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Shutterbug
12-09-2005, 15:50
This week I took a day hike in the Olympic National Forest. I hiked in to see the World's Oldest Red Cedar Tree, which is about 3 1/2 miles back into the Olympic Rain Forest from the trailhead on Quinault Lake.

After the first mile, there were no visable human tracks on the trail. About a mile and a half after I saw the last boot track, I started seeing "dog tracks" and scat that looked like dog droppings. There were also tracks of elk and deer, but most of the tracks looked like dog tracks.

It has been my observation that dogs usually stay around people. These tracks were in an area where no humans had been for long enough that all tracks had been erased.

What do you think? Would those have been tracks left by dogs, coyote, wolfs or something else?

Tha Wookie
12-09-2005, 15:53
This week I took a day hike in the Olympic National Forest. I hiked in to see the World's Oldest Red Cedar Tree, which is about 3 1/2 miles back into the Olympic Rain Forest from the trailhead on Quinault Lake.

After the first mile, there were no visable human tracks on the trail. About a mile and a half after I saw the last boot track, I started seeing "dog tracks" and scat that looked like dog droppings. There were also tracks of elk and deer, but most of the tracks looked like dog tracks.

It has been my observation that dogs usually stay around people. These tracks were in an area where no humans had been for long enough that all tracks had been erased.

What do you think? Would those have been tracks left by dogs, coyote, wolfs or something else?

If you've seen any of the racoons in that area, you'd be suprised how big they get.

I would say it was probably a coyote based on your description.

Do you have a pic?

Shutterbug
12-09-2005, 18:35
No picture. It didn't occur to me that it was strange to see such tracks without human tracks until I was already back. I assumed they were dog tracks when I was there. I did take a picture of some of the elk tracks. They were unusually large.

I have seen the racoons, and I know the difference between a racoon track and a dog track.

Coyote was my guess too. I have never seen a wolf in this area, but know that there are supposed to be some.

Thanks for your input. I know that you hiked in that general area on the West Coast Trail. You would have seen racoons in the Ozette area. I hike that area at least once each winter.

Dave

Shutterbug
12-09-2005, 19:16
My web research indicates that there were not likely wolf tracks. While there are rumors of wolfs being present in Olympic National Park, none have been documented in my life-time. So, if there are any, they wouldn't be that close to civilization.

The other information I have read makes it seem more likely that I observed Coyote tracks.

icemanat95
12-09-2005, 20:21
Coyote and Wolf scat would be pretty distinct from a domestic dog as they'd be relatively full of hair, small bone fragments and things of that sort. Wolf scat would be comparable in size to what a human produces, while coyotes produce scats similar to normal domestic dogs of about 25-40 pounds. Wolves are often 2-3 times that weight. There is also a difference in the pattern of the tracks. Domestic dogs have broader chests, so their tracks are more widely spaced from side to side, while wolves and coyotes have narrow chests, so their tracks are much more linear and directed. Another distinction is focus. Wolves and coyotes don't meander about unless they are hunting mice or voles under the snow. When travelling they tend to move directly from point a to point b in as efficient a manner as possible.

Another important point is that Wolves are social animals, a lone wolf is a sick wolf or an old wolf who has been expelled from his or her pack. So usually you won't find just one set of wolf tracks, but rather several. If you are tracking one wolf on its own, you'll want to keep your distance, or check off to the flanks for other wolf tracks in the woods. Coyotes are more solitary and only pack up when food situations and population density necessitate them going after larger prey in a cooperative fashion.

I'm remembering this from some stuff I read ten or more years ago, so if anyone finds any real errors, feel free to correct them.

C_Brice
12-09-2005, 20:45
I've hunted coyote and fox for years and tracked them for miles. Coyote tracks are much more oval than dog tracks which are usually more round. Around here a coyote will leave a track about 2.5 to 3" long and 1.5 to 1.75" wide. You will have bigger coyotes over east so size of the track may be larger too. Fox tracks look like a smaller coyote track. IF you find a round track it is dog but size will very (duh).

Hope this helps, Enjoy,
Chris

DebW
12-10-2005, 14:47
In addition to the round vs oval print, you will also notice that a coyote track will have the 2 central toenail prints very close together whereas in a dog print all the nails will be separated.

Tha Wookie
12-10-2005, 14:50
In addition to the round vs oval print, you will also notice that a coyote track will have the 2 central toenail prints very close together whereas in a dog print all the nails will be separated.

interesting..... thanks for that

Shutterbug
12-10-2005, 15:03
Thanks for all of the input. Now that I am a little better informed, I think I will go back to that area and do a better job of looking at the evidence.

I am not in the habit of examining scat except when I am removing it from the tread of my boots. Now that I have done some reading, I will look more closely.

I didn't mention previously that there were animal bones on the trail too. That seems to be consistent with what I have read about Coyotes.