What left this track/

[mbohuntr]

Could it be a Nutria? I've heard they are spreading in the south like locusts.

 

[Harvey9]

Looks like a large coon to me.

 

[EddieWalker]

Coon track has long, thin fingers.

The otter track looks similar, but they just don't get very big. That penny shows how much smaller it is then the 223 shell casing next to the original posters pics.

Are their beaver in FL?


Eddie

 

[RobertBrown]

Coon track has long, thin fingers.

The otter track looks similar, but they just don't get very big. That penny shows how much smaller it is then the 223 shell casing next to the original posters pics.

Are their beaver in FL?


Eddie

You know Eddie...I have never seen or heard of beaver around here, I spend a lot of time in the woods too. I really couldn't speak for the rest of the state but I'm fairly sure there are none around here. But then again I wouldn't be too surprised if I was wrong.
I have seen otter several times and a long time ago(10 years) I saw a huge one run over on the hard road about 3-4 miles from this track. I remember thinking how big it was and what shame it got killed. I've never seen one half that size since. They usually go about 15-25 lbs 2.5 to 3.5 ft(guess).
I think that they are like a coon in that the back feet are considerably larger then the front. The track in the penny pic looks to be a front.
What do you do with a beaver? No seriously!
What do you do the animal after you kill it? I've seen that guy on the discovery eat them and say how good they are.... Andrew Zimmern, "Bizare Foods".
He's the guy that will eat the nuts off a camel and shake his head and try to make it look like he enjoyed it:licking: :mur:

 

[EddieWalker]

Beaver are very destructive, and considered a pest. Where I'm from in CA, the SF Delta is a huge fresh water source for the entire state. It is protected by levi's that protect the famland and all sorts of towns in the Valley. One of the biggest reasons for the levi's to fail is that beavers tunnel into them and weaken them. Because of this, there are almost no rules to hunting and killing beavers. I know a few profesional trappers in the state, and all my buddies that I grew up with who love to bowhunt and just go hunting all the time.

I went with them a few times to hunt Beavers at night time. We had spotlights on car batteries for light. We would drift up to them and shoot them with bows set up for fishing with hundred pound test. They fought really good once hit, but then quickly died.

Here in East Texas, they are so common that I see them as road kill. Just guessing, I think I shoot a couple of them a year in my big pond since digging it. I've seen them in there move then I've shot them, but I might be killing the same ones I've seen, just later after seeing them.

They debark my bigger trees, and cut down my smaller ones. It's bad enough that they kill the trees I want to keep, but they don't even eat or do anything with half of what they take down. I always notice they are back when I find small trees laying on the ground!!!!

In CA, we skinned them and had the hides tanned. The hair is really soft and nice looking, but I don't know what to do with the hides after that. I have a few somewhere, but couln't tell you where. Now I use them as coyote bait. I just wrap wire around it to a tree behind my house and watch it for a day or two for coyotes. I've shot a few coyotes this way, but not always.

Eddie

 

[MossflowerWoods]

RobertBrown,

Beavers made my pond, and the prior owner made it bigger.

I know I have an active family of beavers stil in the pond. I see the swimming, but only once up on land in the back yard. Mostly the seem to run on the other side of the pond which is not my property. I do have an acre or so of swampy boggy land between different streams of the branch feeding the pond where they wreak havoc on the birch trees...

The one I saw in the back yard was VERY large.

That was just for background.

I've not seen any of their tracks yet, but I will say this UNLESS you see pointed beaver chewed stumps, and muddy beaver slides on the banks of the pond/creek/etc. You DO NOT have beavers. They leave VERY CLEAR evidence of their existence WAY before you see them.

My vote is it is not a Beaver.

Myself personally, I would LOVE to have river otters on my property.
I like otters

Be well,

David

 

[EddieWalker]

I've never seen an otter on my land, but I'm told they are in the area. From what I understand, otters are very good hunters with a reputation of hunting for fun. They will kill a fish, take one bite out of it and leave it. Those with otters complain of finding large fish floating from this type of death on a daily basis until they get rid of the otter. I'm not sure of the laws here in Texas with otters, but know that they where highly protected in CA where I'm from.

I've seen quite a few otters in CA and never seen one bigger then 20 pounds, give or take a little bit. In the duck marshes that I hunted back in CA, they where all over the place. That track just looks way too big compared to what I've seen personaly, but then again, I wouldn't put money on betting it either way.

Eddie

 

[RobertBrown]

I've never seen an otter on my land, but I'm told they are in the area. From what I understand, otters are very good hunters with a reputation of hunting for fun. They will kill a fish, take one bite out of it and leave it. Those with otters complain of finding large fish floating from this type of death on a daily basis until they get rid of the otter. I'm not sure of the laws here in Texas with otters, but know that they where highly protected in CA where I'm from.

I've seen quite a few otters in CA and never seen one bigger then 20 pounds, give or take a little bit. In the duck marshes that I hunted back in CA, they where all over the place. That track just looks way too big compared to what I've seen personaly, but then again, I wouldn't put money on betting it either way.

Eddie

I was surpirsed when I learned that there is a season on them here. I don't know why a person would kill one. I find that I am somewhat enamored by them. I have sat and watched them from a tree stand on a couple of accasions and would not consider killing one...but i guess there is enough to manage a population with hunting and trappping.

 

[studor]

Any evidence of the back footprint? Really hard to tell from just the fronts. Fronts of most of the animals named (except gators) have a lot of similarities I have to control a lot of beavers at my place and they don't tend to leave a lot of tracks. They often go 75 lbs though
The otters at my place always seem to leave another mark. I the snow they are easy to tell because they drag their bodies and push with their feet.
Sometimes with older tracks they seem to expand with moisture and they look monstrous. JMHO

 

[samhudson3]

My guess is Raccoon.

Here's an interesting website, makes your own guesses!
Today's Wildlife Field Identification Guide