Bobcat VS Dog Tracks: Tips to Spot the Difference

[@tonystewart7624]

Thank you. Your channel is full of fun facts for the nature enthusiast.

[@williamritter7054]

Thanks for sharing.

[@ForestFound]

you're welcome!

[@IngridBrydolf]

Super helpful. Appreciate the various tracks and comparisons.

[@dbeescoaching]

Thank you so much!

[@ForestFound]

You're welcome!

[@pennyan2057]

You guys are awesome!! I often fish for trout following the winding, muddy stream bank through the dense brush, I'm always AMAZED by how many tracks I see. Thanks for helping me identify those tracks. Most are animal, (muskrat, skunk, racoon, opossum, I think?) some are bird, (duck, crow, etc..) please keep showing more so I know who my neighbors on the streambank are!!!

[@ForestFound]

will do! Thanks for the support!

[@Laura-hi8dw]

Cool!! ❤

[@lyndaniel3369]

Well, I'll never see a Cat track unless they decide to come to my house! Still, it's very satisfying to be able to know the difference. Thanks, guys! Appreciate it!

[@ForestFound]

you're welcome

[@bizzybee852]

Thanks, I cannot wait to go down to the pond at the front of our property and exam the mud bank. We usually see lots of tracks in the mud where the animals come down to drink. But I never know what animals they are, so I am very excited to re-exam them with my new found knowledge to see if I can figure out what animals tracks they are. We live on a rural 300 acre property you have to take a private dirt road (if you can call it a road) through the forest that ends in a private gate that leads to our home. I say all that to explain, that my house literally sits in the middle of the woods surrounded by trees with a front yard that slopes down toward a pond. So we have all kinds of animals here, and I probably have not even seen them all, as we have only lived her for about 6 months. So far I have seen deer, squirrels, bobcat (heard one, possibly saw one) , possums, fox, hawks, crows, wood ducks, eastern bluebirds, tits, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers, creepers, and we hear lots of coyotes. I also saw one animal I have know idea what it was. It had the head shape, ear shape, and low gait of a bobcat, but its color was really dark on the top, almost black, with a lighter brown color on its underparts. It was right on the edge were our front lawn meets the woodland, and when I came out onto the front balcony it quickly ran into the woods and disappeared. I have often wondered what animal it was, I don't know of any animal that size with such dark coloring. The problem was it right at dusk when we saw it, so I could be misinterpreting the color which looked really dark. If I had to eliminate the color and judge it from its speed, agility, and all of the other features, I would say it was a bobcat. I am hoping I can see some bobcat tracks in the mudbank by the pond, now that I know how to recognize them, to confirm my suspicions that we have a bobcat whose territory includes the forest we live in. Thank you for teaching me so much about animal tracks I really appreciate it. It is going to be very helpful to me in identifying the animals who live in the forest around us.

[@ForestFound]

so cool! edges of ponds are such great places to look for animal sign. happy tracking!

[@shellydesormier4646]

Hello, when I first saw bobcats (W. Nv.) I was surprised at how dark some of them were. And how big they get.

[@B30pt87]

Every video of yours I watch, I like. I love learning interesting things about tracking. Thank you for making these.

[@ForestFound]

You're welcome! Glad you're enjoying them.

[@ericfrank6473]

Super fun! I feel ready for my exam 🤓

[@rockygrindstaff7312]

Great video

[@ForestFound]

Thanks!

[@petermelville5524]

Great analysis!

[@ForestFound]

Thanks!

[@Js-eq7yd]

Good stuff as always! I'm becoming a fan haha

[@ForestFound]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Js-eq7yd]

@@ForestFound cant wait for your next video! :)

[@henryrodgers1752]

Have your bobcat lie on its back (like during belly rubs) and closely examine the shape of its feet. This will clarify any question about the shape, *and function,* of its feet. This works just as well for your mountain lion.

[@shellydesormier4646]

😅

[@jeffsams9544]

Appreciate your videos. Wolf vs Coyote. Mtn Lion vs Bobcat. I would like both of these if you get a chance.

[@ForestFound]

fingers crossed we come across more fresh tracks! wolf and cougar will be harder to find...

[@nycmaverick]

No nail marks or light nail marks on dog tracks means wild coyote, domestic dog tracks have prominent nail marks.

[@moviemakerwannabe]

Thank you. I notice that many people seem to have difficulty with cat/feral cat vs bobcat tracks. Could you give some clues on that?

[@ForestFound]

very similar! size will be your best friend in distinguishing them, with feral cat tracks being much smaller. Also on the hind feet or feral cats, their outer toes tend to be more in line with the middle toes, when compared to a bobat

[@B30pt87]

​@@ForestFoundOh yeah, I was wondering about that! I have to wait for the bobcat to come back around to do a fresh comparison.

[@Natemitka]

Do you have any insight into telling how long ago a track was? like I saw this track, and there may be a bobcat close by?

[@ForestFound]

that can be really challenging, and I haven't put in quite enough years of experience yet to be good enough. But the best way is to keep a detailed memory of recent weather. Tracks will age at significantly different rates depending on their exposure to sun, wind, rain, etc. So if you are out tracking after a rainstorm, and your track doesn't have any rain drops in it, you can be sure it's fresh. But otherwise it can be really tricky!

[@B30pt87]

I suggest using your cellphone to take pictures, and download them to a 'pictures' file on your computer, making the title of the picture the conditions & date. (It works for me)

[@degangemimi2215]

Great info!!! How do fox tracks differ from dog or coyote tracks?

[@ForestFound]

Thanks! Fox tracks will share some similar traits with coyote, but they'll be smaller. They also often have furry feet which can show up in the track or make it look different.

[@cowboykelly6590]

I hope ya don't mind me asking ... but, how would you tell the difference between a Coyote and a Wolf . Is it only size ? Thank you and I love the show, i just found it . Much Respect. 🤠🖖♨️

[@ForestFound]

good question! I don't have much experience with wolf tracks, but size will be a huge help. Wolf tracks will be the size of the largest domestic dog tracks you can picture, perhaps the size of an adult human hand.

[@alexmcd378]

The secret is the well-defined squishy beans :D

[@ForestFound]

Little toe beans!

[@phillipjordan9050]

What is difference between pig and deer

[@ForestFound]

actually not sure, haven't tracked any pigs before!