SWWASAS Posted May 14, 2014 BFF Patron Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 (edited) I have to concede that I don't know what that print is. That is why I posted the picture. But I have never seen a boot with 4 or 5 inch lugs. That metal tape is why I don't use them to document but it is a standard 2 inch square Stanley tape measure so the red mark at the 12 inch point looks right. Here is another that I would like some trackers to look at. Here is another photo of a paw print that I took in my research area. It is one really big dog with a paw over 4 inches wide and 5 inches long or is a wolf according to my tracks book. The tape is inches. Anyone in wolf country want to chime in with your opinion? There are not supposed to be wolves in this area of SW WA yet. I went in on a trail and did not see it when I went in and came back out and there it was as if it had followed me in. It looks very fresh. No humans with cars or dogs observed at the trail head or on the trail. Randy Edited May 14, 2014 by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuchi1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Two separate tracks made by two different entities and two separate times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKH Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Really cool track find, Randy. Went camping last weekend on the OP and at the ranger station, there were several professional wildlife photos. One was of a pristine wolf track, which was interesting to me, so I asked a bunch of questions about it. Unfortunately, the ranger didn't know where it was taken, but thought it was local. I may have to find out more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted May 15, 2014 BFF Patron Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 You think it is a wolf? If so it is the first one in 80 years or so in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKH Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) Of course, I don't know for sure, but interesting, eh? I called the ranger station and was told the photographer is a local resident, and they will get back to me with contact info. Did you look for any other tracks than the one? Edited May 15, 2014 by JKH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted May 18, 2014 BFF Patron Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 There were several footprints of this individual following behind me on the trail. I had pretty much gotten used to the idea of big cougars being what to worry about because I find their tracks all the time. But I guess I need to study wolf behavior now too. From what I remember wolf attacks on humans are pretty rare. There is a female coyote in that area. I have seen her tracks and time out before last finally spotted her. She was lactating and probably nursing pups. I worry about the pups if there is a wolf in the area. They would be an easy meal for a wolf. The female coyote was hunting for food when I spotted her. She did not see or hear me as she was across the creek from me checking out animal burrows. I keep hoping to find a BF engrossed in something like she was and get a video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightheart Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Randy It is funny that you posted this. I have been finding tracks like this for several months and have finally settled on Red Wolf as the maker. I know attacks on humans are rare but am considering buying an ax handle to carry for hogs, bears, panthers, and red wolves. A girl can't be too careful you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightheart Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Apparently they are breeding the wolves in the Carolinas (I believe it was) for re-introduction into the wild. There was a photo posted somewhere online of a red wolf in a lady's backyard in Central Florida recently. They were supposed to have gone extinct 70-80 years ago. I took a photo on my dumb phone this weekend of a track and got out my husband's glasses to compare it to yours. Honestly it was a really good match. Almost Extinct Red Wolf Found in Florida Woman's Backyard? Edited May 19, 2014 by lightheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incorrigible1 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Admittedly the source is Wiki, but here goes: Originally distributed throughout the Southeastern US, the red wolf was nearly driven to extinction by the mid-1900s due to aggressive predator control programs, habitat destruction and extensive hybridization with coyotes. By the late 1960s, it occurred in small numbers in the Gulf Coast of western Louisiana and eastern Texas. 14 of these survivors were selected to be the founders of a captively bred population, which was established in the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium between 1974-1980. After a successful experimental relocation to Bulls Island off the coast of South Carolina in 1978, the red wolf was declared Extinct in the Wild in 1980 in order to proceed with restoration efforts. In 1987, the captive animals were released into North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, with a second release taking place two years later in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.[9] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I found this track less than 5 miles from Bulls Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKH Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 ^Awesome track. I spoke to the photographer I mentioned. He was a little unsure about the size of the track. Sounds like he was under the impression it was a large coyote track and of course they're all over the place. It's possible that my curiousity carried me away in assuming it was wolf and the ranger didn't disagree. The gentleman did say he'd go through his data to see if he could find out more, and kindly offered to send me a print. Can you post your photo, lightheart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightheart Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I will try to this evening when my daughter gets home from work. I have to send it to her phone and then have her send it to my email.. I thought about coyote since we have more and more of them moving into the state and breeding. It has become a bit of suburban problem in some areas. I ruled it out because it looked to be about four inches wide. I used my hand to sight it roughly but did not include my hand in the photo. I have been seeing these tracks for several months and for sure will find some again. I actually have found them in different areas within the same general area. I think it may be kind of like the panther. There were sightings all over the state before it was finally admitted that they were making a comeback. I am sure this is for their protection