Stockton behemoth

[bologna]

Any of these seen or caught in Mc Daniel lake?  It's on the way to Stockton, much more likely to end up there first.

[JCreek]

On 5/7/2018 at 8:30 AM, CoolHandFluke said:

Or Mountain Lions!

I took pictures of a 6 inch paw print in fresh snow 12 years ago.  Sent it to Jeff City.  They sent a "biologist" from Springfield up here to advise me it was made by a dog.

[fishinwrench]

13 minutes ago, JCreek said:

I took pictures of a 6 inch paw print in fresh snow 12 years ago.  Sent it to Jeff City.  They sent a "biologist" from Springfield up here to advise me it was made by a dog.

I love it when people put the word BIOLOGIST in quotation marks.  Just cracks me up!  😆

[MoCarp]

the trilobed pad is the dead giveaway of a puma

 

[MoCarp]

 

 

[straw hat]

Also, as MoCarp's second picture states, there is no claw marks with a puma. The claws are retracted inside while walking.

[tjm]

Carp draw the X through that dog track so's they can see that distinguishing mark. 

JCreek do you recall that bio's name?  The one that I think should be working your area is a trapper and does know tracks. Large dogs often leave deeper and larger tracks than pumas might.

[tjm]

I added a green X to the dog track, you will never see a cat track that has  this open X space

[JCreek]

15 hours ago, tjm said:

JCreek do you recall that bio's name?  

Do not recall.  Been 12 or 13 years ago and I didn't meet the guy.  Got emails from him.  He met with a neighbor nearer to where the pics were taken and his description of the guy in no way suggested a trapper or any other form of outdoor type.

[tjm]

Trappers looks will fool you,  some of the best are a lawyer and a Dr. in the off season. Like picking out the anglers in a crowded office complex. A couple well known trappers are so fat that you would think they never leave the couch and one I know of is one legged.

For the most part cats feet support their weight so well that they don't leave many tracks, often in snow a big cat's track will look kinda like it was made with a lady's powder puff,  no real distinguishing characteristics. A better indicator of species is often the print placement pattern if a trail is visible.  Is the trail wandering, staggered, straight line, are prints overlapping, overprinting etc. and so on. A red fox trail in snow is distinguishable from a domestic dog's trail at a distance or in a drive by; but a single print might be hard to tell.