Pop quiz

[trax]

OK, I'm gonna make this pretty easy. Experienced trackers.... (j_m, ww, klak, hope... and others....you all know who you are)leave it alone

You're walking in a forested area, say late autumn, patches of snow here and there, ground very recently frozen. Ground cover is some moss, some grassy areas, lots of dead leaves. You find some wolf tracks, you're sure they're wolf tracks. Start following them around. You realize that in about a 50 yard radius, the tracks cross and crisscross each other over and over again. Seems like the critters were staying in a big circle and always moving back inward.You find places where the wolves strides seem far too short and other places where the tracks seem to drop off, almost disappear.You find places where the ground looks like it was all "chewed up" with dug up dirt behind the footprints. You find places where the dead leaf ground cover is kind of crushed up and looks like it's been swept in circles. You find a few areas where there's strips of grass and small saplings crushed down that's maybe two feet wide and runs for about ten feet and then tracks reappear at the end of those strips. No scat, no blood signs that you can find, bits of hair in some of the bigger trees lower bark on the outside of your tracking area (you're basically examining that 50 yard radius now, right?) OK, new trackers, what were the wolves doing?

[wareagle69]

first when you say pop quiz i think dude, braw hang ten, keanu reeves
i'll hazard a guess they are tracking a moose as a moose will come full circle i would guess that they are starting at the outer perimeter and moving inside to close in?
(tracking is scheduled for 2011 in my training that i am doing so its just a huge guess this is one topic i know nothing about probably obvious from my guess actually my wife know alot more than i do about it)

[trax]

Yeah, wasn't that Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper in Speed? Not the answer I was looking for, but now I have to go hurl because I just got compared to Keanu.....(seriously people, seen his movies? wrong guy for any role)

[pgvoutdoors]

I'm not a hunter, I have some tracking skills but don't know what animal the wolves are looking for. I'm happy when the wolves around here are not on my trail though. :D

[crashdive123]

Purely a guess - some kind of mating habit.

[klkak]

What kind of hair in the lower bark of the tree's?

Oh, oops. I forgot I'm not supposed to touch this one. Sorry, Forget I said anything.:o

(lowers head and tip-toes to the door looking over shoulder)

[Dennis K.]

I'll take a stab.
Ground cover damage indicates something more than just walking. the variation in stride indicates very active, possibly aggressive behavior.
My guess is a fight for alpha male.

[trax]

What kind of hair in the lower bark of the tree's?

Oh, oops. I forgot I'm not supposed to touch this one. Sorry, Forget I said anything.:o

(lowers head and tip-toes to the door looking over shoulder)

get back here young man! lol, that's a fair question for everyone, given wolves nature, yeah wolf hair, not much though.

[trax]

I'll take a stab.
Ground cover damage indicates something more than just walking. the variation in stride indicates very active, possibly aggressive behavior.
My guess is a fight for alpha male.

Nope but I'm glad to see that answer because with the evidence I provided, it's pretty sensible.

[Fletcher]

It's a bedding area where they sleep

[owl_girl]

Playing id think

[tacmedic]

Checking out the area before they bedded down for the night. That would explain the areas of trampled vegetation. Sounds like maybe a pack spent a night in this spot.

[owl_girl]

are there other animall tracks? thay could also be hunting. maybe hunting somthing under ground and pouncing on it. like mice

[trax]

Playing id think

DING DING DING DING!!!! We have our winner. owl_girl moves on to the lightning bonus round, lol. Yeah people...ever seen how rough those guys play? the torn up ground would be from paw scratching=faking aggression, the hair on the trees would be from body slams, the crushed grass etc would be from rolling each other through it, the crisscrossing tracks is from the running and nipping at each other.

[nell67]

Way to go owl-girl

[HOP]

I like the catching mice idea better.

[Rick]

Well, I was watching the tracks and now I'm lost. Can someone track me down?

[wareagle69]

atta girl owl

[owl_girl]

Yay :D:D:D

[owl_girl]

ive seen videos of them playing and they run around and jump and stalk each other then chase eachother. thats what that sounded like most to me.

giv us another.

[Jericho117]

Im not that good of a tracker, only know the basics. But it seems as if the Wolves were-----fighting or something to do with territory?? I don't know. But the chewed up soil and tree make only some sense to me, gathering nutrients from the inner tree bark, looking for sustenance??? Maybe hunger, but why in just that 50 yard radius.....wow I can't do this.

[crashdive123]

Jericho - read post #15

[Jericho117]

Oh, sorry. I just blew right threw it all so I wouldn't copy anybody else.

[FVR]

My guess would be that the pups that were born in the spring are having play time. Running around just acting crazy.

Just a guess.

[klkak]

Oo, Oo, Oo, do another one that was fun:D

[wareagle69]

your weren'y allowed to play frank

[trax]

Oo, Oo, Oo, do another one that was fun:D

Now, see? I suspect he had the answer, and Frank, I did ask experienced trackers to let it be...ahem...but hey, it's all in fun.

Pop quiz #2...experienced trackers and hunter please give the kids first shot at this...

You are paddling in a canoe or in a motorized boat, moose hunting--alone. (yeah unfair to people who don't live where moose live, but hey, I gotta go with what I know, right?) OK, you're serious about this hunt, family needs meat. You stop at the south end of a small island, maybe 1/4 long and 200 yards at it's widest-- and there are moose tracks (yay!), It's a single set of tracks, very large and quite fresh and when it came out of the water it started moving at a pretty good trot, but certainly not galloping (or whatever the heck you call it when a moose runs fast). It's around 8:30 in the morning. The foliage on the island is heavy willow thickets and quite a bit of large conifer cover with a lot of mossy ground and bare rock ground cover. You're on the south shore of the island, the moose tracks came out of the water on the south end of the island and are clearly pointing north. The wind is from the south. You really want to shoot this moose, what should you do? I'll look for some answers later on today...

[Dennis K.]

1st guess - need to get to the north end of the island so that the wind doesn't carry your scent or the sound of the motor.

[RangerXanatos]

Get on the North side of the island, pick a spot and wait for the moose to come to me since it would no longer be able to smell me.

(No moose around here, and never been hunting)

[trax]

both right as far as it goes, but only part of what needs to be done.....

[Dennis K.]

Oh - I forgot to set my moose trap.
You dig a hole big enough to hols a moose.
You fill the hole with all the ashes from your campfire.
Then, you put peas all around the hole as bait.
Than, when the moose comes to take a pea, you kick him in the ash hole.
:D

[trax]

Kick fast Dennis cuz if your foot gets stuck when he lurches forward, you could wind up falling into his ash hole..ya don't want that:D

[owl_girl]

find a spot high in a tree with a good view in the north side thats serounded by lots of thick young fresh willow and any other greens.

