The other day, when we were looking for arrowheads along the Hiwassee River, The Deer Hunter showed me the track above. Sort of looks like a little kid has been playing in the mud don’t it?
Do you know what made the track? Leave me a comment with your guess-and if you get it right I’ll throw your name in a hat for a giveaway.
Tipper
*giveaway ends Friday September 13, 2013.
82 Comments
Rev. RB
September 19, 2013 at 2:50 pmOn second thought, I bet it’s that elusive beast – The Snipe that people are always hunting for but are never finding.
😉
Does anyone ever remember getting hooked into Snipe Hunting as a child? hee hee
God bless.
RB
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Rev. RB
September 19, 2013 at 2:35 pmOur Dad often took us on walks through the woods down at our family camp near Tidioute, PA. It was very interesting to walk with Dad because he pointed out so many nature items and tracks he saw along the way.
I believe a raccoon made that track. A beaver’s tracks, I believe, would show webbing between the toes.
God bless.
RB
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John S.
September 7, 2013 at 12:02 amDefinitely raccoon. One of those scoundrels left their foot prints in white paint on my kitchen porch. How they got that brand new can of paint open is still a mystery.
Theresa
September 6, 2013 at 10:15 pmRaccoon is what it looks like to me.
Elizabeth
September 6, 2013 at 4:31 pmThe masked bandit himself (herself?)….the coon!
Buffy Lowe-Hyde
September 6, 2013 at 7:07 amNow somebody else took my guess-a beaver. If she wins the prize, can I still have the hat?
Tim Mc
September 6, 2013 at 6:49 amI believe it’s the ole Night Stalker him or herself the “Coon” use to hunt them when I was a boy full of energy, and didn’t need much sleep…
Patti Tappel
September 5, 2013 at 10:18 pmI’ve sen them before on the river banks, they leave empty mussel shells everywhere, they are racoons!
Craig Lawhorne
September 5, 2013 at 9:36 pmI say they are raccoon tracks.
Wanda
September 5, 2013 at 6:17 pmSeveral yrs ago we had a freezer out on the back porch. We had a coon open the door twice. First time he got him a loaf of bread. Second time he found the frozen corn. AND he left the door open. I had spilled a bag of corn & didn’t clean it up very well. i think he must have smelled that & decided to check it out. We bricked up half way & screened in the porch but our cat, Fred, has made a hole he goes & comes through. We trapped & released three coons on the porch. Including the ones in the corn, I think that’s about 6 this yr.
Wanda
September 5, 2013 at 6:13 pmRacoon!! We trapped & released a number of them out of the sweet corn after they had a feast out there.
Lisa
September 5, 2013 at 6:01 pmI’m thinking opossum. Can’t wait to find out.
Hope you’re enjoying this weather,
Lisa
Jackie
September 5, 2013 at 5:28 pmRacoon. I caught two this year in my corn. I set the trap to try to catch the ground hog that keeps eating my tomatoes and melons as well as my apples and plums. So far I’ve caught two coons, one possom and a skunk. I guess I need to put a sign on it that says, “Groundhogs only”.
Bradley
September 5, 2013 at 5:28 pmCould be a Polecat or either an escaped Mongoose!
Judith
September 5, 2013 at 5:03 pmThe tracks are from the animal commonly known by the words people say when the creatures are found in the garden. “That Blamed Coon”….or something stronger!
Lola Howard
September 5, 2013 at 4:53 pmI’m guessing A BEAVER .IF I’M RIGHT DO I GET TO PICK WHAT I’D LIKE TO HAVE ?
OK I’D LIKE TO HEAR PAP AND PAUL SING, LIFE’S RAILWAY TO HEAVEN ,AND PLEASE TELL THEM TO LIFT THEIR HEADS FROM TIME TO TIME SO I CAN WATCH THEM SING.
Dian
September 5, 2013 at 4:43 pmRed Squirell or coon
Ed Ammons
September 5, 2013 at 4:31 pmIt would be a blessing to have those coons that eat half your sweetcorn. Around here they eat it all.
Ruth B
September 5, 2013 at 3:57 pmLooks like coon tracks to me too.
Howland
September 5, 2013 at 3:49 pmI’m gonna join the crowd and vote for the ‘coon; my hat size is 7 1/4…
Elbert Hussenpuffer
September 5, 2013 at 3:18 pmThat picture is of the spoor of a little known animal that lives only along the the banks of a very short stretch of the river there in Cherokee County. In fact the name of river comes from the Indian word for the creature. That, my dear, is the illusive Hiawassee. You and the Mr. are lucky to have seen even its tracks. Very few people have ever heard of, much less seen it. Did you happen to notice its back tracks? Were they in pairs on both sides. I don’t have positive proof but some people claim to have seen them with two feet on each side in the back. Like a dually. Scientists claim that they have evolved this extra set of legs because they live in wet areas along the river and don’t get stuck in the mud so much.
I saw a picture of the Hiawassee in a book once. I think it was written by a doctor. I don’t remember his first name but I’m pretty sure his last name was Seuss.
