Large Track (pic)

[paint]

 I was scouting a new place a few days ago and ran into these very big tracks. Does anyone know what they could be?  

[FinsnFur]

Looks like a good size cat track.
Was there any claw marks under your thumb?

[bowjunkie]

looks like a cat to me as well

[paint]

Looks like a good size cat track.
Was there any claw marks under your thumb?

i dont think they were any claw marks, i hope it is a cat and i get to see it. the pic is very close to the real size and thats quite a bit bigger than the cat tracks ive found so far.

[FinsnFur]

What part of the country you in paint?

[paint]

im deep in the southeast

[Jimmie in Ky]

If I am reading what I see right (soil conditions and type) The claw marks would have been very plain just above his thumb if there were any. That track is about eight hours or so old from the looks of it . Ridges are starting to dry and beginning to crumble. Jimmie

[paint]

If I am reading what I see right (soil conditions and type)

if it helps it was damp and was mostly sand

[Jimmie in Ky]

Sand with enough silt to make it tacky is the way I see it, Probably in a creek crossing . That is why that little chip came out of the print and fell back in. Trouble with that medium is that sand allows water to flow through and remains wetter that it normally would long after the track is made. But even with all that the claw marks should have been visable about halfway between the track and your fingers. It could be anywhere between 4 and eight hours old at the time of the photo.

If it had been made in red clay the ridges would remain sharp for more than a day yet they would be drying out in 3 hours.This drying shows a two tone effect in the ridge color. It starts as a tan colored line on top of the ridge and goes down with time. After about ten hours th ridge starts to crumble and become less defined, you can see loose particles in th track. Clay also makes a much sharper print you can read easier and far longer. Jimmie