track ID challenge

[hickstick]

went out for a quick midday jaunt with my bow (its muzzleloader season here in Mass).  Only cut one set of deer tracks in the 2 day old snow and it was right behind my house so I didn't follow it.   went in deeper and cut two other human tracks, then found these.  not the best snow for clear tracks, lite-fluffy stuff but I managed to find a couple decent enough to photo.  bumped up the contrast and down the brightness to make it a bit easier to see.

 

heres a shot of the gate (my arrows about 31" from nock to tip of judo)

 

another track shot
 

so whatta you guys think?  fisher, fox, house cat?

[pointy sticks]

bobcat or lynx would be my guess. looking at the first pic, but I no expert.

[hickstick]

I should add a bit about behavior too....the tracks seemed to be walking up to large oaks & maples.and almost seemed to be putting its front paws up on the trunk and looking up into the trees....for squirrels I guess....

this is a smallish woodlot near a highway in a very suburban Massachusetts community...

[Gatekeeper]

I believe it looks like a cat track also.

[trapperDave]

wompus cat  :D

[JBiorn]

somebodies squirrel dog?

[hickstick]

don't think it was a dog....no human tracks anywhere near this area, and the toes in those tracks are pretty skinny....

[bullofthewoods]

Bobcat usually place their hind feet in the same tracks as the front feet like that.  I think too large for house cat, not canine for lack of claw marks.  I say bobcat.

[Izzy]

Any fisher or porkies in you area?Hard to tell from the pic but maybe worth a look in that direction.

[woodchucker]

It's a Racoon track

[capt eddie]

That looks like an otter.

[fxe]

I think it's a bobcat also.

[Killdeer]

I think weasel family, fisher or marten. Porkies are smaller and drag the ground more, don't they? Not round enough for a cat, and that first track shows a heel.

Killdeer

[hickstick]

I'm thinking fisher myself.  My hunting bud saw one back in October on the farm we hunt (about a mile and a half away) so we at least know they are in the area...  I have never seen a bobcat in the woods here in all my years of hunting...but I know they are quite prevalent in Connecticut.

I had found a similar set of tracks like this last year in the snow in this same woodlot.  it lead to grizzly scene of cottontail fur and legs....I wasn't sure if a fisher would go for something as large as a cottontail.

[rg176bnc]

That looks like a fisher to me.  If you go to trapper man website I bet someone there would know.