Track Identification Help

[FlyTrapper]

Hey guys, was out checking mink sets today and decided to walk a cut line on the land today and see what I could find. Ran into these fairly fresh tracks and they were everywhere, what ever it was, it was busy. Doesn't look like squirrel to me but I could be wrong, not quite sure what it is. Kept crossing the cut line and disappearing under logs and what not. Track spread was about 8", any advice would be appreciated, thank you guys!

Nick

[South west trappin RG]

Squirrel in deep snow having a Hard time getting going. Usually they are spaced apart farther. My guess.

[The Spruce]

Squirrel.

[FlyTrapper]

Darn, thank you guys for the replies!

[HunterDave]

Time to add squirrels to your sig line, Nick?

[357xp]

Well iam gonna go against the grain here and say it's not squirrel....large weasel or small mink, hard to say on pic.

[209x50]

Originally Posted by 357xp

Well iam gonna go against the grain here and say it's not squirrel....large weasel or small mink, hard to say on pic.

Yeah on my line there would be a mink in the trap at the end of trail!

[jim summit]

I would expect a mink in my trap.

[Red Bullets]

mink or weasel for sure.

[HunterDave]

Weasel and mink leave tracks like this as well? The only ones that I've ever seen, even in deep snow, had longer bounds with no snow displaced between landings. Almost like a moose walked through.

[The Spruce]

I'll post you a mink track after the weekend. Mink never walk like the tracks close to the pine tree, and they jump a lot further than that, like 1-2ft a bound. Squirrel is the only guy that drags its front feet besides a rabbit, and that's not a rabbit. IMO

Spruce

[elk396]

mink

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by The Spruce

I'll post you a mink track after the weekend. Mink never walk like the tracks close to the pine tree, and they jump a lot further than that, like 1-2ft a bound. Squirrel is the only guy that drags its front feet besides a rabbit, and that's not a rabbit. IMO

Spruce

Mink tracks....two sets side by side. The others are mink as well.



Weasel in deep snow.

[Talking moose]

Squirrel.

[geno_82]

Weasel

[bill9044]

Well fly trapper you better set out a mink set weasel set and a squirrel snare pole and then we will find out what that critter is.

[KegRiver]

I'm not sure what to think.

Mink maybe, maybe a big Weasel, definitely not Squirrel, but the fresh snow makes tracks look different then tracks in old snow?

I'm not so sure it's not a small Lynx or something more along those lines. Fresh soft snow does funny things to tracks.

[FlyTrapper]

Bill, 160 box at end of the trail, and a weasel box near by on some older tracks that look a lot like the picture Dave posted of "Weasel in deep snow" and there is multiple squirrel poles near by, however they don't seem to work, the squirrels just like to run the ground under them. hahaha

Nick

[bill9044]

Originally Posted by FlyTrapper

Bill, 160 box at end of the trail, and a weasel box near by on some older tracks that look a lot like the picture Dave posted of "Weasel in deep snow" and there is multiple squirrel poles near by, however they don't seem to work, the squirrels just like to run the ground under them. hahaha

Nick

Good work buddy.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by FlyTrapper

Bill, 160 box at end of the trail, and a weasel box near by on some older tracks that look a lot like the picture Dave posted of "Weasel in deep snow" and there is multiple squirrel poles near by, however they don't seem to work, the squirrels just like to run the ground under them. hahaha

Nick

I used to snare a lot of squirrel, are you setting on trails or at dens, or just setting poles where you have seen a squirrel or two?

What angle is you pole ? Is it a dry pole or green? Does it lead to a feeding or observation tree or just to any tree?

When you set a good location you should at least be finding sprung snares every time you check.
A good midden, (den) can hold twenty or more individuals.

[FlyTrapper]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I used to snare a lot of squirrel, are you setting on trails or at dens, or just setting poles where you have seen a squirrel or two?

What angle is you pole ? Is it a dry pole or green? Does it lead to a feeding or observation tree or just to any tree?

When you set a good location you should at least be finding sprung snares every time you check.
A good midden, (den) can hold twenty or more individuals.

Hey Keg, all 5 poles are around dens and over top of trails from tree to tree. 1 of the poles if flat from tree to tree and the rest are at different angles, some shallow and some steep. I am not sure about feeding or observation tree, they just run between the two trees or multiple.
However I am not getting any squirrels. I post some pictures tomorrow when I check again. I really appreciate any pointers.

Thank you,
Nick

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by FlyTrapper

Hey Keg, all 5 poles are around dens and over top of trails from tree to tree. 1 of the poles if flat from tree to tree and the rest are at different angles, some shallow and some steep. I am not sure about feeding or observation tree, they just run between the two trees or multiple.
However I am not getting any squirrels. I post some pictures tomorrow when I check again. I really appreciate any pointers.

Thank you,
Nick

Sounds like an okay setup Nick. It could be that your setup is just too recent.
I found that they often avoid new poles for a week or more. I'm not sure why, there seems to be no consistantcy to it.
Some times they will use a new pole within minutes, other times they won't use one for over a month.

Green poles seem to bother them as do poles with loose bark, but sometimes I've had them shy from a pole and never figured out why.
To have them shy away from five poles seems unusual though.

I know human scent doesn't seem to bother them nore does shiny snares.

By feeder tree I mean a tree they like to sit and chew a cone in.

If you look around the midden you should find some piles of cone scales where they've been feeding. Some will be on or near the cone cash, others will be on stumps or under overhanging tree branches.

Where they are under a tree branch, that is a feeding/observation tree and that tree is a prime location for a snare pole.

I'm sure you've noticed that you will often see them sitting on a particular branch several feet above the ground. Just sitting there, or calling to one another. They will have many such favorite locations around each midden.
Those are the places one targets.

Most often it will be a large spruce or pine tree but it can be anything that gets them high enough to see some distance around the midden.
I've found them using a scrawny dead will and after setting a pole to that willow caught a fair number on that pole.