Tracks - wolf?

[kjohn]

Went for a walk on a seldom used road yesterday. Came across several places where this animal had been moving along the vehicle track. Other than a couple of squirrel tracks, these were the only fresh tracks I saw.

My boot measures 13", so this is not a poodle track. Lighting was poor, so this was the nest I could do.

View attachment 45355

 

[Outcast]

Hard to tell if it's a wolf or not. I'd say canine for sure as you can make out a couple claw marks. Cats claws are retracted unless consciously putting them out there which they don't typically do unless climbing or hunting.

 

[remyltr]

I am going to say yote
I have size 13 boots and the last wolf track i found
Was bigger than my out spread hand which is
Much bigger than mkne and yours ball of foot

 

[H4831]

Mr. K, I think it is a dog track, but you didn't show enough of the tracks to be sure of it. Wolves make straight lines with their feet and of the two prints you show, they appear to be off centre.

 

[tracker]

The rear lower part of the track looks like a yote as does the small nails.

 

[vegas]

Could always be a younger wolf.
In ontario everyone is on about the "coywolf". My understanding is eastern coyotes are also larger than western.

I have a pack of coyotes thru the back 40 on a regular basis. My 4 month old border collie can leave a bigger paw print in the snow than all but one of them.

If it is a coyote track I would say it is a good sized one compared to what I am seeing out my way.

 

[Cleftwynd]

Too big for coyote, dog or wolf.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Sometimes snow distorts tracks, including size. Something to remember.

Grizz

 

[Longwalker]

Dog. Way too big for a western coyote, and H4831 is correct about foot placement. Wolves generally don't show district toenail prints like that, they wear their toenails short with all the walking they do. Also, wolves don't drag a paw when walking on a road. My Pudlepointer has feet that size, so do other breeds of full size dogs.

 

[Cleftwynd]

Sometimes snow distorts tracks, including size. Something to remember.

Grizz

True, but in relation to the boot print, it's too big for a yote.

 

[H4831]

Dog. Way too big for a western coyote, and H4831 is correct about foot placement. Wolves generally don't show district toenail prints like that, they wear their toenails short with all the walking they do. Also, wolves don't drag a paw when walking on a road. My Pudlepointer has feet that size, so do other breeds of full size dogs.

Longwalker, you beat me to the foot dragging in the snow bit!
I wrote that last night, noticed the foot dragging, intended to write it, but after I got to bed I thought, hey, I I forgot to write the foot drag!
Wolves do not drag their feet.
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that old tricky Kjohn, didn't go for a walk with his dog and sent in the picture to test us!!!!

 

[freddyfour]

What do you think about this one, wolf or dog? That is a 260 Rem

 

[Cteve]

werewolf likely...

 

[hawk-i]

I say most likely a dog track.

 

[Dezol]

Wolf track on a gravel road last fall while out chasing a herd of elk and found that I had competition.

 

[titch--]

Heres one I found two winters ago. Two sets of tracks following two sets of moose tracks.

This is the same area and around the same time a friend and I saw two wolfs chase a coyote for about 700yds.

223 round

 

[H4831]

Heres one I found two winters ago. Two sets of tracks following two sets of moose tracks.

This is the same area and around the same time a friend and I saw two wolfs chase a coyote for about 700yds.

223 round

Yes, there are quite a few bad dogs around that chase game animals.

 

[H4831]

Longwalker, you beat me to the foot dragging in the snow bit!
I wrote that last night, noticed the foot dragging, intended to write it, but after I got to bed I thought, hey, I I forgot to write the foot drag!
Wolves do not drag their feet.
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that old tricky Kjohn, didn't go for a walk with his dog and sent in the picture to test us!!!!

Oops, I think I boo-booed.
I should have referred to Kjohn as that, "Young rascal."

 

[Chuckbuster]

Mr. K, I think it is a dog track, but you didn't show enough of the tracks to be sure of it. Wolves make straight lines with their feet and of the two prints you show, they appear to be off centre.

I'm thinking dog as well because of what appears to be an indirect register and the drag mark.

 

[Big Bad]

Went for a walk on a seldom used road yesterday. Came across several places where this animal had been moving along the vehicle track. Other than a couple of squirrel tracks, these were the only fresh tracks I saw.

My boot measures 13", so this is not a poodle track. Lighting was poor, so this was the nest I could do.

View attachment 45355

Given that there were no human tracks in the vicinity and that you're out west and so I presume that's where the tracks were, and that the coyotes out thataway are smallish, I would think a wolf is very possible. But I'd want to see the local sized coyote tracks to be positive.

Re: dogs. One thing I notice about dog tracks is that they ramble and amble as they go, which is to say play, around a lot more than do wolves or coyotes, probably due to their domesticated nature, combined with their knowledge that their next meal will be provided. If the tracks you saw were more energy saving and focussed, I would say that is the final proof that a wild woof was in the works. Misspelling intentional.