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What mystery made these tracks?

Posted By: star flakes

What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 06:39 PM

These are not the best photos, and I apologize, but my camera was low on fuel.

These tracks were made this morning in northeast South Dakota, 2 miles from any lake and 4 miles from any major drainage. It was around 10 degrees last night and 20 degrees this morning.
The glove shows the spacing, of what looks like big squirrel tracks, with the front feet rounded like a cat, but cats do not hop like a mink in preaching to the choir.

Just something to play with for those who have time.

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Posted By: martentrapper

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 06:41 PM

Hard to tell. If 4 toes it's a canine. If 5 it's a weasel.
mt
Posted By: Claypool313

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 06:44 PM

Train tracks.
Posted By: Law Dog

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 06:45 PM

The way them claws are pointing badger on the middle tracks or a big coon
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 06:51 PM

Squatch!!!
Posted By: blankenship

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 07:07 PM

Definitely squatch
Posted By: Taximan

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 07:25 PM

I think it is a coon.It is that time of year.
Posted By: Law Dog

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 07:31 PM

Love is in the air.
Posted By: MnMan

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 09:11 PM

Really big lovesick coon would be my guess.
Posted By: jbyrd63

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 09:24 PM

coon 100 %
Posted By: upstateNY

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by martentrapper
Hard to tell. If 4 toes it's a canine. If 5 it's a weasel.
mt

You guys must have bigger weasels than we got here. smile
Posted By: upstateNY

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 09:52 PM

no way is that coon tracks.
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by upstateNY
Originally Posted by martentrapper
Hard to tell. If 4 toes it's a canine. If 5 it's a weasel.
mt

You guys must have bigger weasels than we got here. smile

If thats a weasel.. someones gonna need a bigger gun! Haha
Posted By: Diggerman

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 10:00 PM

Top pictures says Big ole boar Coon.
Posted By: upstateNY

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 10:23 PM

looks like a smaller fisher track to me.
Posted By: Castormound

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 10:35 PM

Coon, they are all over the place right now
Posted By: pcr2

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 11:02 PM

porky
Posted By: Law Dog

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/11/20 11:16 PM

Porky looks like baby tracks on the back feet
Posted By: NonPCfed

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 12:21 AM

No porkies in that part of SD.

I was hoping to see some fisher tracks from a migrant from the MN north woods, but alas, just a big old Dakota winter coon. I think I posted similar "twined" prints from the organic/hoarder farm I usually winter trap to help him reduce his loss of cat food to coons and grinners. First year since early 2013 that I didn't trap that place.
Posted By: star flakes

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 01:30 AM

I wanted to thank everyone for their input. What I was certain of this was not a raccoon. If this was a coon, The foot size would have this a 500 pounder. I think Mr. Herbst was closest with a badger, as it is weasel family. The thing is I saw these same prints at my Uncle's place along a river last year and I thought "otter". I had this same animal leaving tracks in the road this past summer as we were out for a walk. As I was studying them this morning, I honestly was convinced this could have been a fisher, but the reference to the porcupine made me think again.
This animal hops like a mink or squirrel and then walks. It has rounded feet and angular feet on the back. It does not have raccoon "hands". This lakes region has seen a few species which should not be here. The river otter are quite plentiful in fact.

I appreciate the feedback.
Posted By: ~ADC~

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by jbyrd63
coon 100 %


I agree. Seen about a million of them tracks lately.
Posted By: Hodagtrapper

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 02:40 AM

I thought fisher initially. Coon more than likely!

Chris
Posted By: NonPCfed

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 02:56 AM

With a digger you should see at least imprint of the front feet nails, but they do walk "pigeon-toed"
Posted By: NonPCfed

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 02:59 AM

How different do these look from what you saw...?

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Posted By: 12 point

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 03:24 AM

I was thinking squatch with a coon riding on his right shoulder. By the way, the coon is a boar, approximately 3 years old and missing the left upper canine tooth.
Posted By: 52Carl

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 04:57 AM

I will bet you $20,000 dollars it is a raccoon and a big one. They tuck their toes in and keep their heels of the ground in the snow. Heat preservation. I do see imprints of long toes in one of those tracks.
When a coon is traveling from point A to point B (like when traveling afar looking for mates), they commonly make the paired tracks similar to the weasel family.
Posted By: Snowpa

Re: What mystery made these tracks? - 02/12/20 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Law Dog
The way them claws are pointing badger on the middle tracks or a big coon

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