What Made these Tracks?
- Hodag Hunter
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What Made these Tracks?
At a paper mill today, looking at some work, in N-E WI north of Green Bay and seen these tracks walking on the ice. What are they?
The guy at the plant showing me the job thought I might know what they are; as they all have guesses but are stumped too.
Pictures aren't the best....taken from my cell phone off a walk bridge above the river.
Best guess tracks are at least 3" diameter....maybe 4" and the gait is about 18" to 20". All dimensions best guess 100' above the ice.
The confusing part is the tracks will go for 75 yards+/- and then looks like the critter drags it's whole body on the ice for another 75 yards and then walks again. Tracks go real close to the waters edge and then turn back and walk the ice again.
The guy at the plant showing me the job thought I might know what they are; as they all have guesses but are stumped too.
Pictures aren't the best....taken from my cell phone off a walk bridge above the river.
Best guess tracks are at least 3" diameter....maybe 4" and the gait is about 18" to 20". All dimensions best guess 100' above the ice.
The confusing part is the tracks will go for 75 yards+/- and then looks like the critter drags it's whole body on the ice for another 75 yards and then walks again. Tracks go real close to the waters edge and then turn back and walk the ice again.
- muddy
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Looks like otter to me. I'd say that he's not dragging himself so much as pushing himself on his belly.
Either that or it's the legendary Hodag.
Either that or it's the legendary Hodag.
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- muddy
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Google image search...
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- magicman54494
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Croc! Don't go near the water!
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- magicman54494
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Maybe a hippopotomouse
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- Hodag Hunter
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
I thought otter, drag/push marks makes a guy think so, but the gait.....it was a constant spread of 18"-20" ...... not like a otter hops/runs along. Sure not a "walking" gait of an otter either.
Could be all wet, but this is a quite a bit bigger critter......
Hodag or gator did cross my mind.
Could be all wet, but this is a quite a bit bigger critter......
Hodag or gator did cross my mind.
- muddy
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
I don't know what else it would be down on ice/snow doing that sort of thing, gotta be an otter, probably a big male or something.
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- magicman54494
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Hodag Hunter wrote:I thought otter, drag/push marks makes a guy think so, but the gait.....it was a constant spread of 18"-20" ...... not like a otter hops/runs along. Sure not a "walking" gait of an otter either.
Could be all wet, but this is a quite a bit bigger critter......
Hodag or gator did cross my mind.
I can't tell much from your pics. Could it be an otter with a wolf walking in his track? A 3-4" track is not an otter.
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- Liberty-Hunt
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
magicman54494 wrote:Maybe a hippopotomouse
You to much Magic!!!!
"Huntingly",
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- Black Squirrel
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Baby bigfoot, learning to walk?
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Look like very large beaver tracks to me...
- Spysar
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
I think otter. They lope along, then slide. I don't think a beaver can lift it's tail and walk, I think their tails always drag. Beavers have a big webbed track.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
- Hodag Hunter
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
I'm heading there next week again and I'll check if there is anymore tracks along with getting better pictures.
Tracks could have been webbed, I was to high above them to get a really good look. Tracks also could have melted and refrove giving an exaggerated size to them. But the gait is what is really confusing me.
I didn't know beaver "slide" similar to otter as shown in Dan's pick. Either a really big otter or beaver. I just don't know, not that it's important, but always like to figure out tracks.
Tracks could have been webbed, I was to high above them to get a really good look. Tracks also could have melted and refrove giving an exaggerated size to them. But the gait is what is really confusing me.
I didn't know beaver "slide" similar to otter as shown in Dan's pick. Either a really big otter or beaver. I just don't know, not that it's important, but always like to figure out tracks.
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
Spysar wrote:I think otter. They lope along, then slide. I don't think a beaver can lift it's tail and walk, I think their tails always drag. Beavers have a big webbed track.
I was going to say the same thing, there should be drag marks from a beaver tail.
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- Swampthing
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Re: What Made these Tracks?
I saw some very similar tracks and drag marks crossing a gravel road and there was a large otter i found dead nearby.Someone had been trapping beaver and he got the bad end of that deal.
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