[Dennis K.]

meanwhile, back on the topic.... :)
At this point, my hunting knowledge would be complete guesses.
Perhaps, once on the north end of the island, set up a ground level blind?

[crashdive123]

Not a moose hunter, so pure guess. Getting around to the north side as stated. Pick an area where you have some visibility. Call the moose in short intervals. Saw a show a while back that talked about making noise in the brush and then immitating the sound of the female. Wait and watch. My moose calling skills are pretty well non existant, so no telling what will come wandering in. But food is food right?

[RangerXanatos]

Offer directions to the nearest Moose Lodge?

[klkak]

Moose traps, Ashholes, Imitating moose mating rituals. I ain't touching this one...:D

I do have one question: Why would you be paddling in a motorized boat? Why not just use the motor?

You are paddling in a canoe or in a motorized boat
Wait....I get it....you are trying to be quiet.....,

[Rick]

Okay, I'm gonna go crazy here 'cause I know nothing of moose. However, that never stopped me from doing anything before. Here's what I'd do.

I'd cut the island in half by going half way around and putting back in. I'd work my way in slowly and look for signs of the big fellow or his/her tracks. I have him trapped (or him me, whichever) so to speak. If he takes back to water I only have to follow him and wait for him to make shore to get a shot off (sure don't want him down in the water!).

If I find tracks then I know he's further north along the island and I have the wind at a disadvantage. That means I have to move north again. However, if he hasn't made it that far then I'm ahead of the game with a downwind advantage.

Shhhhh. There he is. Steady......

[crashdive123]

Yeah, figured I was pretty far off base. Option two......hide in his hat.

http://www.ezthemes.com/previews/r/rockybullwinkless.jpg

[nell67]

Moose traps, Ashholes, Imitating moose mating rituals. I ain't touching this one...:D

I do have one question: Why would you be paddling in a motorized boat? Why not just use the motor?
Awwww,you KNOW you want to klkak!

[nell67]

Moose traps, Ashholes, Imitating moose mating rituals. I ain't touching this one...:D

I do have one question: Why would you be paddling in a motorized boat? Why not just use the motor?

Wait....I get it....you are trying to be quiet.....,

The sound of the motor would be a dead giveaway that there are humans around,paddling would be a much more stealth approach I would think.

[crashdive123]

I do have one question: Why would you be paddling in a motorized boat? Why not just use the motor?

Have you seen fuel prices in Canada?

[klkak]

Oh nell, you read me like a store front window.:rolleyes:

[Rick]

Besides, if she wants to paddle, she can paddle. I ain't arguing. You're doing fine, dear. Don't worry your sweet little head about them.

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/files/imagecache/200x200/files/attached_pictures/300x300_woman-canoe.jpg

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=b180cf04a4d1e0f4&q=paddling+a+boat&usg=__TdHeepynUWgI-BLzzDy9Dq9u7P8=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpaddling%2Ba%2Bboat%26start%3D36%26nd sp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN&um=1
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=b180cf04a4d1e0f4&q=paddling+a+boat&usg=__TdHeepynUWgI-BLzzDy9Dq9u7P8=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpaddling%2Ba%2Bboat%26start%3D36%26nd sp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN&um=1

[klkak]

Gas prices are so bad in Canada cause they use those L-gallons. They are smaller then the gallons we use in America.

[crashdive123]

....and before they went all metric, they use Imperial gallons --- a much better measure IMO.

[Rick]

Gas prices are so bad in Canada...

How bad are they?

They are so bad it's cheaper just to mail your car.
They are so bad the rats are carpooling in Montreal.
They are so bad a woman can't even afford to run over her cheating husband.

[klkak]

Everybody give a round of applause for Super Rick the Sick Moderator.

[Rick]

Thank you. Thank you. I do two shows a day and the tip jar is at the end of the piano.

[klkak]

Besides, if she wants to paddle, she can paddle. I ain't arguing. You're doing fine, dear. Don't worry your sweet little head about them.

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/files/imagecache/200x200/files/attached_pictures/300x300_woman-canoe.jpg

Dang nell, you are really good looking..........from behind:eek:

[Rick]

Stop! Whoa their bucko! You're gonna get me killed. I ain't disputing the looks but the lady ain't been in my canoe, Trax.

[Dennis K.]

My moose calling skills are pretty well non existant, so no telling what will come wandering in.
Hey! - no fair! How'd you figure out how I met my wife?

Dennis "goin' to hell" K.

[fishpole]

ive watched red fox do the same thing in snow, they put their ears to the ground and listen. then jump into the air and pounce, they come up with a mouse in their jaws and flip it in the air, its pretty cool. i like watching K9 hunt but there aint no wolves in these hills...luckily lol!
-cory

[klkak]

Stop! Whoa their bucko! You're gonna get me killed. I ain't disputing the looks but the lady ain't been in my canoe, Trax.

Now that was funnier then watching midgets run track, I tell ya:D.

[crashdive123]

ive watched red fox do the same thing in snow, they put their ears to the ground and listen. then jump into the air and pounce, they come up with a mouse in their jaws and flip it in the air, its pretty cool. i like watching K9 hunt but there aint no wolves in these hills...luckily lol!
-cory

Started reading the post and thought what does Redd Foxx know about moose hunting?

http://www.baseballforum.com/attachments/locker-room/207d1152480561-favorite-comedian-sanford-son-photo-autographed-photo-.jpg

[klkak]

Crash, I had to read it twice cause I was thinking the same thing.

[crashdive123]

Is it great minds think alike or depraved....never mind. We'll go with great minds think alike.

[Rick]

Don't be playin' around like that, Klkak. You'll get me dethroned as Minister of Science. And with my skills where am I gonna find work in Free Traxistan?

Two drunks sittin' in a bar.
"Gotta light?"
I snap my fingers.
"Whoa. Cool. Thanks."
"Don't mention it."

[nell67]

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/files/imagecache/200x200/files/attached_pictures/300x300_woman-canoe.jpg

Dang nell, you are really good looking..........from behind:eek:

OH HE!! no,that ain't me in Ricks canoe,that doesn't even LOOK like me,tell them Trax!:eek::eek: Besides,I wear a black hat....

[trax]

sigh...she wears a black hat, that ain't Trax's canoe, that ain't Nell.