Rooney Floyd
September 5, 2013 at 2:53 pmNow, I have a question for you. What animal family does the racoon belong to? (It is not the same family as a dog or cat.) The word “racoon”, that we use, is derived from a similar sounding Indian word that means “little bear”. If you think about it, they walk and act a lot like a bear.
Shelia
September 5, 2013 at 1:43 pmI think it’s a ‘coon.
Sandra B.
September 5, 2013 at 1:41 pmCoon I’m pretty sure.
Eva Nell Mull Wike, Ph.D.
September 5, 2013 at 1:17 pmBEAR? Those east Tennessee folks are all the time worried and skeard about bears. I think these are donkey tracks!
Eva Nell
p.s. We will be at the Old Courthouse TOMORROW NIGHT!!!
Ken Roper
September 5, 2013 at 12:41 pmTipper,
Looks like a coon track to me.
A family of them boogers can
absolutely destroy your corn patch.
And they know before you do when
it’s ripe…Ken
Julie Hughes
September 5, 2013 at 12:36 pmI had two pet coons as a kid. I named them Oscar 1 and Oscar 2 (not much imagination for a 5 yr) Based upon that, I think it looks like coon paws to me.
Penny
September 5, 2013 at 11:55 amor wait…now that I think about it, I can’t really tell the difference between racoon and opossum paw prints, unless I see the back foot prints…so maybe your picture is of the Possum! Hmmm tiz a puzzlement.
Sherry
September 5, 2013 at 11:45 amThat’s a raccoon sure as anything!
Penny
September 5, 2013 at 11:42 amRacoon! We have those hanging around in our yard up here in Western Washington on an island in the Sound. I was so surprised to see that. Also deer and opossum!
Michele Langston
September 5, 2013 at 11:34 amlooks like a raccoon 🙂
Buffy Lowe-Hyde
September 5, 2013 at 11:10 amI know what it is but I don’t want to say yet because nobody who has guessed yet has got it right and if nobody else gets it, my name will be the only one in the hat. If I win can I have the hat too?
Tamela
September 5, 2013 at 11:03 amAfter doing a little web research, I now vote with mink. Did the web serve me well?
Tamela
September 5, 2013 at 11:00 amMy first thought was coon also: the pad is distinct but the fingers seem a bit short. My other thought was possum: fingers are a little spread and are usually a bit shorter than a coon but don’t usually have such a distinct pad.
Don’s song gave me my first giggle of the day. (Thanks!) Where can I hear the melody?
My father-in-law used to feed raccoons on his porch. He bought dog food and put it out each morning. His first one grew to a 3 or 4 or more generation family of 12 or so. This went on for 4 or 5 years. The neighbors complained because when in-laws went on vacation, the racoons searched elsewhere in the neighborhood for food. It wasn’t until the coons started opening the screen sliding door near where my semi-invalid mother-in-law liked to sit that father-in-law decided making pets of coons may not have been such a good idea. Had to hire trappers to catch and move (don’t know where) the entire lot! Think the neighbors had a party for the trappers!!
Mel H.
September 5, 2013 at 10:53 amGrampus
Connie Cochran
September 5, 2013 at 10:41 amNow I am thinking it might be squirrel tracks. 🙂
Mike McLain
September 5, 2013 at 10:08 amLooks like raccoon to me.
Wanda in NoAla
September 5, 2013 at 10:04 amCoon. Call the coon dogs!
Sue Crane
September 5, 2013 at 9:58 amCoon, of course!!!
Connie Cochran
September 5, 2013 at 9:48 amGood morning, my guess is a fox foot print in the mud. Looking for foot prints on our property is a fun past time. We have a dirt + sand area and it makes for good impressions.
Lise
September 5, 2013 at 9:47 amI’m with the majority, seems to be coon.
Charlotte
September 5, 2013 at 9:34 amI also think it’s a raccoon track. There are hundreds of tracks in the barns where I feed my cats. They sometimes climb the ladders on our chicken house feed bins, open the lids and go inside to eat, then can’t get out; they’re not so pretty when we find them at the bottom of the bins!
B.L.Horne
September 5, 2013 at 9:33 amHas to be coon …
speshell ed
September 5, 2013 at 9:32 amim purty shore itsa babee dinasore. i seen the same pitcher on the discufree chanel.
Bob Aufdemberge
September 5, 2013 at 9:31 amNot much doubt it’s a raccoon track.
Bella Ross
September 5, 2013 at 9:25 amTipper, This is definitely a raccoon track. My great grandmother believed that unborn children could be marked before birth by certain something that happened while the mother was pregnant. Thus a raccoon jumped on my mommas’ lap & scared her now I am forever marked with the raccoon paw print on my upper left thigh.
Bill Burnett
September 5, 2013 at 9:20 amLooks like a Raccoon.
Ron Banks
September 5, 2013 at 9:11 amThat would be a raccoon, aka the Ringed Tail Bandit .
Shirla
September 5, 2013 at 8:56 amIt looks like a raccoon’s paw prints. The same print can be found in my garden after a rain. I heard they will climb corn stalks and eat anything the deer might leave behind. They are cute though.
