Paw Print

Egon · Mar 18, 2002

Black bear paw prints.

Egon

MossRoad · Mar 18, 2002

Looks like big doggie. Hope its friendly!

StoneHeartFarm · Mar 18, 2002

Spencer

Unless you're in the UP, it's not a Wolf. Of the big critters we've got in West Michigan, your choices are Cougar (the DNR will only say they haven't seen one), Black Bear, Coyote and Dog. Bears aren't as uncommon as you might think and could show up in your drive if moving or looking for food. With the weather as it's been, the bear should be starting to move around. But, I don't think it's a bear print. That leaves Coyote and Dog. Biggest Coyote I've seen is about the size of a small German Shepard. I'd guess along with the rest of the guys-- Dog. Any neighbors got Great Danes?

SHF

Spencer · Mar 18, 2002

There are a couple of dogs that run loose around here. We are out in the woods about a 1/4 mile. Only 1 set of neighbors and their dog is maybe 80 lbs. and always chained up. Here is another pic showing part of the trail. Our tire tracks had covered up the left paw prints before I discovered them.

Spence

Anonymous Poster · Mar 18, 2002

I vote canine. I have an old GSD that leaves prints about that size.

It looks like there is a "dimple" in the curve at the back of the print; none of the cats have that. I just don't think it is big enough for a bear, unless it is a cub.

RichZ · Mar 18, 2002

Looks like a dog print. I have a Mastiff and a St. Bernard. It looks just like their prints. As someone said earlier, members of the cat family retract their claws, and the prints clearly have claw marks. The shape doesn't seem right for a bear.

Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."

StoneHeartFarm · Mar 18, 2002

Spencer

Looks like a dog. Bears would have a longer rear track than front. Cats tend to keep their prints closer together; just watch your house cat, big ones and small ones walk about the same. An 80 pound dog could do it if he's got big feet. Dogs have different foot sizes just like people do. I think it's just spring in the air, I was out to the farm yesterday and noticed all the dogs in the neighborhood were out running around. Neighbors barn cats were out running too.

SHF

JTD · Mar 18, 2002

Unless I'm mistaken I see only 4 toes. Bear has 5. Probably a big dog. An excellent book on this subject is "Tracking & the Art of Seeing - How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign" by Paul Rezendes. I'm using it to learn on my property. I kept seeing strange tracks at the pole barn we're repairing and wasn't sure what it was. Turns out it was a very large opossum (at least 25 lbs) that waddled out from underneath an old school bus we dug out from trees and underbrush. Startled the trackhoe operator and gave us a great laugh. One fella had his shotgun with him since snake season has started (rattlesnakes and water moccosons were active last week). Didn't shoot the opossum.

njrqs · Mar 18, 2002

Rancar

Yep been chuckign those mothballs at the buggers and no more to be seen /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

No honestly I have done nothing and haven't seen any more.

Will keep you all updated though !!!

Spencer · Mar 19, 2002

Thanks Fred,
I checked out your first link. I took the image of the wolf and the large dog and overlaid them onto the picture I took. The wolfs print is supposed to be 5 inches just like the print I had in my driveway. The dogs print is supposed to be 4 inches but I proportionately increased its size to match the 5 inch print I found.

Here is the overlay of the wolf print.
I will post the overlay of the dog next.

Spence