Help Identifying Possible Cougar Tracks

[MarcG]

Hi all! I’m new to the forum, and looking to get some input from those who have more experience with cougars. I came across these tracks while pile burning a couple of weeks ago. Location is far Northern Alberta (Mackenzie County). There is the odd cougar sighting here, so they are around, I’ve just never come across one before. I suppose these could be lynx tracks, but they struck me as bigger, deeper, and with a clearer imprint than lynx normally leave. The tracks were quite fresh, not more than 12 hours old would be my guess, and not melted at all. Any experienced opinions as to whether these would be cougar tracks or not would be welcome! Thanks!

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by MarcG

Hi all! I’m new to the forum, and looking to get some input from those who have more experience with cougars. I came across these tracks while pile burning a couple of weeks ago. Location is far Northern Alberta (Mackenzie County). There is the odd cougar sighting here, so they are around, I’ve just never come across one before. I suppose these could be lynx tracks, but they struck me as bigger, deeper, and with a clearer imprint than lynx normally leave. The tracks were quite fresh, not more than 12 hours old would be my guess, and not melted at all. Any experienced opinions as to whether these would be cougar tracks or not would be welcome! Thanks!

They are not Lynx tracks. A lynx does not drag his foot like that.

I have several photos of Lynx tracks and if it weren't such a bother to upload them to a host site so I could post them I would show you what I mean.

I have never seen a cougar track but my best guess is that is what they are.

I have seen a lot of Lynx tracks. I have trapped a good many Lynx, and I am sure they are not Lynx and not wolf or Coyote. That's the best I can do.

I'm only about an hour south of you and I have heard several reports of Cougar in this area. Including one sighting right in the town of Manning.

But so far I have not seen one or tracks of one.

[tomcat]

Definitely not cougar, probably wolf. Cougar do not drag their heels and generally walk with one foot print in front of another.

[204ruger]

Wolf tracks. You can see the claw marks drag in the snow. Cat tracks won’t have claws out.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by tomcat

Definitely not cougar, probably wolf. Cougar do not drag their heels and generally walk with one foot print in front of another.

this

[fordtruckin]

Cat tracks will not have any claw showing as they walk with them retracted. If you look at the bottom pad, cat's will have 3 lobes on the bottom pad while k9s will have 2.

From the picture I can't tell as the shadow from the glove kind of blurs it out for me.

[Desert Eagle]

An easy way to tell:

Hold out your hand, you will have one finger that sticks out more than others. If the tracks match your hand profile, it’s a dog print. If the middle toes are similar length in the print, it’s a cat.

[MarcG]

Thanks to all for the input! I’ll add a couple of details that seem relevant now. First, I am fairly confident that they were not a canine type track. I won’t saw 100%, but at the time looking at them I was. Also, there were actually two sets of tracks, one in the other. Track A is the one I suspect of being a cougar. Track B was heading in the opposite direction, but stepping in track A’s steps. Track B was certainly canine. I’ll attach a picture and you can clearly see the claw prints. That could account for the drag marks in the snow. Track A and track B were absolutely not the same type of track.

[204ruger]

Print A still wolf in my opinion. Cougar paw pads have two lobes at top and wolf/ canine have one lobe that print appears to only have one.
Just my opinion I’m no wildlife biologist.

[calgarychef]

I always try and draw an “x” between the toes, and if I can without crossing the pad it’s canine.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?v...7yi1m3a2PkFdJA

[Saskfly16]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

I always try and draw an “x” between the toes, and if I can without crossing the pad it’s canine.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?v...7yi1m3a2PkFdJA

So the upper ones would be cat?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Saskfly16

So the upper ones would be cat?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually the X idea is an old wives tale. It doesn't work. It doesn't touch the pad on either 90% of the time.

A lot of expertise is gleaned from the net, from people who got their expertise, , , , , , from the net.

I've done a lot of in the field track observation and this track is not distinct enough for me to say one way or the other.

The snow is clearly fresh fallen and claw marks may not show because of that nore does it show pad formation clearly enough to be sure of anything.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Actually the X idea is an old wives tale. It doesn't work. It doesn't touch the pad on either 90% of the time.

A lot of expertise is gleaned from the net, from people who got their expertise, , , , , , from the net.

I've done a lot of in the field track observation and this track is not distinct enough for me to say one way or the other.

The snow is clearly fresh fallen and claw marks may not show because of that nore does it show pad formation clearly enough to be sure of anything.

C’mon keg... you said in your post above that you’ve never seen a cougar track.
I’ve seen many, and had them on my tracks. And I’ve called them in by the way.
I didn’t learn the “x” trick on the net, I learned if from “someone else” another hunter and I’ve tested the idea lots of times, it’s a good general starting point before using all of the other clues that are there. It works.