Rooney Floyd
September 5, 2013 at 8:52 am‘Coon track. They look like a babys’ hand.
Ray P. Algee
September 5, 2013 at 8:44 amThis doesn’t narrow it down much, but something from the weasel family – mink, etc.
Angela
September 5, 2013 at 8:42 amI’m guessing those are raccoon tracks.
Ken Kuhlmann
September 5, 2013 at 8:40 amThe track is that of a raccoon the masked bandit of the woods.
Rhonda
September 5, 2013 at 8:31 amLooks like a coon track to me!!
Kerry in GA
September 5, 2013 at 8:29 amCoon tracks. 🙂
Don Casada
September 5, 2013 at 8:24 amOne day a raccoon passed by my way,
I shot him and right there he fell.
Being civic and high fashion-minded,
I reached down and cut off his tail.
(Chorus)
Now the raccoon’s a right purty creature,
But he sure ain’t no friend of mine;
He eats half my corn ever’ summer
And steals my hens aigs all the time.
I hung that tail on my antenna –
Now don’t it just make my car shine?
Ever’ time I drive past my old hound dogs,
Well they just rar back and whine.
(Chorus)
Now if you’re going wild hog or bear hunting,
Good luck boys, I wish you well.
But if you’re after that sorry old raccoon,
I hope that you blow him to ….somewhere
(Chorus)
Tommy Lee Stokes
September 5, 2013 at 8:23 amRacoon
Pat in east TN
September 5, 2013 at 8:22 amA muskrat?
Tracy
September 5, 2013 at 8:21 amA bear!
dolores
September 5, 2013 at 8:09 amAh ha! Mystery tracks – I think maybe they might be turkey tracks or some sort of fowl. Good game for a Thursday!
Jim Casada
September 5, 2013 at 8:03 amTipper–Although I don’t have anything other than a leaf in the photo for real size comparison, I’m little short of certain that track belonged to Br’er ‘Coon. The shape is right, as is the location (‘coons love to wander around on the edges of branches and creeks looking for stuff to eat).
‘Coon hunters in today’s world seldom kill their prey, but roasted young ‘coon makes mighty fine eating. They can also be quite destructive. Let them get into a patch of corn just coming “into milk” or a grape arbor and you’ll soon enough know what I mean. They are also pure poison on the eggs of gallinaceous (ground nesting) birds, so much so that game managers on some plantations and hunting preserves hire predator control experts to get rid of them.
I’ll hush, because that’s a whole lot more answer than you asked for (although I’ll virtually guarantee that the Deer Hunter is familiar with everything I’ve said).
Jim Casada
Wendy
September 5, 2013 at 8:02 amLooks like a raccoon print.
Jane Bolden
September 5, 2013 at 7:59 amRaccoon
Joyce Mullikin
September 5, 2013 at 7:58 amI think it’s a raccoon.
Ronald Weddle
September 5, 2013 at 7:58 amRaccoon
Uncle al
September 5, 2013 at 7:55 amWhy it’s an old coon. Well maybe a young one.
Miss Cindy
September 5, 2013 at 7:49 amLooks like some member of the cat family. The Deer Hunter always studied books and magazines to learn about everything outside.
Judy Mincey
September 5, 2013 at 7:48 amRaccoons are cute little pests. Cute down by the river; pests in the garden. A team broke into a vacation cabin where my dad and uncles were staying on a fishing trip and stole an entire coconut cake!
Joe Mode
September 5, 2013 at 7:42 amLooks like a two footed raccoon to me.
Charles
September 5, 2013 at 7:36 amDog track.
Charles
Ken Ryan
September 5, 2013 at 7:28 amLooks like a coon track
Lonnie Baker
September 5, 2013 at 7:17 amIts hard to judge the size. Looks like the front feet of a racoon but it could be a ground hog.
Sheryl Paul
September 5, 2013 at 7:09 amIm guessing a raccoon
Patty Hall
September 5, 2013 at 7:03 amCoon! Cute little buggers. We went camping a coule weekends ago and had one visit our campsite.
Vernon Kimsey
September 5, 2013 at 7:02 amOtter tracks?
Ed Ammons
September 5, 2013 at 7:02 amLooks like a coon to me.
Quinn
September 5, 2013 at 6:47 amLooks like a raccoon to me, and thank you very much for keeping even ONE of them away from my place! 😉
PinnacleCreek
September 5, 2013 at 6:35 amI have no clue on this, but love my name in the hat. Could it be a large bird such as a buzzard?
Richard Beauchamp
September 5, 2013 at 6:15 amLooks like a mink track, although I have not seen one in a long time
Stephen Ammons
September 5, 2013 at 5:58 amTipper if I am not sadly mistaken what you have there is a raccoon track and what you are seeing is the front paw track.
Gina S
September 5, 2013 at 5:17 amLooks like a rascally raccoon walked in the field. I doubt he was searching for arrowheads, though.
Kim Stalcup
September 5, 2013 at 4:31 amLooks like raccoon tracks!! 🙂