if that is the case. Who knows? I am just really glad that I am not the only one seeing them. I have put some time into trying to identify the tracks. Since I am not as schooled as I would like in identifying the tracks of my region I put in some extra time trying to learn more. It is definitely not a panther (several toenails are visible in the print. It is very large for a dog and I am finding very fresh ones where no one has been yet. Way too big to be a bobcat.So the only two options because of shape of the pads, visible toenails, etc would be wolf or coyote. Very big for a coyote. The coyotes I have seen here seem skinny with not real big paws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted May 19, 2014 BFF Patron Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 Lightheart: Better than an axe handle which is really too short to be of much good and put you out of the reach of some critters paw reach, a long sturdy hiking pole is both useful for hiking and can be used to jab at a cougar/panther. They don't like pain and will back off if you jab at them. They normally attack from behind but it you see them coming and face off with a pole they can be discouraged. In cougar country some have pack extensions that cover the back of your neck which is normally where the hit you. If you see a cougar at a distance you want to make yourself look as big as possible. Holding your hiking pole over head would do that. Supposedly direct eye contact with a bear might be taken as challenge and encourage a charge. . But with most predators you never want to turn your back on them or run. Face them and back away so they don't perceive you as a threat. A hiking pole would probably discourage a hog attack too but we don't have them in the NW so have no experience with them. If you poke at any animals eyes, it will back off. Quite frankly as a woman, men are more danger to you in the woods than animals. Unless you have issues with guns in general you might consider carrying a hand gun. That is of course a personal choice and are prohibited in some areas. When I found that big track that looks like a wolf I was glad I had one. Even a wild dog that size would be very dangerous. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightheart Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) Randy, since I realized that there were some unexpected critters in some of my areas I have been very careful. Where I go I am pretty comfortable that I am safe from the human variety. I don't own a gun and will not. I started out on my mountain bike and felt even safer on it but when the weather turned colder I began to hike. I have to say that since December I have spent nearly every weekend morning in the woods and plenty additional days when on break from work . My first bike trip in there alone was pretty empowering and after that I have felt no fear to speak of. I believe that that very first time on my bike I interrupted a Sasquatch triangulated hunt and was probably no more than ten feet form them. Something had driven a deer onto the trail and as I stopped to observe it there was a loud angry knock from within ten feet in the palmettos. I believe one was sternly telling the others not to move position. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin and had felt watched the whole time. Truly I had no clue that they could be there- just there for a ride on my mountain bike. Coming back through there was a flock of turkeys in the exact same spot. i think I really messed up their hunt. They could have taken me out then if they had wanted to -but they didn't even though I know they were aggravated with me. The best part about the hiking is that I have really become good at observing my surroundings. I can now easily spot game trails, know where to look for tracks, notice stick structures and other recent activities in the area. I have always loved the woods and have wanted to learn to track since I was a child. Florida offers a Master Naturalist Certification and I am thinking of getting that so that I can learn more about the flora and fauna of my areas. Also i would add that i am at the point in my life where i am not willing to wait for someone to go into the woods with me. Actually it just seems natural now to go alone. Edited May 20, 2014 by lightheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted May 20, 2014 BFF Patron Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Lightheart: Good for you on your solo field work. I do the same. Now and then I take someone out with me but when I do I seem to loose the connection with what is going on around me in the woods and I have concerns and hesitancy about doing some things that might put them at risk. I want to be able to stop and listen, move quietly, etc without having to work around someone with me or being concerned about someone's safety. . Derek Randles (Olympic Project) mentioned something when he was speaking last weekend that rang true to me. He mentioned that during all but one of his encounters the only time he got a visual on BF that were closing on him was when he stopped running and was digging in his pack for a gun he remembered he had. When he looked up the BF that was chasing him and a friend out of the woods was standing yards away swaying back and forth watching him. His other experiences the BF stopped just out of visual range behind cover every time. My theory at this point and it is supported by my own experience, is that other than a random road or trail crossing sighting, humans are so predictable that BF can easily stay out of our sight just behind cover. Only when we do something random and unexpected can we hope to catch them in the open. In his case it was stopping from a dead run and digging in his pack. In my case it was changing direction of travel three times in two hours. They had no idea where I was heading and were going in the previous direction I had been going when they almost ran over me. It would be a difficult and brave thing to do if you were being followed, but the most unexpected thing to do when being followed would be to suddenly move towards them or hide behind a tree like they do and wait until they come into view. I certainly am not advocating that but I might give that a try if I am in the situation where they are following. I know they could chase me down anytime they like, so I do not think that would be any more dangerous than being followed. Perhaps they would even respect that non-prey behavior. Certainly I can think of a dozen reports where people were chased out of the woods. Like any predator, BF just naturally likes to chase. If that gets a human out of his woods so much the better for his agenda. Just some thoughts I have been having for what little it is worth. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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