Wilderness Trapping and Living


No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers *** No Politics
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum


~Dobbins' Catalog~

ATS
(Please support Ted's Fur Shed, our sponsor for the Wilderness Page)


Alaska Trappers Association

Print Thread
Hop To
Track identification #6841430
04/13/20 09:04 PM
04/13/20 09:04 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline OP
trapper
waggler  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
Okay, I'm a little stumped.
Washington State about 4500 foot elevation, definitely looks mustelid, kind of otterish but too big (even though it is a slightly melted-out).
Much to big for marten, both loping and walking tracks.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Last edited by waggler; 04/13/20 09:06 PM.

"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841438
04/13/20 09:09 PM
04/13/20 09:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline OP
trapper
waggler  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
My first thought was otter, but I've never seen an otter track that big, no trail drag mark, and no otter habitat anywhere near (I have seen otter tracks in odd places though).


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841497
04/13/20 09:33 PM
04/13/20 09:33 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
S
scandiclt Offline
trapper
scandiclt  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
Wolverine possibly?

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841526
04/13/20 09:48 PM
04/13/20 09:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline OP
trapper
waggler  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
Rather rare in this area, but not unheard of. I'm not really too familiar with wolverine tracks since I've only seen a few sets of them.
I'm not too sure about the size, are they too small for wolverine, also didn't notice much in the way of toenails.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841552
04/13/20 10:03 PM
04/13/20 10:03 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
S
scandiclt Offline
trapper
scandiclt  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
Well, females are smaller. It looked like the track had 5 toe prints in it which they have. Not all the time do their toe nails show in the tracks. They do like to lope like the tracks in the picture for periods of distance and then revert back to a walk also.

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841564
04/13/20 10:14 PM
04/13/20 10:14 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline OP
trapper
waggler  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,233
Alaska and Washington State
Wolverine is the only thing I could think of, definitely five toes.
I'm guessing someone who has lots of experience could tell by the gait and distance between tracks??


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841589
04/13/20 10:24 PM
04/13/20 10:24 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
D
drasselt Offline
trapper
drasselt  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
Looks like female wolverine.


you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841594
04/13/20 10:26 PM
04/13/20 10:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
S
scandiclt Offline
trapper
scandiclt  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 51
fairbanks alaska
Ya, its easier to tell in person rather than pictures. You can notice the tracks where it is walking. They are not very far apart typical of a shorter legged animal. Not may animals due that loping gait also. I see no reason why you could not have the occasional wolverine down there in your higher country.

They are tireless in their travels and can cover a lot of miles. I can't think of many other animals that would leave tracks like that. It can't be any thing in the canine family as they all have 4 toes with a declaw that is high enough up it doesn't imprint. Same with felines. The tracks look too big for otter, plus no tail drag marks.

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841629
04/13/20 10:48 PM
04/13/20 10:48 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 30
Copper Center, AK
AKbeardog Offline
trapper
AKbeardog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 30
Copper Center, AK
I am gonna say wolverine and as others have said it's hard to tell in a picture but after looking at the pattern in the middle photo I am going with gulo as that is typically the pattern when they are just travelling. Smaller set of tracks likely a female.

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841642
04/13/20 10:56 PM
04/13/20 10:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,518
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
M
martentrapper Offline
trapper
martentrapper  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,518
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
1st pic: 5 toed track as big as the palm of your hand.

2nd and 3rd pics, a 3,3,3 pattern (but is really 4,4,4).

4th pic: a 2,2,2 pattern.

All of these signs scream large mustelid. Tracks are too large, and obviously furred, to be otter. There is really only one conclusion. Probably an endangered species in Washington so you will have to quit using that area so as not to disturb them!!!
mt

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841721
04/14/20 12:48 AM
04/14/20 12:48 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,480
Idaho
B
bearcat2 Offline
trapper
bearcat2  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,480
Idaho
Looks like wolverine to me. Hard to tell size in pic but if you've ever seen fisher tracks wolverine look like a larger version. Otter look pretty much the same without the hair between the toes. Too big for otter and haired pretty much equals wolverine. The few wolverine tracks I've seen are about the size of a half grown cougar. Is that about the size these tracks you found are?

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841732
04/14/20 01:45 AM
04/14/20 01:45 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,121
AK
F
FL cracker in AK Offline
trapper
FL cracker in AK  Offline
trapper
F

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,121
AK
Wolverine.


Psalm 34:6
Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6841954
04/14/20 09:35 AM
04/14/20 09:35 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,659
49th State
M
mad_mike Offline
trapper
mad_mike  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,659
49th State
Looks like wolverine, to me. Pretty neat, given you found them down in Washington.

Re: Track identification [Re: mad_mike] #6842674
04/14/20 09:51 PM
04/14/20 09:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 86
Sultan , Wa
Jakeland Offline
trapper
Jakeland  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 86
Sultan , Wa
Nice pics wags !! Definitely not otter

Re: Track identification [Re: waggler] #6855224
04/26/20 02:15 AM
04/26/20 02:15 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,276
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,276
NWT
[Linked Image]
Sure look like these small wolverine tracks to me


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

Moderated by  akntrpr, Ol' Blister, otterman 

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1