2. paddling OR in a motorized boat, as in choose ya bunch of boobies

3. you're on the south end of the island, you're alone. Light a fire,it doesn't have to be a big one. get back in your boat and get to the north end of the island. The moose was going to find a place to bed down, once he smells the fire, he'll get up and move away from the fire. He will stop before he enters the water, Bang! you've got moose meat. Now get back there and put out the fire> This was all about knowing the behavior part of tracking kiddles

[RangerXanatos]

Wow! Makes sense but I would've never thought about that with the smoke from the fire.

[Rick]

Probably the reason I'm wet, hungry and stuck on this danged island all night!

[wareagle69]

hmm how do i hunt moose easy

(ahem) norm here norm daddies got a treat for ya

[nell67]

Yea WE,but would you eat him?

[FVR]

Now, I'm not a moose hunter, never hunted them, he ll, never even seen alive one. But, I remember watching a Discover show a few years back about moose and caribou. I do remember that moose, unlike deer, are day foragers.

So, if that is true, (don't believe everything I see on the tube), the moose is on the move. Is his tracks that of a running, trotting, or lolly gagging critter? If he def. on the move, paddle that little dingy 3/4 of the way up the coast, about 50 yards off shore, he ll, ya just might get a shot at in the water. Do dead moose float?

As you can see, I'm a greenhorn at moose hunting.

[klkak]

Probably the reason I'm wet, hungry and stuck on this danged island all night!

It's not all bad. You got that scantly clad blond with you.:D

[klkak]

Now, I'm not a moose hunter, never hunted them, he ll, never even seen alive one. But, I remember watching a Discover show a few years back about moose and caribou. I do remember that moose, unlike deer, are day foragers.

So, if that is true, (don't believe everything I see on the tube), the moose is on the move. Is his tracks that of a running, trotting, or lolly gagging critter? If he def. on the move, paddle that little dingy 3/4 of the way up the coast, about 50 yards off shore, he ll, ya just might get a shot at in the water. Do dead moose float?

As you can see, I'm a greenhorn at moose hunting.

No they don't float. But they do sink really good.:)

[trax]

Now, I'm not a moose hunter, never hunted them, he ll, never even seen alive one. But, I remember watching a Discover show a few years back about moose and caribou. I do remember that moose, unlike deer, are day foragers.

I don't know...every moose I've ever seen is generally bedding down right around sun up, but they get up and around earlier in the day than other members of the deer family too, because I've seen them around in the afternoon....except when they're rutting. They stay up for romance. One time my hunting partner and I came across a place where a moose had been bedding and we'd just barely missed him, the ground was steaming and that was just before suppertime.

[Dennis K.]

And another pop quiz?

[trax]

OK, ...again...I'm only trying to show that footprints alone aren't tracking and different signs that give an animal away. Say you're walking near a riverbank with your dog and your dog runs ahead of you and starts rolling around in a grassy area with a clay/mud ground base. when you catch up you notice in the mud a smallish ...say 1 1/2" to 2" across track, with 5 toes that appear very sharp on the end and a pretty clearly defined "arch" shaped heel pad. (can't think of a better descriptor right now,that may not have been helpful) The grass going down the river bank is flattened about 4 inches wide, bending toward the river, there's lots of the tracks all over the muddy areas near the river, and (bonus!) you can smell fish. This one should be easy. What animals tracks are you studying?

By the way...there are no prizes associated with this besides your own sense of self-satisfaction.

((All opinions expressed in this thread are the responsibility of the person who made them Trax and Free Traxistan will not be held liable..oh you know it's on all the dvd's)

[RangerXanatos]

I'd have to say raccoon since that's what we have around here.

[Dennis K.]

yes, but in Tax's stretch o'th'woods in Free Traxistan, My guess would be otter or mink

[trax]

Dennis K...why?

[Dennis K.]

5 toes, fairly sharp - size seems about right for mink. Mink eat a lot of fish, and aren't terribly neat about it, as opposed to raccoons, which will wash their food if they can. Manitoba is within the natural distribution of American Mink. They are fairly low to the ground, which could account for the bent grass, but that's the one variable that I can't account for. So, I'm gonna guess mink, and buy a plane ticket to manitoba :)

[trax]

whoops, nope

[Dennis K.]

well, at least you can follow my logic, however wrong it may be. and thus shows the err of the internet. The bush + someone w/ some actual BTDT* would be a much better teacher.


*been there, done that

That was kinda vague - Trax has the BTDT - I just need to spend more time outdoors instead of in my little cubicle of hell

[trax]

absolutely, and with any of these I have to give credence to the person is processing my written word rather than studying the actual scene.

[klkak]

Oo Oo Oo, I know this one.....,

[trax]

Welllll....since it was handed to everyone on a silver platter just a few postings ago.....no, stay out of it anyway :D :D :D :D

[Rick]

The slide track says otter. They have been sliding down the bank into the water.

[klkak]

OMG!!! (snicker) Rick said it was otter. (snicker) He said it was otter. :D:D:D

[trax]

obviously I'm going to have to let klkak play too or he's just gonna be mean to people like that :D but yeppers Richard...it's an otter. The grass bending toward the river is from the slide they make themselves, dogs love rolling around where there's "otter scent" and the footprints were too big for mink, unless I didn't describe them well enough....that's why I came back to Dennis because he said otter OR mink. I wanted to say "no no no Dennis, go for de otter one." when he chose mink.

[Rick]

Now tell me this. How do you spell "sticking my tongue out at klkak"?

[trax]

Uh Rick, he was snickering because it was you that got the answer, not because he thought there was anything wrong with the answer, so....well yeah go ahead and stick your tongue out at him....I extend an invitation to mr klkak to create the next pop quiz and I'll stand down for a bit, if folks are enjoying them, some seem to be.

[Dennis K.]

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh.
proves my streak. In a 50/50 guess, I have a 100% chance of getting it wrong.
damndamndamndamndamn.
slide & scent - good things to tuck away in th' ol' databank.

[klkak]

Ok, You are walking down a dusty dirt road out in the country. You look down and see some strange looking tracks obviously made by a shmedium (small/medium) sized animal. The tracks are perfectly round with soft edge's, a little bigger then a silverdollar with very faint toe imprints. After a couple hundred yards the tracks stop at the edge of a brush filled gully and you can tell the animal sat down. This is where the trail ends.

What animal left the tracks, what was it doing and where did it go.

[FVR]

Round, soft edges, you did not mention if there were any toe marks. I'm guessing, med. size game, soft round tracks, walks to a brush filled gully and sits down.

