[mazzgolf]

OK, spotted these this morning. This is brand new snow that came down yesterday late afternoon, so I assume these tracks were made when the sun was down.

Whatever animal this was walked a long ways along a trail. No human tracks with them, plus, the tracks veer off into the woods (thus, suggesting it is not a dog being walked by his owner).

I wish I measured them, but didn't. I would say each footprint was maybe 2 inches long, give or take?

 

[mdennhardt]

My guess is yote

 

[bmelvin]

Yote. Fox rarely leave nail marks

 

[jstanton44]

Could be a dog or yote!!!

 

[germanjohn]

yote

 

[ducati]

Mangy yote, just ate a chipmunk and has an undecended testicle....on the left.

 

[Bowguy]

Does look like a coyote

 

[swampbuck]

Domestic dog will have the same size prints for all four(for the most part). Coyote will have larger front paws.

 

[JoeyBeets]

Old yeller?...

 

[mazzgolf]

For this to be a coyote would be crazy - because there are lots of houses around here. Now, I actually was told there are coyotes around here, but I didn't believe the person who told me that. But these prints (and similar ones I've seen a few weeks ago) has me thinking. The first thing that came to my mind was fox, but then I thought the most probable thing was it is somone's pet dog. However, there are no human prints - so no one was walking it. The snow came late yesterday, and these prints are fresh, and I was there before first light this morning. So whatever it is, was out at night. Who lets their dog roam around at night by itself? I'm sure its possible, but... I'm thinking it is a predator of some kind.

I need to get a trail cam back out there.

 

[birdman21]

Chupa cabra

 

[Rather Be Hunting]

For this to be a coyote would be crazy - because there are lots of houses around here. Now, I actually was told there are coyotes around here, but I didn't believe the person who told me that.

why would you not believe it was a coyote. Just because you have never seen one doesn't mean that in the dead of night that they don't travel that close to houses.

 

[NJTrapper]

Looks to be a coyote. Note the perfect X in the center of the track. They will hunt close to homes, they just love to get the cats that everyone lets out at night. LOL.

 

[bwd172]

My wife saw a coyote walk down the middle of out street in our town one night. Ridgefield Park, Bergen County isn't exactly coyote territory. They are everywhere.

 

[Deer 2]

Got one roaming around down in my neighborhood. One of my neighbors about 4 doors down saw a yote with a cat in his mouth. Right after that I had fresh prints in my back yard..

 

[mazzgolf]

Wow, yeah, I guess I'm just totally surprised because I never would have thought they would be here. I heard that coyotes are everywhere in this state, and I was told they are around this specific wooded area, but I just didn't believe it. With all the developments and houses around here I wouldn't think they'd have room. I mean, where do they go during the day??? I'm just amazed they could be here.

Anyway, looks like I can do some predator hunting here, too Guess I have to figure out how to predator hunt with a bow - I don't have permission to gun hunt this property. [confused] That has to be tough to get them in close enough.

 

[WithmyGunnar]

Domesticated dog. Wild dogs and yotes, will show larger nails.

 

[Gsphunter73]

Looks like a coyote to me don't matter where you live I live in a town you wouldn't expect them to be and I have trailcam pics of them in my yard.

 

[mazzgolf]

Domesticated dog. Wild dogs and yotes, will show larger nails.

That was my original thought. That's why I looked around for human tracks thinking the dog was getting walked by a trespasser. But no human tracks. And whatever did this made the tracks last night. So if it is a dog, it is a dog that someone let out of their house overnight (unless it is a stray, but never seen any strays around either). And this isn't the first time I've seen tracks like this in the snow - a few weeks ago saw them too. So if it is a dog, its one that regularly is let out and roam without a leash (at night, to boot).

I'm gonna get a camera out there soon to see if I can get to the bottom of this.

 

[mazzgolf]

Dog vs. Coyote Track Comparison: https://www.flickr.com/photos/moss_glen_nature_photography/8391808797/

Dog: overall rounded shape, blunt claws, difficult to draw an "X" in the middle of the track, trail is typically zig-zag
Yote: overall oval shape, sharp claws, "X" would be relatively easy to draw in the middle of this print, trail is typically in straight line.

This guy and this guy say yote's usually only show middle two nails, dogs usually four.

So, using that as a guide, I can say in the tracks I found, you can actually see an "X" in the prints, they are more oval than round/circular, middle two nails only, and I followed the tracks in a straight line on the trail, they only veered off into the woods as if it was going some place (e.g. tracks didn't leave the trail and come back like a dog exploring and playing).

But I honestly don't know, though right now I'm leaning toward yote. If I get any pix in the coming days/weeks, I'll post them