How often do you think tracks are mistaken?

[SasquatchPA]

How often do you think tracks are misidentified? Here is a short clip of a video I took about 10 years ago in Alaska on a bear hunt. You can see where the bear stepped into its own tracks to elongate some of the tracks on a sand bar. This was certainly extremely easy to identify since multiple other tracks can be seen along with some wolf tracks. I have often wondered if only the elongated tracks were seen what what one might conclude?

Edited March 30, 2022 by SasquatchPA

[SasquatchPA]

Here are some stills from the video

[norseman]

I see bear and wolf tracks?

[SasquatchPA]

1 hour ago, norseman said:

I see bear and wolf tracks?

Yes both bear and wolf tracks. Pretty cool hunt when we had wolves howling around us.

[norseman]

3 minutes ago, SasquatchPA said:

Yes both bear and wolf tracks. Pretty cool hunt when we had wolves howling around us.

I’ve had that experience hunting Elk here. Now I have two Wolf tags for Idaho.

[SasquatchPA]

2 minutes ago, norseman said:

I’ve had that experience hunting Elk here. Now I have two Wolf tags for Idaho.

They are massive eaters and extremely efficient predators. 

[Huntster]

24 minutes ago, SasquatchPA said:

.........Pretty cool hunt when we had wolves howling around us.

 

It's pretty special to be tucked into your sleeping gag in a tent in pitch blackness and hear wolves howling for hours.

 

One night I had a wolf sniffing the corner of our tent while we were in our bags. My head was literally less than 3' from his/her nose. How do I know? It was snowing (which added a special sound to the night as it landed on the tent). The sound of the snow hitting the tent somewhat masked the sound of the sniffing. The next morning, at that corner of the tent, were the wolf prints in the snow.

[SasquatchPA]

11 minutes ago, Huntster said:

 

It's pretty special to be tucked into your sleeping gag in a tent in pitch blackness and hear wolves howling for hours.

 

One night I had a wolf sniffing the corner of our tent while we were in our bags. My head was literally less than 3' from his/her nose. How do I know? It was snowing (which added a special sound to the night as it landed on the tent). The sound of the snow hitting the tent somewhat masked the sound of the sniffing. The next morning, at that corner of the tent, were the wolf prints in the snow.

What a rush that would be! I had a black bear outside our tent at one point. Your heart races letting you know you’re still alive.

 

The most memorable night was when I was watching the Aurora Borealis and then the wolf howls started. Thought I might have won the Darwin award! Lol

[Doug]

When I went elk hunting in north Eastern Oregon two years ago, The wolves started howling at around 3 am. The continued for a long time. It seem as though it was at least an hour. On the other side of the valley we were camped in there was a single howl that was going one while all the other howls were happening on the other side of the valley. That single howler was still howling when we left at 6am. It had been howling none stop for 3 solid hours and still going strong when we left.

[NorthWind]

Thant's pretty special indeed.

 

I once heard a small, rapid grunting / sniffing sound right outside. Still in my sleeping bag, I unzipped the tent window, and lit it up outside. There were two, uh, "amorous" skunks not three feet from my face busily doing their thing. I killed the light, and zipped up the flap quietly and went back to sleep, chuckling. Cool sound. Never heard that before.

 

I can see how bear tracks can be misidentified. But I have seen them so many times now it just looks like "bear".

 

[Doug]

13 hours ago, SasquatchPA said:

I have often wondered if only the elongated tracks were seen what what one might conclude?

I came across some that gave me pause. After following the trail a few feet, I came across the front prints and realized it was a big bear. I had never seen bear tracks before at the time.

[Incorrigible1]

1 hour ago, NorthWind said:

Thant's pretty special indeed.

 

I once heard a small, rapid grunting / sniffing sound right outside. Still in my sleeping bag, I unzipped the tent window, and lit it up outside. There were two, uh, "amorous" skunks not three feet from my face busily doing their thing. I killed the light, and zipped up the flap quietly and went back to sleep, chuckling. Cool sound. Never heard that before.

 

I can see how bear tracks can be misidentified. But I have seen them so many times now it just looks like "bear".

 

 

So now your Native American name is "Two Skunks Blanking."

Heh!

[Huntster]

1 hour ago, NorthWind said:

.......I once heard a small, rapid grunting / sniffing sound right outside. Still in my sleeping bag, I unzipped the tent window, and lit it up outside. There were two, uh, "amorous" skunks not three feet from my face busily doing their thing.......

 

I walked into the trees at work once to do my business and heard a strange grunting sound. I followed the sound until a porcupine fell out of a tree right in front of me, then waddled away. About 10' above me on a branch was another porcupine. I don't know if they were fighting or............what, but I figured either way, it could hurt.

[Patterson-Gimlin]

Those were very easy to identify. Mud and melting snow tracks can be a bit more difficult for most.

 Of course not these experts here. Self not included. 

[Huntster]

Living in Alaska for over 45 years now, I've seen a lot of bear tracks. It seems like I see them on at least 75% of my outdoor activities. I've never seen an elongated print (rear foot partially stepping in a front print) that looked like the sasquatch prints I found in the early 70's in the Sierra Nevadas. Of course, the rear prints of huge grizzlies (9' square and above) could only be mistaken by an unexperienced outdoorsman.