Bobcat tracks

[dragoncjo]

Was down in cumberland county yesterday and thought I came across bobcat tracks. They were in a sandy area next to a pond. I didn't take pictures because they were made in such thick sand were the print didn't stick too well, and I could only find two prints. They were clawless tracks, 4 toes with a good amount of seperation between the toes. They were bigger than a house cat about twice the size. Does anyone know if there has been any occurences in cumberland county, this was between menatico wma and manumuskin preserve to be specific. I've seen these tracks before in this spot but ignored them thinking bobcats had 5 toes.

 

[woodjin]

That is interesting. I do not know if there has been any other evidence of Bobcats that far south in the state. Sometimes prints can get distorted from rain and time in sand, so it is possible you were looking at something different. But, if you saw them before...whho knows. Have you seen these tracks in the exact same location before. That can be crucial to getting a positive id.

Jeff

 

[dragoncjo]

The tracks I have seen are in the same exact location. Like I said I ignored them, thinking bobcat's had five toes. The location is a sandy hill that leads down to a sandy beach of one of those blue holes. All the other spots that lead down to the blue hole are steep and this one is fairly easy to get up and down. I always see numerous tracks of raccoons, possum, fox, yote, etc in this spot. I'm tempted to buy one of those stealth cameras to see if I can get a picture. I will be out there possibly tomorrow so maybe the tracks will be there.

 

[woodjin]

I was going to suggest you get a stealth cam. I had one but it did not function properly. I took in back but then the season was over and I couldn't find another. It might be tough to find one. If you do, I suggest you don't bait the area you have been seeing the tracks at. The possible bobcat has been going there anyway and bait may attract other animals that might keep the bobcat from going there. Gook luck, keep us posted!!

Jeff

 

[davensj]

I`v lived in Cumberland Co. all my life and have Hunted here for the better part 40 years and i`v Never seen a Bobcat,Bear,Cougar Or there Tracks. But i did have a House cat (gray tiger strip) that weighed in at 27 lbs.

 

[dragoncjo]

More tracks

Well today I checked the bobcat spot again. I've come across unusual scat were I originally saw the tracks on several occasions. Today however, I came across a fairly good paw print right next to some sort of scat. Also, the area appeared to be scratched at almost in the way a house cat covers up its poop. I only found one track a second was not in good condition. It clearly shows four paws, and no claw prints. The scat was composed of bone, shells, and what appeared to be pieces of crab. The scat and print were about a quarter mile away from a brackish marsh which has crab in it. Now does anyone know if bobcat scratch around their poop like a house cat does. The prints were about two to three times the size of a house cat, kind of big to be honest. Also the area stuck out like a sore thumb. The sand all around the scat and tracks was smooth from rain beating it down, this spot clearly was not. I really need to buy one of those motion cameras to see what this is. Here are some pics,

You can see print in right hand corner, but four prints are visible. Unfortunately these pictures don't do it much justice it is much more convincing in person.

 

[Teegate]

Yea..you need to get the camera and find out what it is.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

That photo with the baseball cap really denotes the size. Seems too large for a house cat. It can be hard getting a stealth cam this time of year. If you hung out there out of sight you might get lucky!

 

[woodjin]

Ever have any luck spotting that cat?

Jeff

 

[uuglypher]

Well today I checked the bobcat spot again. I've come across unusual scat were I originally saw the tracks on several occasions. Today however, I came across a fairly good paw print right next to some sort of scat. Now does anyone know if bobcat scratch around their poop like a house cat does.

Could well be a bobcat track by its general shape (four toes with a stubby cruciform pad), but even with the baseball cap, it's hard to gauge the size; next time use a coin or a fresh dollar bill for size comparison (can then be definitively measured in a photo). To the best of my recollection it would be unlikely to find a bobcat track larger than 2 to 2 1/4 inches in length. If it IS a bobcat I'd think that a decideedly notable fact; I'm not sure that southern NJ was ever originally in its otherwise extensive northeastern range. But bring me up-to-date; have others been confirmed in the PB's?

Do they scratch around their scat? If I ever knew it, I've forgotten that particular cept.

Dave

 

[dragoncjo]

Jeff, I've been back to that spot once since then and saw nothing. It has been just too hot for the woods right now. This coming week I intend to get out if I can.

 

[dragoncjo]

On the way home from the shore I decided to look at my possible cat spot. I found a ton of prints and its cat box which is about 2*2.5 was filled with cat like scat. It had no hair in it, mostly crawfish like matter and bone??, was very thin like a cats. Now I have seen yote scat and it is much smaller than this. Also the prints were nice and embedded in the wet ground by the lake. Its stride was small and only about 6-8 inches between. I measure its tracks and they were 2 in. long and 1.5 wide, no claw marks. I wish the heel pad was more distinguishable, that could confirm it as a cat. I'm going to buy a camera today or tomorrow and set it up wed. does anyone have any tips for buying one. I'm going to buy one that is about 100 bucks, hopefully it doesn't take a picture of a stupid house cat, here are the pics,

 

[Bobbleton]

the last pic has claw marks

 

[dragoncjo]

Yeah I noticed that once I looked close, they were not visible by the naked eye. Also there seemed to be two different sets of tracks around the area, some clearly showed no marks, some did. The camera should tell me what it is.

 

[Bobbleton]

yeah none of the other pics show claw marks from what i can tell . . . and no claws almost definatly means feline i think . .

 

[ChrisNJ]

Please do get a trail cam and set it up, cant wait for the results.

 

[dragoncjo]

Yeah I'm buying it today and will set it up tommorrow I'm going to place it right next to where it always drops its scat. I have seen its scat over the last three months in the same spot. Yesterday was the first time I was at the spot in 3 weeks and the amount of scat and prints was much higher. I'm going to go back down sunday to see what the camera found hopefullly it works.

 

[uuglypher]

Yeah I'm buying it today and will set it up tommorrow I'm going to place it right next to where it always drops its scat. I have seen its scat over the last three months in the same spot. Yesterday was the first time I was at the spot in 3 weeks and the amount of scat and prints was much higher. I'm going to go back down sunday to see what the camera found hopefullly it works.

Any luck?

Dave

 

[dragoncjo]

Dave, the camera I bought kept on being triggered by either weeds blowing in the wind, or the pine trees across from it. I returned the camera and am in the process of buying one with a laser guide from cabella's. In the meantime I contacted someone from the ensp in charge of project bobcat in new jersey. He told me that they receive many credible bobcat sightings in south jersey, and he believes they are down here. I will be back out there this week setting up the new one, hopefully this one doesn't trigger all its pictures in one hour. I'm starting to think that the prints with my phils hat in it is river otter tracks. It appears as if you can see a tail mark in the lower left hand corner. I have seen otters nearby, but this spot is about 1 mile away from where I see them.

 

[uuglypher]

I'm starting to think that the prints with my phils hat in it is river otter tracks. It appears as if you can see a tail mark in the lower left hand corner. I have seen otters nearby, but this spot is about 1 mile away from where I see them.

I'd be a bit sceptical about the possibility of the tracks being of an otter; the few confirmed otter tracks I've seen pretty uniformly showed five toes, sometimes with the "thumb" (inside toe, fore and aft) a bit smaller and more separated from the rest. This holds, as I recall, for the mustelids larger than the marten - the fisher, wolverine, and badger (never seen a sable print). The smaller mustelids like the mink, ferrets, and smaller weasles have either an indistinct or absent thumb print. I'm pullin' this recollection outta my butt after about 25 years, so does anyone else more recently familiar with otters wanna comment?
Dave