[Trailguy]

Sorry I dont want to derail this thread but am wondering if you target catch one in your traps? Do they take a certain type of trap setup to keep it different from any other trapping method? Thank

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Lynx have cold furred feet. Lions are hot and their pads brand into the snow. Lynx weight 25 pounds. Lions weigh 125 pounds.

Sometimes hard to tell the difference. The pics is a lynx breaking through some fresh drifted powder.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

C’mon keg... you said in your post above that you’ve never seen a cougar track.
I’ve seen many, and had them on my tracks. And I’ve called them in by the way.
I didn’t learn the “x” trick on the net, I learned if from “someone else” another hunter and I’ve tested the idea lots of times, it’s a good general starting point before using all of the other clues that are there. It works.

I don't doubt you sincerely believe what you say. That doesn't make it true.

Yes I have not seen Cougar tracks but I've tracked hundreds of Wolves and dozens of Lynx plus many other animals.

I also don't doubt you've seen plenty of Cougar tracks, but if you try your trick on the tracks in the link you posted you will find that it does not work on any of them.
The lines do not touch the pad on the tracks you linked to.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

Lynx have cold furred feet. Lions are hot and their pads brand into the snow. Lynx weight 25 pounds. Lions weigh 125 pounds.

Sometimes hard to tell the difference. The pics is a lynx breaking through some fresh drifted powder.

I think the stride is too long for a lynx but I wouldn't say it's not a lynx track.

Although I don't think it is a Lynx, I agree it can be hard to tell, so I wouldn't rule it out.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I don't doubt you sincerely believe what you say. That doesn't make it true.

Yes I have not seen Cougar tracks but I've tracked hundreds of Wolves and dozens of Lynx plus many other animals.

I also don't doubt you've seen plenty of Cougar tracks, but if you try your trick on the tracks in the link you posted you will find that it does not work on any of them.
The lines do not touch the pad on the tracks you linked to.

I don’t think you’re looking at them right, the x on the canine tracks isn’t a perfect x it’s a much better one than on cat tracks ...it works. But really when you see a cat track you know it’s one, there’s no mistaking it.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Keg partly touched on and important point to identify tracks. I want to see a number of prints and the length of stride along with alignment of feet. Then you have much better chance to identify tracks with some certainty.

[tomcat]

A cougar track looks just like your house cats track EXCEPT. much larger.

[KegRiver]

Here is why I don't think it's a lynx track.

These are Lynx tracks I photographed over the years..


Note the length of the stride.









If you look closely you can see that with some prints an X drawn from toe to toe would cross part of the pad.

[calgarychef]

Keg in your linx tracks the x drawn “between” the outside toes goes “through” the pad...dats a cat track.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Keg in your linx tracks the x drawn “between” the outside toes goes “through” the pad...dats a cat track.

I know it's a cat/Lynx track, I saw the Lynx make them.


You know what, if you want to believe in the X theory, be my quest.

I'll not argue the point with you.

I will only say that if you think you can positively identify a track from one blurry photo I won't be asking you for help in identifying tracks.
If others want to take your word as gospel, that's nothing to me.

[sendmethem]

Can be tricky but as mentioned cougar tend to leave clearer prints mainly due to less hair on their feet and the greater weight of the cat. Due to the weight a cougar track will sometimes obliterate the bilobing on the front of plantar pad. The best way to differentiate is stride and straddle both of which are smaller for Lynx (72cm, 17.8cm) than cougar (102cm, 20.3cm) respectively. Also a cougar will sometimes let it's tail hit the snow if it is deep. That being said it is tough to say from the pics as the print isn't well defined in the photo and no measurements. Stride does "look" long for a lynx.

When in doubt take some measurements or follow the tracks until you meet the maker.

[Swamp hunter]

If you lay a twig between the outside toes in an x and thy cross through the center of the pad it's a cat. K9 will cross at top or hardly touching the pad. Cougar tracks will show claws in deeper snow. Tracked lots of cats. My guess cougar, if you follow it you can also see where it drops it's tail occasionally, often when they stop and turn to check something out.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Swamp hunter

If you lay a twig between the outside toes in an x and thy cross through the center of the pad it's a cat. K9 will cross at top or hardly touching the pad. Cougar tracks will show claws in deeper snow. Tracked lots of cats. My guess cougar, if you follow it you can also see where it drops it's tail occasionally, often when they stop and turn to check something out.

Yup the “x” works

[CNP]

I cannot tell from your pictures. Here is a pic I took of a cougar track from the multitude of cougars in the area around me including my back yard.

[Savage Bacon]

We spent quite a few years tracking cougars. This is a fresh set of tracks you can use for a reference.

Sent from my BAH2-W19 using Tapatalk

[204ruger]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

We spent quite a few years tracking cougars. This is a fresh set of tracks you can use for a reference.

Sent from my BAH2-W19 using Tapatalk

Lol. Alley cat tracks look similar.