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[bnow0707]

Found these tracks on a road on some new property we just bought in northeast Alabama. Just for info the spot in the road where I found the tracks is red clay. It was damp when I found it so it was probably semi-wet when made. The area around the road is thick pines with open hard woods a few hundred yards through the pines. The area is private property and is gated it is surrounded by national forest. There is no logical reason for a dog to be here since deer dogging has been outlawed in this county and none of the neighbors have dogs except one blueheeler which is very small.

The only way I had to save the track was to mash it onto paper. I found one in the clay along with deer tracks. The other was in a sandy rock type place about 50 yds away and didn't show up on paper.

I know for a fact that the forestry service has released two black bears into the areas; so it's possible they have realesed somthing else.

So my question is what are these tracks from?
Click on pics to get a better look at drawing.

[crbaker333]

This defintely looks like a cougar track to me. A bear track is huge It is about the size of your hand. It looks like a cougar track because the size of the claws. If you have wolve in your area it may be a wolf but I doubt it. If you find out for sure what it is let me know.

[bnow0707]

Well I haven't hunted the area yet so I have't seen anything, but we are in alabama and Mt. lions which i'm making the assumptions are the same as cougars are a protected species. Anybody else got a guess or think that it's a cougar as well?

[bitmasher]

Canine. The claw marks are the give away, felines rarely leave claw marks and when they do they are usually not shaped like that.

[jeffalaska]

Ditto. I'm with bitmasher 100%

[USNYRider]

i have to agree with jeff and bitmasher

[Tankgunner]

Yep, it's a canine.

Cats don't leave claw marks.

I have cougar around my house ... it's a pain. Can't really do much about them due to regulations and the density of other homes etc. They aren't much of a risk, but they do cause problems from time to time.

Lee

[bnow0707]

Well on Mon. the 17th I was making my way into the area to hunt and on the same road the tracks were on two hunting dogs jumped out in front of my jeep. One was a bluetick and the other was a black and tan. So I guess they could have made the tracks. I called the number on their tags and the owner said that he had given the dogs away but that he would go pick them up so I'll have to keep an eye out for fresh tracks.

[NONYA]

definetly a big dog,Ive seen them this size many times up here in Montana....

[ADKBEAR]

Yes definetly a dog. Got coyotes down there? A big one if that is what it is.

[bnow0707]

Yeah we have coyotes but they don't get that big. I'm pretty convinced that it was those coon dogs mentioned in my post above.

[RidgeRunner_07]

bnow0707 wrote: Yeah we have coyotes but they don't get that big. I'm pretty convinced that it was those coon dogs mentioned in my post above.

Well then there is prolly somebodys stray dog out and about in the country side. You know like chasing your deer and eating your birds stupid **** like that. just calling your name saying come and hunt me down. SHOOT ME the size appears to be that of a malamute or Husky.......maybe part wolf???? who knows other than it's outa place.

[Hunt4Elk85]

Definatley Canine. The overall oval shape of the track, and the almost perfect allignment of the two front toes is the give away. Everynow and then a cat will leave claw marks while running or pouncing, but they usually will not be that obvious.

[fuzzybear]

Looks like fido has been checking out the country side of life.