I'd guess, a mountain lion aka cougar. He slowly walks up to the gully, sits there, then pounces into the gully. Mountain lions can jump an excess of 10', so.................

Just a guess, if the tracks had toes. You did not mention if the tracks were spaced out like the critter was running, or normal spaced like an afternoon jaunt, or close together as used when stalking.

[nell67]

klkak,is there a tree near where the animal sat?I'm going to guess it was a wolverine,and he/she climbed into a tree,which is why the tracks stopped.

[huntermj]

How big are the tracks? The only animal i can think of that makes close to a round track is an elk. The soft edges are from the dust kicking up at each step and it was resting until it smelled me coming and left. People do that to me too. Only thing is an elk is not considered a medium sized animal in north America. Where are the tracks located ,approximate?
Edit: perhaps i should say the soft edges are from the dusty road relaxing back into the track. Very limited experience so just my guess.

[crashdive123]

Pogo stick.

[trax]

Pogo stick.

So the animal actually fell down more than sat? Is that your contention there skippy??

[crashdive123]

You can never be too sure how animals will react to changes in their environment.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/ato/lowres/aton326l.jpg

[klkak]

Sorry I forgot to put the size of the tracks. I edited the post to include that.

[trax]

I withdraw my private message sir, substantially smaller tracks than what I mentioned.

[klkak]

Sorry for the confusion.

[nell67]

toe prints with or without claws?

[Rick]

My guess is Lynx or Bobcat. No nails since cats have retracted nails. The fur around the feet makes for a "soft" edge. Did a pounce into or over the brush so the trail ended.

[FVR]

Medium size?

Round.

Soft edges.

140 pound Georgia Mountain Lion


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/FrankV/IMG_0681.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/FrankV/IMG_0239.jpg



Georgia hunters have been claiming for years that they see cougars, aka mountain lions, and black panthers, but the DNR has called such sightings bs. This cat was shot during deer season as there is no season for it, so it's fair game. There was also another cat, same one?? photo'd 25 miles away.

[klkak]

Rick nailed it even though I liked Crash's answer better. Boing - - - boing - - - boing . . . . ,

The tracks I've witnessed that brought this to mind were on a old road near Feather Falls California.

I was sitting on the edge of the road looking down into this brushy gully when I caught movement out the corner of my eye. I slowly turned to look at it and it was a bobcat walking up the side of the road directly at me. It stopped about 10ft away and sat down. It would look at me then down into the gully. After a few moments it started doing that cat thing where they lick their paw and wipe their face. There was a sound down in the brush that got both our attention. He stopped licking. When we heard the sound again he hopped off the road and slipped off down into the brush to investigate the sound. It was a very cool experience for a 13 year old kid.

[klkak]

FVR, I reckon that ole' hunter taught them DNR collage boys a thing or two about what lives in the Georgia woods.

[Rick]

Shame a nice cat like that was shot. My personal opinion will get in the way here, I'm sure. Wasn't shot for the meat and wasn't shot for the hide since it was just a target of opportunity and the hunter was deer hunting. Sorry, but I think I would have let pass unharmed.

[FVR]

I would not have shot it either, but the gent who did is orig. from Oregon and has hunted them there. With the constant bickering back and forth about cats in Georgia, this does put a little end to it. The DNR is now saying that it is a exotic pet that got lose, something about kinds of microbes or gimmy germs that it was carrying.

I once was bowhunting deer down the road and saw what I thought was a young doe coming my way. At about 15 yards, it was not a deer, but the biggest bobcat I had ever seen. It was huge, they were in season, I just watched it for awhile.

Man that cat was big. It is now illegal to shoot them where I hunt, I guess they are hoping that they put a dent in the coyote population. Not so much coyotes, but a bobcat will eat it's share of turkeys.

[trax]

Can't see bobcats giving coyotes any trouble, now a mountain lion, yeah he'll give trouble to just about anyone he wants. Must have been a bobcat in California right klkak? Lynx are farther north. When you gave the paw size it threw me off a bit, I'm accustomed to lynx with really big feet, lol, Rick was right about the fur around the edge of the feet too. Geez, Rick that's two, you might be good at this.

Anyone else throwing out a quiz? Or should I think up another?

[Dennis K.]

Throw out another. I'm learning a heckuvalot about what I don't know :)

ehhh.... one of these days, I'll have to invite you guys to one of my concerts and show you what I DO know... :)

[Rick]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think cats are the only ones that won't have nails displayed in a foot print. Sooo, if a good foot print only shows toes and no nails. The first thought is cat. Am I right?

EDIT - I think the chart below answered my question. The answer would be NO.

[Rick]

For what it's worth...

http://www.cityofmelrose.org/departments/Conservation/files/tracks/tracks.jpg

[klkak]

Must have been a bobcat in California right klkak? Lynx are farther north. When you gave the paw size it threw me off a bit, I'm accustomed to lynx with really big feet, lol, Rick was right about the fur around the edge of the feet too. Geez, Rick that's two, you might be good at this.

Yes Trax it was a bobcat. I've seen summer time lynx tracks up here that were only slightly larger then a silver dollar. Their winter tracks are huge.

In my youth living in the mountains of Northern California I killed 7 mountain lions. 3 caught in traps with an old shovel handle, 2 in the barnyard with a really old double barrel 16 gage, 1 on the roof of our house with my single shot .22lr, and one with a m-94 win. 30-30 one night walking home from a dance at the Grange hall.

Has anyone heard the scream of a mountain lion in the middle of the night while you were out in the woods by yourself? I have! It's enough to freeze your blood.

This is a fairly good recording of what it sounds like. But it can't convey the feeling you get when you hear it for real.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKw4OFAu1WM&NR=1

[crashdive123]

I imagine hearing it while alone and in the dark would add to feeling you get.

[trax]

and yet a lynx (much smaller cat mind you) can be mistaken for a human baby crying, cool huh?

[Rick]

The first time I heard a deer bugle (whatever you call it), I was about 8, in the woods late at night. I had no idea what it was. Dang near died on the spot.

I don't think a mountain lion would bother me all that much. He'd be slippin' and slidin' on all the sh** to worry about me.:D

[klkak]

The first time I heard a mountain lion scream I thought it was a woman screaming "Help". If you listen to the link I attached to post #108, you can imagine a woman screaming "Help"

[trax]

Rick, Rick, Rick,...sigh...that's why lions have learned to make those incredible, powerful, graceful leaps that they make, to get over the sh**piles

((picturing Rick gasping for breath then laughing madly HAHAHAHA I outran the mountain lion and then SQUISH....twinkie filling all over the trees...whoops))

because can you imagine if the mountain lion had to run through that stuff to get at it's prey (I ain't lickin' that off my paws, uhuh, no way, not gonna happen, nope...) Leaping makes perfect sense from the lion's point of view.

