What made this track ?

[oldrank]

Hmmmm, interesting conversation. Thanks for the responses. I think it probably is a melted out coyote or bobcat. Logically that is pretty much what it has to be. I will keep my eyes open for anything out of the ordinary though...haha !!!

[stash59]

That's from a hodag!!!!!

Lack of detail makes this one harder. Size and shape makes me think wolf. But lack of claw marks cougar. Seems to me with what detail is still there. We'd still see some indication of claw marks even with the melting that has occurred.

I will say it's not from a coyote or bobcat, but may have to include lynx, because of the melting. Along with wolf and cougar! Just too hard to say from a photo.

Seems your choice of property. Is going to give you plenty of unique experiences. So congrats again!!!!!

[Horizontal Hunter]

No claw marks means cat so an old bobcat track or maybe a cougar depending on location are my initial thoughts.

Bob

Cougars are very rare. Im not sure if we have any confirmed in the lower peninsula.

We don’t have them here either.

[url] https://www.middletownpress.com/news/ar ... 871821.php
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Bob

[oldrank]

[quote="Dewey"]Here are confirmed cougar tracks from just north of me a few years ago.



How does this compare to what you found oldrank?[quote]

I would say size wise, dead on. I put my hand next to it and it was as big as the palm section of my hand. I have pretty meaty hands.

[wolverinebuckman]

Could be a wolf in that area of the state. People say there are no wolves in the mitten, only the U.P., but I have a an old vhs tape somewhere of a wolf I caught on film over 20 years ago in the Glennie-
Curtisville area...near the Au Sable River below Alcona Dam.

[Swamp_donkey]

No claw marks means cat so an old bobcat track or maybe a cougar depending on location are my initial thoughts.

Bob

Cougars are very rare. Im not sure if we have any confirmed in the lower peninsula.

No doubt cougars are extremely rare in the great lakes region. Only reason I mentioned it is that we've had reports for years of cougars throughout Ontario, particularly rural parts of southern Ontario. Not hard to imagine a big cat like that could manage to stroll across the border.

Several of the reports have been validated, whether it's a wild animal or pet release/escape I think depends on the specific instance. The ministry had been hesitant to acknowledge it for years but with trail cam popularity becoming what it has, inevitably people start capturing photos, or find the occasional one dead.

Either way, stranger things have happened. Keep an eye out for deer carcasses stashed up in trees. That's the kind of sign that's hard to miss!

[Lu Rome]

Keep an eye out for deer carcasses stashed up in trees. That's the kind of sign that's hard to miss!

Sorry, but that's not how cougars cache kills. It's possible that it's happened, but they don't haul them up in trees with any regularity like leopards, it's simply not their strategy for hiding kills. Cougars drag prey off into thicker cover and then drag litter (leaves, grass, sticks, etc) over top and bury it. Leopards pull them up in trees to keep them safe from other, bigger predators on the landscape (lions and hyenas).

[stash59]

Keep an eye out for deer carcasses stashed up in trees. That's the kind of sign that's hard to miss!

Sorry, but that's not how cougars cache kills. It's possible that it's happened, but they don't haul them up in trees with any regularity like leopards, it's simply not their strategy for hiding kills. Cougars drag prey off into thicker cover and then drag litter (leaves, grass, sticks, etc) over top and bury it. Leopards pull them up in trees to keep them safe from other, bigger predators on the landscape (lions and hyenas).

Have to admit I chuckled when I saw that myself. Just was too lazy to type a reply at the time!!!

[Swamp_donkey]

Keep an eye out for deer carcasses stashed up in trees. That's the kind of sign that's hard to miss!

Sorry, but that's not how cougars cache kills. It's possible that it's happened, but they don't haul them up in trees with any regularity like leopards, it's simply not their strategy for hiding kills. Cougars drag prey off into thicker cover and then drag litter (leaves, grass, sticks, etc) over top and bury it. Leopards pull them up in trees to keep them safe from other, bigger predators on the landscape (lions and hyenas).

Have to admit I chuckled when I saw that myself. Just was too lazy to type a reply at the time!!!

Well that's essentially where I was going with that comment. There's no argument from me, it would certainly be uncommon but no reason you can't exaggerate things for effect. What's the emoji sarcasm?

My guess is still on cougar!

[Lu Rome]

Keep an eye out for deer carcasses stashed up in trees. That's the kind of sign that's hard to miss!

Sorry, but that's not how cougars cache kills. It's possible that it's happened, but they don't haul them up in trees with any regularity like leopards, it's simply not their strategy for hiding kills. Cougars drag prey off into thicker cover and then drag litter (leaves, grass, sticks, etc) over top and bury it. Leopards pull them up in trees to keep them safe from other, bigger predators on the landscape (lions and hyenas).

Have to admit I chuckled when I saw that myself. Just was too lazy to type a reply at the time!!!

Well that's essentially where I was going with that comment. There's no argument from me, it would certainly be uncommon but no reason you can't exaggerate things for effect. What's the emoji sarcasm?

My guess is still on cougar!

I'm not following you. It's not simply uncommon, it's simply not true. Cougars don't put deer in trees. Leopards do.

I mean absolutely no offense SD, but when people throw out the "lions put deer in trees" thing, I automatically categorize that person's knowledge/experience with lions at 0, it's not an exaggeration, they simply don't do that. It's as common as bucks bedding in trees. If someone came on the Beast and said that they were looking for buck beds up in trees how would they be seen? I guarantee someone somewhere can find a buck bed that's on/in a tree in some manner, but it's probably as common as lions hauling a deer in a tree and wouldn't be considered the norm or anything to even look for. Again, I mean no disrespect to you at all, but this is just one of those things that gets to me that's often thrown out there. Lions simply don't cache deer up in trees.

As for the OP, I don't think there's enough detail to come to any conclusion about it.