Coon track No WAY.

Coon track? At 30 mph. . . maybe. But I think I could tell you it wasn't a coon without slowing down. That is typical of most "biologists" I've had the pleasure of dealing with though. Of course they have a degree, so they obviously already know everything and are more qualified.

There ya go! Thanks ADC!

I actually tried to convince myself they were coon tracks before I sent them in as fisher, but it was impossible. The frustrating part of dealing with this biologist was that the only thing he looked at was the gait pattern in one of the pictures.

Thanks Crowfoot! My reply about those pictures you posted ended up in a different reply. The biologist sent me those same pictures!

Needs a new job if he thinks those are coon tracks
Either a fresh grad or old and senile biologist

Those biologists here in Maine for years said coyotes never killed healthy adult deer.....that is until they were proven wrong.

Tell him thanks for the confirmation, you'll set a bunch of traps to get rid of that "raccoon".

X3

I am placing my $1,000 bet on coon. They keep their toes tucked in and their heels up when walking in snow, especially when walking from point A to point B. Probably to keep them from getting cold.
Its probably a big lovesick boar coon this time of year. Every February, we get the same coon track pics posted in here from folks hoping them to be fisher.

That is a fisher track

Thanks 52Carl. Without going into excrutiating detail, my eyes have been opened by three things that happened in the last 24 hours, one of which was a small adventure with a new set of tracks in my yard, followed by a very, very patient re-explanation from the wildlife biologist I maligned so gleefully in this thread, and the last being your post quoted above, Mr. 52. Yeah, those are coon tracks, and I'm a jerk, and I'm editing out the snide comments I made earlier. Thanks everybody. I learned a lot from this.

That is no coon track

Coon tracks in the snow

FISHER. Or a raccoon with fisher feet

I have found that by following a set of questionable tracks for a good distance they will usually reveal the culprit making them by their gait or places they visit. If you were to follow that set of tracks for a couple hundred yards and they continue to just walk and not ever bound or hop, then you could pretty safely assume that it was not a fisher making them. I have seen lovestruck coon tracks mistaken for fisher tracks in February before and have done it myself until I followed them a fair distance. Coon tracks don't always show the fingers on the front feet and especially in loose snow it can be tricky to distinguish the difference. Just my opinion here.

I have never seen coon tracks here in Maine that looks like Fisher tracks.The fisher tracks are always much bigger.

There is a Fishercat, maybe this is a Fishercoon.

I followed ones just like these 60 yds or so, right to my trap ! And there was a fisher.
Still, the proportions of the tracks are more rounded where a coons aren't as much.
Its wide but without the toes splayed like a coon.
I'd say the jury is still out on this one.
No coon, Yes fisher.
MHO

Thanks MnMan. That's the same advice the biologist gave me. I had about 25 to 30 yards to work with. I also have come to see the wisdom of the rest of your observations. This is a lot trickier than I thought it was!

Thanks Bruce! That picture in the middle, though, that's a squirrel!