[trax]

OK, let's put a slightly different slant on this, since it started being about tracking and now we all know how to track Rick in mountain lion country. Suppose you're about to go hiking in some nice remote wilderness area, fairly good trails through a park, maybe going to reach a specific point and overnight there. Now....the park rangers warned you that it's bear season and they put postings up all over the place about how to act if you meet a bear (what NOT to do? definitely don't act like a bag of Purina bear chow) My question is...what signs can you look for that will tell you that sure enough there's a bear in the neighborhood? If you're one of the forum members who is fairly new to doing this stuff, my guess is this could be valuable information and it really is part of tracking skills. Maybe some of our more inexperienced members post two or three things and some of the experienced people can respond. There are five or six different things that I can think of right off the top of my head, but let's see what people come up with.

[klkak]

I'll start it off. You can bet there is a bear around if you've walked up the trail aways then realize you forgot something. As your walking back to the trail head you find bear tracks on top of your tracks.

Do you retrieve the item you forgot and continue, or get in your car and go home?

[FVR]

Klkak,

Funny, but that happened to me at Indian Springs Ca. with a mountain lion. SOB was stalking us. SSSSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYY YYYY.


Back to the bear, well if you see a cute, cuddly little bearling just a smiling at you and walking towards ya.....................................GTHOOD!

[crashdive123]

Dodge or any other place you might be before mama comes a callin.

[Rick]

Let's see. You didn't saw black or grizzly but since I don't deal with either one I guess it doesn't matter. Claw marks around a turned over or shredded log. Claw marks on trees (black bear?). Scat still smoldering. Berry brambles raided. very large area of matted grass (laying down). Warm humid breath on your neck.

[dolfan87]

Fresh bear scat, the SMELL of bear, fresh tracks. Just off the top of my head.

[Rick]

bear scat off the top of your head? No, I must have read that wrong. Let me try again.

[crashdive123]

or was it off with the top of your head if the bear gets too close?

[Rick]

Bear breathing down my neck. It looks down.

"Oh, dang. Would you look at what you did? And I stepped in it. I ain't lickin' that off my paws."

[trax]

Well kiddies, between klkak and me we've got two different question sets, I'm anxious to see more responses to klkak's. What Rick and Dolfan came up with is good stuff, but I was thinking in terms of before you ever see actual footprints (cuz you ain't going to mistake a bear's footprint for anything else, or if you are...please stay in the city) There are a couple of other things to look for while hiking that I hope someone comes up with.

Rick that warm humid breath might just be your new fiancee that you mentioned in that other post, but that's your business.

[klkak]

hmmmm, there are no berries from the ground up to about waist high. That is so weird.

[FVR]

Let's say your standing still and you get that feeling, some of ya know what I'm speaking of. Well, you're dead still and you hear noise circleing you, with a low grunt or a kind of blow every now and then.

Guess who's coming to dinner? GTFOOD, keep the gun handy, if no gun, get a big stout stick.

Sniff alot, bears like hogs stink.

I find that when I am on my hands and knees crawling through thickets chasing hogs, a good sniff will indicate when you're almost on top of them. LOL....

Other things that I will notice; dead stumps or trees especially roots near water ripped out.

Funny story. Hunting Dawson Forest WMA, Amicallola tract, at the end of the road all the way back. Hunting with my 45lb selfbow and selfarrows. I needed to go to the bathroom, no problemmo, snuck down by the river in the thickets.

I do my business, as I am sneaking out, I notice that tree roots are actually pulled out of the ground, looking around, I see where this bruin has just raked up the ground. This was not hog rooting. I got out of there fast.

Everyone knows about the raking of trees, but bears also tear the crap out of the ground. If you are in an area that is know for bears, and you are up a ridge or on the ridge and you find what you think is hog rooting. It's not, it's bear sign.

I'll stop here.

I'm speak'n of these little ol black bears in Georgia.LOL. When it comes to grizz-------I'd have lunch with an "old salt" prior to venturing into those woods.

[klkak]

"Hey guys come up here and look at this. Someone has barried a dead elk here."

Woooof! .................................................. ............................ The end!

[trax]

good points fvr, kevin, stop feeding these guys the answers LOL. There's more to look for here, where's the newbs? Don't be shy to try, think like a bear for a couple of minutes....

[crashdive123]

Around here the Heart of Palm has been harvested and the palm fronds surrounding the center have been crushed.

[FVR]

In the late spring and fall, bowhunting for deer, you will find sign around the muscadine and wild grape, and berry bushes. These bushes run and you will find many in one area. Wild grapes need both male and female plants, so it is not uncommon to find hundreds of feet of delicious fruit. Mr and Mrs bear know this.

It is freaky when hunting deer in Ga., to come up on some pretty big bear tracks and scat. Because you realize, ya ain't number uno in the woods no mo. Even a small black bear can do considerable damage to an un-suspecting human.

Other things to keep in mind, black bears eat more than just berries. They eat; ants, roots, grubs, fish, misc. dead critters, almost anything.

Up until a few years ago, bears were not common across the street. Then they came, and now the rules do change. You need to be conscious while camping, no food to be left out, if it is, make it a ways away. Pref. hang from the trees. You just can't walk up to a string of berrys and grapes anymore without a care, as you maybe become an unwanted guest. The little trout stream back areas where fish usually die, that you need to trudge through to get to your spot, may become a feeding area for the locals.


I do enjoy these quizs, I fight the temptation to google because I'm more interested in what I know right now, not what I can get.

[klkak]

good points fvr, kevin, stop feeding these guys the answers LOL. There's more to look for here, where's the newbs? Don't be shy to try, think like a bear for a couple of minutes....

(....fine....):p

[Rick]

Traces of fur in briers or tree bark. Wide trampled gaps in vegetable where they walked through. Sudden bird sounds indicative of something moving through the woods or birds jumping from tree to tree staying in front of the bear as he walks along. Any loud noise nearby (limb snaps, bushes rustle, water splash), parts of people stuff (shredded piece of backpack, stuff bag, etc.), If crossing a stream any disturbed water/silt floating by (indicating animal upstream).

[crashdive123]

Little bells in scat ---- probably griz scat.

