Bear tracks near Carranza Memorial

[ecampbell]

Last Saturday, Sept 3, we took our morning walk down past the Batona camp on the wide sandy road past the little bridge over the Skit. As we walked up the road there were 2 sets of tracks with Big claw marks at each step.There were 4 forward facing deep claws , flicking up sand into the rest of the track. The heel could easily be seen. One animal was large and the other was much smaller, but the smaller track still dwarfed Willows tracks. For those of you who never met her, Willow is my 145 # Great Dane. The tracks were elongated, more like a foot, not like a K9. They started in deep sugar sand but we didn't recognize them untill we got out onto the compacted sand. We followed them for .6 mile where they turned into the woods.

They were in this area

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4404681.00011489&e=531799&datum=nad83

Nope, I didn't have my camera but I did go back the next day. Most were driven over and smudged but I did manage to find this where the entered the woods.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=333&pos=0
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=333&pos=1

That's one of my favorite roads for tracking because it's so wide I usually get a good set.

Quite exciting,
Ed

 

[dragoncjo]

I saw similar tracks over at whitesbog two saturdays ago. They were leading down into one of the recently drained lakes, and were right off the trail were there are many of blueberry bushes. Glad the bears are coming south.

 

[Teegate]

That's one of my favorite roads for tracking because it's so wide I usually get a good set.

Ed

For as wide as it is, there are many times when it is flooded out. I have tried using it as a shortcut and have had to turn around.

We did walk in the area toward and at the tracks a few weeks ago but did not notice anything that big.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

Ed, that is very exciting! Interestingly, about two years ago I was at that bridge over the Skit branch you referred to and saw very, very similar tracks. It was only one set. They were large, enlongated (unlike k9) and had large claw marks. However, I could not detect a 5th toe and that has always had me skeptical of them. I know the 5th toe doesn't always register and the tracks were a bit weathered when I saw them. I wonder now if my assumptions were correct given your recent discovery. Hmmm... I wonder who on the site is going to see one first!

Jeff

 

[Piney Boy]

Last Spring I was wandering an old fireline about 6 miles northwest of Batsto and ran into a subadult bruin. I was sitting with my back to a tree eating some lunch when the youngster popped out of the woods about thirty yards in front of me. We checked each other out, I wished him well, and away he went. I did get a couple of pics though.

 

[woodjin]

Very cool!! you should post the pics if you can. You would be the first to have pics of a bear in the pines on the forum.

Jeff

 

[ecampbell]

I picked up a really nice book on tracking called

Tracking And The Art Of Seeing

by Paul Rezendes

Great pictures and to the point

Chech it out,
Ed