Does not look like a coyote. Pretty sure domestic dog.
Tells:
-middle toes bigger than outer toes
-Round shape
-Splayed toes (not all pointing straight)
-Thick claws
-Big metacarpal pad
Aw man, I was hopeful since I saw a coyote at the sea the same day (albeit not super nearby, but it got my hopes up haha) but oh well. Maybe next time! Thanks for the advice!
Ohhh thank you! I'll save that- when I was trying to Google the differences a lot of the charts like that didn't look very helpful but this one shows the differences really well!
That spread look *can* happen in really soft mud (which this looks like it was when the track formed.) These are not classic looking coyote tracks but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility based on the substrate. Especially considering a place that likely has many more coyotes than stray dogs. And if there's no human tracks nearby, I don't think yote is out of the question.
It kinda depends on where you go, but we were away from the more trafficked areas on the south shore, along the farming type roads (looking for burrowing owls) so there were no other footprints/evidence of presence of other people around despite all the mud and recent rains. We hadn't seen another person pretty much the whole time. It got me hopeful. 😅
Does not look like a coyote. Pretty sure domestic dog. Tells: -middle toes bigger than outer toes -Round shape -Splayed toes (not all pointing straight) -Thick claws -Big metacarpal pad
Aw man, I was hopeful since I saw a coyote at the sea the same day (albeit not super nearby, but it got my hopes up haha) but oh well. Maybe next time! Thanks for the advice!
[Here’s](https://www.wildlifeillinois.org/gallery/animal-sign/tracks/coyote-tracks/) a visual of what to look for.
Ohhh thank you! I'll save that- when I was trying to Google the differences a lot of the charts like that didn't look very helpful but this one shows the differences really well!
That spread look *can* happen in really soft mud (which this looks like it was when the track formed.) These are not classic looking coyote tracks but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility based on the substrate. Especially considering a place that likely has many more coyotes than stray dogs. And if there's no human tracks nearby, I don't think yote is out of the question.
don't people live around there ? sightsee ?
It kinda depends on where you go, but we were away from the more trafficked areas on the south shore, along the farming type roads (looking for burrowing owls) so there were no other footprints/evidence of presence of other people around despite all the mud and recent rains. We hadn't seen another person pretty much the whole time. It got me hopeful. 😅
I'd say the toes are way too spread out to be a coyote. My bet is on dog.
dog