[trax]

Well...imho

1) Frank, I'm never going to agree that hanging food is a good idea. Bury your food. Hanging it is putting an advertisement in the breeze. Bear's primary sense is smell

2) Look for dug up anthills along the way. Berry patches that have been totally cleaned out.

3) Rick, birds are probably going to sit quietly and watch the bear pass. Humans will get them tree jumping before a bear will, they're accustomed to bears.

4) Watch the tree line. Trees that are moving in the wrong direction from the breeze or out of rhythm with the other trees, bars like to give themselves back rubs and they like to sharpen their claws.

Oh yeah and klkak's question: It's probably a good idea to head to the car. You met up with the bear's tracks on your path, clearly it's not on your path in front of you, so if it went off your path, it might very well be to get behind you again. They can be tricky that way. Look around, you've got footprints, how big are they? where did they go? straight line or arcing? (straight line better for you) Sometimes they're just curious, but on the other hand....you want 800 pounds of pissed off if it's not just curious?

[Rick]

Thanks. A couple of things you can always count on in this forum. A lot of fun and learning a few things. That's what it's all about.

[FVR]

Trax,

LOL. Don't black bears climb??? good point on burying.

Learn something new everyday.

I don't worry about birds as I'm so stealth, I just sneak by the buggers. I'm usually okay until I get a spiderweb in the face, freakkkkkkkkkkkkk outttttttt.

[nell67]

FVR,the spider webs doesn't bother me,nor the fugly spider thats in it,if my daughter goes to the woods with me and she walks into one of them,there won't be an animal for miles around after she settles down.

[Rick]

My wife and I were on a trail not too long ago and there was a spider web about every 10 feet. I'd never seen so many. I kept my walking stick out in front of me to make certain it went through them first but even if a breeze moved a bit of hair, I'd jump. You can get a case of heeby jeebies pretty darn quick. I HATE SPIDERS!

[crashdive123]

I HATE SPIDERS!

Not me. :D :D :D :D

[Rick]

Yeah, but you know how to hypnotize them.

"Look closely at the swaying spray nozzle. Focus your eight eyes on the end of it."

[klkak]

A friend and I were moose hunting. We were walking down this long winding trail with alder growing over it making like and alder tunnel to get to the valley below. About a third of the way down we decided the alder tunnel was to creepy so we turned around to go back.

We had back tracked about 200 yards when my friend said "look at this". I stepped up beside him and looked at where he was pointing. There were some very large grizzly tracks on top of our boot prints. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Zach said "are you going to look behind us or do you want me to do it?"

I turned around and about 20 or 30 feet behind us was a good sized grizzly standing half in the trail looking up at us. We slowly started walking up the trail with me walking back wards.

That damn bear followed us all the way back to the ATV's. Just walking and sniffing. I think if we had been less attentive we would never have known he was there unless he attacked us.

I still get chill's thinking that we walked within a few feet of him as we passed him on the trail.

Several hundred pounds of bear staring you in the face make those 180gr "Nosler Partitions" seem like BB's.

[wareagle69]

always makes ya wonder whats out there looking at ya, we have allot more cougar sightings up here, black bears i am not concerned about but being stalked by a grizz thats really got to get in your head, bet ya didn't feel like top o the food chain there maybe top o the supper list

[klkak]

always makes ya wonder whats out there looking at ya, we have allot more cougar sightings up here, black bears i am not concerned about but being stalked by a grizz thats really got to get in your head, bet ya didn't feel like top o the food chain there maybe top o the supper list

A grizzly will follow you just to see what you are doing. If a black bear is following you, he's trying to decide whether to eat you raw or let you ferment awhile.

We have a saying up here when attacked by a bear.

If its brown lay down

If its black fight back

Oh and file the front sight off your .44 Magnum pistol so it don't hurt so bad when the bear takes it and shoves it up your butt.

[Rick]

Well, I'll have you know that I was once tracked by a 7 pound rabbit. Let's recap. Midwest...rabbits....don't eat you.

[klkak]

A seven pound rabbit! Thats enough for two. How did you cook it?

Grandpa always said to run from'um until you catch'um. I'm not sure yet but I think he was talk'n 'bout women. But he could have been talk'n 'bout rabbits and such.

[Rick]

The easiest way is to catch them sitting next to a tree. Sneak up behind them and, while they aren't looking, tie their ears around the tree. While they are figuring out how to untie them you can skin 'em and drop 'em in the pot.

[klkak]

You are walking through the woods and you come to a tree that has the bark scraped off starting about 2 feet up to about 8 feet high in strips less then an inch wide and 6 to 15 inches long. There is no bark laying on the ground.

What could have done it and why?

[crashdive123]

Flipped on the tv this morning before a few appointments. Grizzly Adams was on. The scene where Robert Redford said "I'll skin as many bears as you can bring me." was on. The wise old man came running through the skinning shack with a grizzly hot on his heals. He ran out the back door yelling "here's your first one, I'll be back with another!"

Started laughing.....saying to myself - there's ole Klkak running through the shack while any one of us are inside.

[klkak]

Flipped on the tv this morning before a few appointments. Grizzly Adams was on. The scene where Robert Redford said "I'll skin as many bears as you can bring me." was on. The wise old man came running through the skinning shack with a grizzly hot on his heals. He ran out the back door yelling "here's your first one, I'll be back with another!"

Started laughing.....saying to myself - there's ole Klkak running through the shack while any one of us are inside.

Umm, are you sure it was Grizzly Adams? Or was it something else?

Maybe Jeremiah Johnson

[crashdive123]

You are correct - Jeremiah Johnson. Still made me think of you.

[Rick]

Bear. Marking territory.
Me. Bear chasing me.

[klkak]

You are correct - Jeremiah Johnson. Still made me think of you.

Why thank you Crash. I'll take that as a compliment.:)

[klkak]

Bear. Marking territory.
Me. Bear chasing me.

Not quite what the answer I was looking for.......But good try...,

[klkak]

Bear. Marking territory.
Me. Bear chasing me.

Now I don't know this first hand you see. But I've heard you can tell what kind of bear just chased you up a tree by what it does next. If it climbs up the tree after you its a black bear. If it shakes the tree until you fall out then it a grizzly.

[crashdive123]

Can you see claw marks - or knife marks on the tree?

[klkak]

There are definitely marks from something very hard in the wood.

[Rick]

I was told by a guide in Alaska that curved toenails were the sign of a black bear and straight were the sign of griz. I never tracked either one to prove or disprove his assertions.

