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Winter track puzzle

Posted by Eudora Watson,
North Country explorer from Syracuse, New York
March 23, 2014 —

This isn't a recent encounter, but it is one I am curious about. I came across this track on March 23, 2014 while out skiing. I’m hoping it is obvious to someone else just what made this track. Did the animal’s tail make the inner track? Or was the animal dragging something between its legs? I came to a rather gruesome scene near the edge of a swamp. There were many tracks there, and I could not tell if that location was the beginning or the end of the trek I had followed. I'll be very glad to have this puzzle solved.

Comments

Erika Barthelmess

Hi Eudora,

Can you say about how big the tracks were? This *could* be a porcupine track; they do drag their tails, though often use the same track again and again.

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Eudora Watson

Hi Erika,

I measured the width of the trail by placing my ski poles on either side and using my hand to measure. That was about 9 inches. I found these tracks after a good fresh snow, but it was during that endless snow/icy rain/snow part of this last winter, and I didn't get back out again right away. So the animal may have used that path before and after, but I didn't have evidence of it because it was often so hard to get out there.. I'll be more persistent next winter.

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