Tracks

 

 

Walking in the wilderness, we come across tracks.

 

Wolves and large dog tracks can be difficult to tell apart.  Dog tracks tend to have a little larger spacing between the toes and the central pad.  I don’t think we have any Mexican Gray Wolves here though, so I would guess this to be a dog or coyote track.  Surely canine because we wouldn’t see any claws on a feline.

 

For determining dog or coyote, dog tracks have an overall round shape.  Coyote tracks have a more oblong shape.

 

This looks pretty round overall to me.  And this has a large triangular central pad.  Coyote central pads tend to be smaller and not so triangular.  Dog tracks can often be a reckless mess as they run about sniffing and investigating everything.  Wolves and coyotes tend to be more down to business and travel in a straighter line.  Can’t tell that from just a couple tracks though.

 

I’m guessing that in this instance someone before me had a big dog along with them for a hike.