[Rick]

A person. Using the inner bark for food. I missed the no bark on the ground the first time. Bear would have left bark on the ground.

[crashdive123]

At first I was thinking bear going after insects, but that would have left debris. I'm guessing human.

[Sourdough]

You are walking through the woods and you come to a tree that has the bark scraped off starting about 2 feet up to about 8 feet high in strips less then an inch wide and 6 to 15 inches long. There is no bark laying on the ground.

What could have done it and why?


This tree would be aspen, or birch but would not be spruce or hemlock.....???

And the larger limbs might be scored the same....?

[klkak]

This tree would be aspen, or birch but would not be spruce or hemlock.....???

And the larger limbs might be scored the same....?

Hope you keep youre prickly 2c in your pocket.

And it could be birch, aspen, cotton wood, etc...,

[crashdive123]

OK - another guess. Since it's between two feet off the ground, up to eight feet high, and there is no debris on the ground. If it's not human, I'm guessing large animal. Do moose eat tree bark?

[klkak]

nope not a moose.

[klkak]

I'm seeing many points to this one. But none have stuck yet.

[crashdive123]

Hmmmm. I know that a lot of animals will eat the bark. Oh well, guess I'll wait patiently for the right answer.

[crashdive123]

I'm seeing many points to this one. But none have stuck yet.

As in elk????

[klkak]

If I give any more clues I'll be drawing a picture of it.

[crashdive123]

Well if you drew a picture, would it look like a large rodent with quills?

[Rick]

Squirrels will often strip the bark for nests. They seldom leave any debris. I had an Ash they they stripped one limb almost bare.

Crash may be right on the porcupine. I have no idea how big they get up there but I know they eat bark.

[crashdive123]

Purely a guess --- I've seen porcupine damage and it wasn't in strips, but rather a larger area.

[Sourdough]

ATV Tour Guides, jumping out of the way of clients, Guide jumps and scurrys up the nearest tree.

[crashdive123]

ATV Tour Guides, jumping out of the way of clients, Guide jumps and scurrys up the nearest tree.

Do you think they can get up that high with a damaged ankle?

[klkak]

Mark my words. One day you're going to need my cervices's really bad. Better hope I don't remember the (ankle) jokes.

[klkak]

Yes it might look like a large rodent with quill's.

[wareagle69]

it is porky pine we have several on the property as some of you remember from last summer with the mutts but try to look for cresent shaped scat at the botton of the tree it will be very woody when you crumble it

[crashdive123]

Mark my words. One day you're going to need my cervices's really bad. Better hope I don't remember the (ankle) jokes.

Many years from now when I'm older and wrinklyer and decide to book my guided ATV tour in Alaska..........a week out:

Klkak - Wow, we've been exploring for a while. While you were sleeping I loaded all of your communications and survival gear into my ATV. I drained yours of all of its fuel.

Crash - Why?

Klkak - Remember those ankle jokes? See ya!

[Rick]

WE - I have a rather large list of things I choose not to do. However, I can assure you that crumbling porcupine poop was not on that list. It is now. Thanks!

[klkak]

Porcupine is a most excellent survival food. They are slow and easy to kill. Their flesh is high in protein and fat. The most important thing about them is they taste really good cooked over an open fire. An adult will provide enough food for one person for 2 or 3 days.

[wareagle69]

WE - I have a rather large list of things I choose not to do. However, I can assure you that crumbling porcupine poop was not on that list. It is now. Thanks!

the scat is like packed saw dust really neat i think

[nell67]

the scat is like packed saw dust really neat i think
hmmmm,maybe people should start collecting it to burn in their wood pellet stoves,the wood pellets are in short supply around here,and winter hasn't even started yet!

[wareagle69]

how much are your pellets selling for i just bought 4 bags for 5.50 each

[nell67]

About $4.99 a 40 lb bag,but we aren't getting any in right now,supply is depleted and they don't know when they will be getting them,people are buying the pellet horse bedding to burn in their stoves right nw,don't know how well that is working out for them.

[klkak]

Winter moose nuggets make a nice little fire.

[wareagle69]

About $4.99 a 40 lb bag,but we aren't getting any in right now,supply is depleted and they don't know when they will be getting them,people are buying the pellet horse bedding to burn in their stoves right nw,don't know how well that is working out for them.

see i don't get why use pellets instead of wood at 5 dollars a bag thats 35 dollars a week 140 a month at a bag a day i can buy two cords of hard wood for that and how many bags a day do you use? we use ours for rabbit bedding

[nell67]

see i don't get why use pellets instead of wood at 5 dollars a bag thats 35 dollars a week 140 a month at a bag a day i can buy two cords of hard wood for that and how many bags a day do you use? we use ours for rabbit bedding
I don't have the stove,so i don't use them,but I do see alot of people where I work who come in looking for the pellets,and probably answer 30 calls a shift from these people,it's sad really because many of them are using that as their only form of heat and now they are too late to try to find the pellets,the company we get ours from at work can not tell us when we will get more in.

[klkak]

There you are out hunting meat for the pot. You come across some very fresh black bear tracks. The front paw prints are 4 inches wide.

You notice that this bear never steps on a twig or rock and it is putting it's back paws into the tracks left by the front paws.

The tracks indicate the bear is pigeon toed (feet pointing in word).

The bear stays under cover but does not push through heavy brush.

Is this bear worth hunting for meat?
Explain why.

[wareagle69]

naw it's just a cub

[klkak]

It's not a cub.

[Sam]

There you are out hunting meat for the pot. You come across some very fresh black bear tracks. The front paw print is 4 inches wide. You notice that this bear never steps on a twig or rock and it is putting it's back paw into the track left by the front paw.

Is this bear worth hunting for meat?
Explain why.

It is not worth tracking down as it is smarter than me in the woods, and I will be the one hunted.
-Sam

[RangerXanatos]

Methinks that it's already stalking some prey. I think it would be worth it. The bear may have already caught it's prey and is lazily munching down on it's meal. Not going to even know that you've snuck up on it and taken sight of it as a meal for yourself. Bang. Got the bear and whatever it was eating.

[crashdive123]

Klkak - not ignoring this one - just don't know (got winded guessing on the last one). What RX says kind of makes sense. I'll wait and watch.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

always makes ya wonder whats out there looking at ya, we have allot more cougar sightings up here, black bears i am not concerned about but being stalked by a grizz thats really got to get in your head, bet ya didn't feel like top o the food chain there maybe top o the supper list

I was stalked by a Jagurundi (Florida Bobcat) for three days in Pine Lakes, I was camping on portages between some shallow lakes. They are sly, and quiet, they are also large enough to be a threat. I was'nt attacked by that one but i think it wanted to.

