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Possible footprint?


wiiawiwb

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On Sunday, I retrieved two trail cams and relocated them to a new spot. When I was scouting around the new area, and deciding whether it would be a good one to choose, I came across this anomaly. Not sure it is a footprint.

 

Closeby, there was another one similar to this one. It is in a pine forest where pine needles have created a floor that is almost impenetrable. I jumped on one foot next to this print and could not make a mark on the forest floor. There is a bit of a spring to it as you walk across it.

 

Not sure it is anything but thought I would take a picture and see if anyone had a thought about it.

 

 

20220918_120532 (003).jpg

 

20220918_120559 (002).jpg

Edited by wiiawiwb
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It definitely looks like the shape of a footprint.  The question is - is it a bear or not?  Is there a water source nearby?  It almost looks like the foot was wet when it stepped there.  Or it was something with mud on the foot that was deposited.

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My first thought was a bear but I didn't see any claw impressions as I looked at the ground at the top of the print. Given the finicky nature of the substrate it's entirely possible claw marks wouldn't show up.

 

Water source is not close enough for mud to be still on its paws at this location. Could it have rained and that provided the ability to track mud? It didn't rain that day nor the day before. 

 

 

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There was a second print about 10'-12' away that was roughly the same size. It wasn't as well formed so I didn't take a picture. 

 

One of the things that bothers me a bit about the print is the downward angle from what would be the big toe to the other toes.  That angle is more flat in Patty's casted footprint and a few others I've seen online. 

 

That's part of the problem when a print, or whatever it is, is not made in dirt that allows for a clear impression.

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Good thinking. I don't remember whether it was left or right but, for whatever reason was that now eludes me, I didn't think at the time the two were connected.

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I am thinking bear. But then when I look at it again, I see a solid footprint. You did find another track, right? Once you have two tracks in a row you can track its next track. The casting can fill in what you cannot see. Which can help in identifying what you are dealing with. JMO The tracking part is just flagging the two prints from heel to heel and measure. Then using a measured string, start your track of the next print.

 

Any pictures on the trail cam? 

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I did find a 2nd impression/print but couldn't connect it to the first one by way of an intervening track. Obviously, if the two impressions found were 10' apart, it could mean they was a step in between them that I couldn't find. I'm thinking that the 2nd impression was either pointing in a different direction or was the left foot. In both cases, I would have ruled out an impression in between. I just can't recall specifically why I did so.

 

The two trailcams were put up that day so I'll go back in a week or two and swap out SD cards.

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So, then if we say that this creature had this ten-foot gap between the two prints. We can then say that this creature must have had a 60" stride. This is one big boy/girl with that stride.  It has a 19" length footprint x 9" wide at its toes, and a 7" wide heel. I do not know what to say. To tell you the truth at first, I really thought that it was a bear. But looking away from it and coming back to it. You can really see the print very defined. This is a great find Wiiaiwb. I do whatever I could to get my scent off that camera trap. Clear your mind going back and think deer and not the big guy. Be like you are hunting. Good Luck. Looking forward to whatever you might capture on that camera trap. Posted. Even if it is deer or whatever other animal. 

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It is interesting. If it was a black bear (no grizzly near me), I'm having trouble explaining the width at the heel. The rear foot could be 6" across at the paw but the heel tapers so it would not be as wide. If the heel in this print is even 6" wide, I think it eliminates a black bear. 

 

https://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/blackbears2019.html

 

https://www.wildernessarena.com/skills/tracking-and-signs/how-to-identify-black-bear-tracks-signs#:~:text=Rear feet measure between 5”-9” long by 3.5”-6”,rear tracks landing ahead of the front track.

 

 

 

 

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