Mule Deer And Cat Tracks In The Snow On The Colorado Front Range

[Tim Smith]

If you ever wanted a good close look at monster mule deer, this is the place to do it.

http://brooksmith.blogspot.com/2011/12/more-snow-tracking-at-roxborough-how.html

[Wayne SW/MO]

In some years we would hunt a late season cow elk hunt and there was always snow on the ground. We would always run across a set or two of cat tracks, often trailing a cow with a calf.

[Tim Smith]

In some years we would hunt a late season cow elk hunt and there was always snow on the ground. We would always run across a set or two of cat tracks, often trailing a cow with a calf.

This one was following a creek bed. It dropped briefly onto the trail and the the tracks disappeared into all the goo and shuffle of the snow shoe traffic.

No cows here, but I've noticed how the coyotes just stand and a distance and drool over the mule deer. It's like they want to but they know they really can't.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Coyotes are gutsy, I observed four stalking a half dozen antelope one morning. I would have my doubts that they would have the stamina to run one down, unless they knew one was injured.

I called them off and reduced them to three.

[Kayser]

So which track is which in the last 3 photos?

[Tim Smith]

So which track is which in the last 3 photos?

Mountain lion, bobcat, coyote (probably coyote...it's a little big to be red or grey fox but definitely not a dog).

One thing I notice about this place...no raccoons.

[Wayne SW/MO]

That would be bottom to top,right?

[Tim Smith]

That would be bottom to top,right?

Nope.

Top print was bigger than my hand and one finger in the front four is slightly forward, like a human palm and there are no claw prints. That's a cat and the size makes it a mountain lion.

Middle one has similar configuration with more classicaly rounded toes and is small. That makes it a bobcat.

The bottom one has two equally paired middle toes with claw prints showing. That makes it a canid...size suggests a coyote.

[drew03cmc]

I was right. I got lucky Tim. Nice report on the Mulies. To see one of them up close would be awesome, but in eastern Kansas, it just cannot be done.

[Fishslayer88]

an easy way to tell dog from cat is a dogs claws are going to be in the track just about every time because unlike cats a dog cannot retract its claws