[klkak]

RangerX, that is a good answer.

Allow me to give some background.

When I was 16, I was out hunting for meat. I came across these bear tracks. Not knowing much about bears at the time I followed them slowly. I found the bear in a blackberry patch. What I found was not what I expected.

The size of the track isn't always a good indicator of whether a bear is worth hunting (for meat). Where it puts its foot down is important as is the path it takes through the woods.

*The bear in this scenario is pigeon toed. The bear stays under cover but does not push through heavy brush.*

[RangerXanatos]

So this bear could possibly have a hurt foot. This means to me that either you can catch up with it quickly and be eating for a while, or that it could be in a very bad mood for any company that it might encounter...

[klkak]

I was stalked by a Jagurundi (Florida Bobcat) for three days in Pine Lakes, I was camping on portages between some shallow lakes. They are sly, and quiet, they are also large enough to be a threat. I was'nt attacked by that one but i think it wanted to.

The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a medium-sized Mexican, Central and South American wild cat: average length 65 cm (30 inches) with 45 cm (20 in) of tail and a weight of about 6 kg (13.2 lbs). It has short legs and an appearance somewhat like an otter; the ears are short and rounded. The coat is unspotted, uniform in color, and varying from blackish to brownish gray (gray phase) or from foxy red to chestnut (red phase).

Etymology and naming
The two color phases were once thought to represent two distinct species; the gray one called jaguarundi, and the red one called eyra. However, these are the same species and both color phases may be found in the same litter. Its coat has no markings except for spots at birth. In some Spanish speaking countries, the jaguarundi is also called leoncillo, which means little lion. Other Spanish common names for the jaguarundi include: "gato colorado", "gato moro", "león brenero", "onza", and "tigrillo". [3]

Taxonomy and evolution
This cat is closely related to the much larger and heavier cougar as evident by its similar genetic structure and chromosome count; both species are in the genus Puma although it is sometimes classified under a separate genus, Herpailurus and until recently, both cats were classified under the genus Felis.

According to a 2006 genomic study of Felidae, an ancestor of today's Leopardus, Lynx, Puma, Prionailurus, and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas approximately 8 to 8.5 million years ago. The lineages subsequently diverged in that order.[4]

Studies have indicated that the cougar and jaguarundi are next most closely related to the modern cheetah of Africa and western Asia,[4][5] but the relationship is unresolved. It has been suggested that ancestors of the cheetah diverged from the Puma lineage in the Americas and migrated back to Asia and Africa,[4][5] while other research suggests the cheetah diverged in the Old World itself.[6] The outline of small feline migration to the Americas is thus unclear (see also American cheetah).

Ecology
Its habitat is lowland brush areas close to a source of running water. It occasionally inhabits dense tropical areas as well. It is crepuscular and nocturnal depending on location. This cat is comfortable in trees, but prefers to hunt on the ground. It preys upon fish, small mammals, reptiles and birds.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Jaguarundi-s.jpg
http://www.altoquepos.com/images/jaguarundibest.jpg

It must have been so scarry being stalked by such a large and dangerous cat.

This is a Florida bobcat:
http://users.cs.fiu.edu/~flynnj/cats/bobcats/Florida-III_Bobcat-standing_on_log.JPG

[klkak]

So this bear could possibly have a hurt foot. This means to me that either you can catch up with it quickly and be eating for a while, or that it could be in a very bad mood for any company that it might encounter...

I didn't say it had a hurt foot. :confused:

[FVR]

erunk,

You were probably stalked by a Florida Panther, they do exist and they are also called pumas, mountain lions, and cougars.

I'm no expert on the critters, but back when my team was being stalked, I think that if one of us had been isolated, it may have decided to try for lunch.

Now, I've seen some really big bobcats, matter of fact, across the street years ago there was one that was about as big as the 60lb dog we have.

[klkak]

FVR, one spring on my uncles ranch while the ewe's were lambing we started loosing lambs. One every 2 or 3 days. Well my cousin Joe finally got a look at what was taking the lambs. We set an ambush for it and killed it.

It was a bobcat that weight 44 pounds. It was taller then any of the dogs on the place. We turned it over to Fish and Game. They said it was a 5 year old male in perfect physical condition. Uncle lost 12 lambs to that cat. Back then lambs went $40.00 ea.

[FVR]

People don't realize how big bobcats can get.

Now, the bear question.

Looks to me that the bear is lame. You mentioned that the "front paw print" not prints but print.

If the bear has a lame leg, it's going to have to hop or jump which might just leave the rear print on the front print.

Not stepping on branches or limbs, the critter may just have two lame front legs, one just a bit more than the other.

As far as hunting, I don't hunt bears. But my curiosity would be sparked and I would have to track it until I found it. If I did not have a firearm capable of taking down an injured bear, I would let it pass.



I missed your answer, I was way off.

[klkak]

FVR, I corrected my post to read:


There you are out hunting meat for the pot. You come across some very fresh black bear tracks. The front paw prints are 4 inches wide.

You notice that this bear never steps on a twig or rock and it is putting it's back paws into the tracks left by the front paws.

The tracks indicate the bear is pigeon toed (feet pointing in word).

The bear stays under cover but does not push through heavy brush.

Is this bear worth hunting for meat?
Explain why..

The size of the track isn't always a good indicator of whether a bear is worth hunting (for meat). Where it puts its foot down is important as is the path it takes through the woods.

Think about this:
Would you want to eat an old animal or a young animal?

How can you tell the difference by the tracks?

[Aurelius95]

Medium size?

Round.

Soft edges.

140 pound Georgia Mountain Lion


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/FrankV/IMG_0681.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/FrankV/IMG_0239.jpg



Georgia hunters have been claiming for years that they see cougars, aka mountain lions, and black panthers, but the DNR has called such sightings bs. This cat was shot during deer season as there is no season for it, so it's fair game. There was also another cat, same one?? photo'd 25 miles away.


I was just down in Warner Robins, GA for Thanksgiving. My wife's grandparents were camping at the park in West Point, GA where the mountain lion was killed. Her granddad took some of his own pictures (I'll have to get him to email them to me). They said that there were DNR people all around the park for a few days before they realized what they were looking for. The cat was killed on a trail that they had hiked earlier.

[crashdive123]

Sarge - Move to General Survival

[yellowcab]

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