand knowledge than I do, what are these? Jimmie

[KySongDog]

Its that Kaintuckee black panther.     

[pitw]

Looks like cigarettes  .

[Okanagan]

Since you have far more first hand knowledge than I do, what are these? Jimmie

My first impression is dog*

That asterisk means I want to check it some more because it could be a big cat.  It is too bad it has that layer of snow on it since the track was made.  If it was as fresh as the boot tracks it would show the heel of the track clearly, and the three-lobed heel of a cat is proof positive compared to the nearly straight and slightly two-lobed heel of a dog pad.

The overall diamond shape indicates dog.  The symmetry of the two front toes also says dog.  A cougar usually has one toe longer than the other, opposite on his left and right feet, much like the lengths of the first two fingers of a human hand tell you which hand you are looking at.  Dogs usually show a pair of claws from the front two toes, and this doesn't show anything, though the snow may have covered that detail.  Cats usually don't show claws.

After all that , I'm a lot more sure it is dog, confirming first impression, but  I'd try to track it some more to find more evidence one way or the other.  Good photo by the way, especially with something in the pic to show size.

I don't have a domestic dog track pic but here is a northern wolf track.  Squint and you can see the track a lot better in the photo.



Below is a cougar foot for comparison (you can imagine the track with one toe longer, three lobes on heel, etc).

[Okanagan]

Looks like cigarettes  .

A coyote was sneaking a smoke in the feedlot out behind the barn and dropped his pack of smokes when he heard the man in boots coming.  Tracks tell the WHOLE story, and they don't lie!   

[KySongDog]

Thanks for that info, Okanagan.   I learned something about cougar tracks.   

[Jimmie in Ky]

And seeing the cats foot is a big help. I am now sure that is a dogs track. Although there are not supposed to be any loose dogs there. Also tells me why it avoided the coyotes as well. Big silverback male ruled that area at the time. This may have been the malemute I was hearing rumors of being in that area.Also heard rumors of a nut job releasing wolf hybrids in that area as well. Either of those would have had a track that large.

[coyote101]

Thanks for the info Okanagan, the pictures helped a lot in understanding. Now help me understand why the squinting thing works.

Pat

Squint and you can see the track a lot better in the photo.

[Okanagan]

Thanks for the info Okanagan, the pictures helped a lot in understanding. Now help me understand why the squinting thing works.

Pat

Pat, Don't have a clue why the squinting works, but it does help see details in washed out photos sometimes.  No idea why.  I discovered that by accident.  (Musta squinted. )   On this photo it sure helps me see the details of the track better.   Does that work for you or anybody else when looking at the wolf track pic?