First trip, Lion tracks in camp

[shane n]

First trip in the mountains this season, found what look like lion tracks to me in camp in the morning.

Trip pics on webshots

[Mary F]

Nice you're not tent camping!

[Donna D.]

Here kitty, kitty, kitty... NOT I love the name of your trailer, BTW. Isn't it nice you can be dry when it rains!

[BOBSMITH]

Is this in Arizona? Looks like a National Forest campground. If so, which one?

[Gina D.]

Its Arizona, and it looks like Christopher creek?

[Robin G]

Great Pic's Shane!


As for where the campsite is, pic # 15 says Tonto Creek? I am gonna take a wild guess and say Tonto Creek?

[Sharon G]

Yikes! Those are some impressive kitty cat paw prints!

[james kent]

Lock up the dog.

[shane n]

Its Arizona, and it looks like Christopher creek?

Ponderosa campground in the Tonto National Forest.
Upper Tonto Creek, Sharp Creek, Christopher Creek are all within a few miles of this campground. Beautiful area full of wildlife. The Tonto Creek campgrounds were built in the 30's by the C.C.C. Zane Grey's cabin stood here also until the Dude Fire brought it down. They just paved Lower Tonto and turned it into day use because the new hiway went right through it. Upper Tonto remains with just eight sites. There are still a few beautiful stone pic-nic tables and retaining walls left with a stunning patina. This whole area has a character and charm found only on this part of the "Rim"

[Thane]

I think you are safe and those are coyote (maybe dog) tracks. The most telling item is the claw marks which as discussed on this website are usually not seen 'cause cats usually walk with them retracted.
http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

Here is some info on coyote tracks.
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00260/.../pawprints.html

I am far from an expert on this sort of thing, it just we have both in our area and I always check out the tracks when they get too close to the house.

My uphill neighbor saw a cougar walking down the middle of road at 9 AM a couple years ago. The downhill neighbor watched one walk along the wall of his garage last year. His neighbor came home one night and the dogs and horses were going nuts so they called the police, everyone looked around and saw nothing until they looked on top of the horse trailer and saw a cougar looking down at them. The folks across the street fom them were watching the deer at a salt lick in their front yard a few years ago while drinking wine on the patio and a cougar came out from their left and chased away the deer, less than 30 feet away.

I found fresh tracks in the snow a few times and although I am not sure what it was, it was spooky when they disappeared behind a garden shed and didn't come out again.

The cougars here have never hurt anyone, neither have the coyotes; but any outside pet is assumed to be temporary. If the ground predators don't get them, the hawks, eagles or owls do. Our frineds with little dogs have lost one and the other hone has claw marks on their back where a big bird tried to get 'em. They watched as a Golden Eagle or Red Tail Hawk swooped down and took up one of their dogs a few months ago.

We keep track of the kids when they are outside and feel they are safe, it's not like we put a T-bone around their neck. I prefer the big cats over the gang members in the city any day, the cats are at least predictable. The coyotes here are well feed on rodents and cats so they are no threat to humans.

What is really spooky is when a mountain lion fights with a pack of coyotes; probably over a deer carcass or such. The cougar wail sounds like a woman screaming and the coyote howls are always un-nerving; I think it is part of our nature to fear that sound.

Anyhow, that's my critter rant for the day.

[shane n]

The pads to big and claws to long and deep for a coyote or dog, pictures I got are not that good, Ranger said some kind of cat or lion.

[Gina D.]

I never had a chance to stay at Ponderosa. It is the first one to open up for the season too.

Yes, that area is very unique and I had fun last summer "camping around" ( :-P ) at those campgrounds.

My fav is Chrisopher creek, very high trees for shade, lush understory and a great running river this time of year.

[Alf S.]

Hi: shane n...That's either one "fat cat"...or a nosey BEAR !!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Leata & Bobby G]

If it's a bear it has a missing digit or raised pinky. Bears have five toes.

[BOBSMITH]

Hi: shane n...That's either one "fat cat"...or a nosey BEAR !!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

That's definitely a mountain lion track. Or the world's biggest mutant bobcat is at large.

[Flygal]

yeah I think I'd pack up and be having this "wonder if its a big lion" discussion at home..

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

We have mountain lions, called cougars around here, and they have more bothersome lately, a few having to be killed by wildlife folks for killing domestic livestock. I had one cross right in front of me on our trail as I was walking back to the house two years ago this month, I had to continue walking even though I did not see where it went. It was an experience I don't need to have again, it changed my sense of safety in our own 'back yard' woods. The local wildlife guy said there were many ranging where we live and probably they'd seen me before without me knowing it and I shouldn't stop walking in the woods. (Easy for him to say, he carries a gun!)

I'm an unabashed Nature and animal lover, but if I found cougar tracks in camp, I would seriously consider relocating! On the other hand, it's pretty cool!

Penney

side note:
for those in the NW, the Wilderness Awareness School is a wonderful place to learn about tracking, and they have a lot of family and kid programs, classes. Wilderness School

We took a great class from it's founder, Jon Young, years ago. He now lives and teaches in CA and all over the country and world. He is wonderful to learn from.