what are these from???

[JiggerMan]

I was driving up a mountain here in northeast PA on my way to go fishing at a remote lake and came acoss these tracks in the snow going down the middle of the road.  at first i thought they were coyote tracks but as I seen more of them and seenhow far the critter was leaping as it ran I had to stop and get a closer look at them. 

Here they are what do you guys think?
 

[clayboy]

at first look like cat but then more like a dog track that has melted some

[sllloyd]

i think they are to big to be a dog
they look like a big cat

[Santo180]

Don't really see any claw marks.  Bobcat maybe?

[sllloyd]

with a big cat they dont always open there claws
i have seen cougar tracks before and they look just like these tracks cougar also means mt lion

[Santo180]

I meant that no claw marks rules out canines.....that being said I am by far an expert on this (or anything else)

[sllloyd]

that is a big cat very big cat be careful

[Chris338378]

My guess is either a Bobcat or a Coyote just going on the remote location alone.  It is very hard to tell what tacks are from in melted snow.  These tracks are obviously old and the snow has melted or is in the process of melting.  As snow melts the detail of the track diminishes and also "grows" so to say.  It is also hard to tell the distance of the stride in your pics because there is no ruler and the pictures are side ways.  After studying the pictures a bit more I'm leaning toward a Bobcat for the fact that the tracks seem to be pretty close to being side by side.  When coyotes run there is normally a bit of an off set between the track placement rather than side by side (referring to the front of the toes from both paws being even across).

[JiggerMan]

My guess is either a Bobcat or a Coyote just going on the remote location alone.  It is very hard to tell what tacks are from in melted snow.  These tracks are obviously old and the snow has melted or is in the process of melting.  As snow melts the detail of the track diminishes and also "grows" so to say.  It is also hard to tell the distance of the stride in your pics because there is no ruler and the pictures are side ways.  After studying the pictures a bit more I'm leaning toward a Bobcat for the fact that the tracks seem to be pretty close to being side by side.  When coyotes run there is normally a bit of an off set between the track placement rather than side by side (referring to the front of the toes from both paws being even across).

the stride of the track is roughly about 6 ft long and the tracs are less then a day old they were not there the previous afternoon and the pics were taken about 10:00 am the next day.

[JiggerMan]

What about a large fisher cat???

[butcher]

Definitely a bobcat.  There are lots of them in NEPA.  Also, the in-line tracks are a signature of a cat.

[Darrell Canfield jr.]

they look a lot like cat tracks. A guide in ID. told me that a big tom Bobcat can have up to 42 inches between the front foot and the back foot.  But do to snow melt its hard to tell what it is. just remember cats don't leave claw marks when they are walking.

[fowlweather92]

I think its really hard to say. Since looking at the pictures it has a consistent leaping pattern for its main way of travel. Bobcat and coyotes dont really do this. When i saw the leaping i thought the fisher would be a good culprit . Fisher have lots of hair on thier paws which could make it seem bigger than it seems. Also the have big paws in proportion to their body to help them stay ontop of the snow. plus with the snow melt even bigger. It might just big a large fisher on your hands there. Im no expert though so dont take my word for it 

 

[JiggerMan]

http://wildthingsultd.org/tracking-identification-guide/

[Buck1985]

I instantly thought Fisher, with the stride that far apart and paws that close, a bobcat still strides, not slink like that

[draketrutta]

I instantly thought Fisher, with the stride that far apart and paws that close, a bobcat still strides, not slink like that

x 2 the toes are too close to be a bobcat, the paw prints would not be adjacent to each other.

Fisher is my guess, it runs like a mink.

[surflizard]

They look exactly like the Fisher tracks I find on the back corner of my property, I've see him twice out there and those tracks look the same !

[skipper4080]

I'm going to say they look like fisher tracks too. My buddy saw one deer hunting and he said it was 40 some inches long so they do get big.

[Dizzy]

Not cat tracks... cat pads are double-lobed (shaped like a "M").



Could be a dog (pet)... they're claws don't show up like wild dogs.

Did you find any dung? Dung would be a big help! 

[Ironeagle]

Fisher

[charlijones]

Whatever it was dropped it's lighter 

[boystcroix]

I saw a fisher for the first time,  hunting in Lycoming co. this deer season, and it was fairly large.  Better than 3ft easily.

[iceman clem]

i also think fisher

[captain54]

My guess it was a fisher,not a bobcat

[JiggerMan]

don't fishers have 5 toes out in front of the pad.  I thought fisher until I saw pictures of fisher tracks and the had 5 toes w/claws in front of the pad.

[cabst119]

100% positively no doubt they are fisher tracks.  Prints are too big and stride is too long to be a mink or weasel.  Fishers, mink, and weasels leave tracks in that exact pattern and the pawprints are those of the weasel family.

[trapperjim]

if it is only 6 ft between then no doubt its bobcat, i have been a trapper for over 35 years and i'll tell ya if you see a fisher that big you best get the hell out of there, lol

[cabst119]

I am also a trapper and I have never seen cat tracks like that.  I haven't seen many fisher tracks but they are just a big version of a mink track, and I have seen loads of mink tracks which look exactly like the picture.
1.  That's a mini bic lighter right?  That explains the pawprint size.
2.  That stride can't be 6 feet.  A truck is barely 6' wide and the width of the truck tracks is much more than the stride of that animal.

[JiggerMan]

I am also a trapper and I have never seen cat tracks like that.  I haven't seen many fisher tracks but they are just a big version of a mink track, and I have seen loads of mink tracks which look exactly like the picture.
1.  That's a mini bic lighter right?  That explains the pawprint size.
2.  That stride can't be 6 feet.  A truck is barely 6' wide and the width of the truck tracks is much more than the stride of that animal.

the lighter in the pic is a full sized bic lighter.  I was guessing the length between the tips of wher th front paws touch the ground not from front to rear of the next track. 

I always thought mins and critters like that had five toes and claws.   I thought cats had the round paws with 4 rounded toes and a big pad.   

I know there are atleast two monster bobcats (40+ pounders)  in that area cause last summer i seen both of them and one was much larger then the other. 

[icedd]

Big fishher got one by my house