Identify tracks

[Whitefeather]

These track photos I took this morning in my yard.  Tracks all over and are areas where you can see digging.  Also a urine mark on the trail.
Definatly canine, fox I assume because of the size and I have never seen or heard a coyote around here.

[Leglifter]

looks like coyote to me

[muttbuster]

Coyote. Two front claws and egg shaped. About 3 inch's long. No doubt, coyote.

[Whitefeather]

2 hours ago I decided to see if I could locate dens.  Canine tracks EVERYWHERE!  Mostly all tracks canine.  Edge of my property sits atop a plateau.  Than drops down about 15' to an old railroad trail.  Than thick woods with a large creek (25' wide in spots) across the creek is another 40-50 yards of woods than fields.  100 yards than a house.  Sitting on the edge of the property I can see (with the woods thinned out for winter) all the way to the mentioned house. I decided to squat down and just use peripheral vision to catch movement.  Sure enough in 15minutes I saw a large tan or light colored four legger on the edge of the mentioned field.  Roughly 135 yards from my face.  I watched for about 2-4 minutes.  I decided to run up to my house (80 yards) grab my rifle, ca-mo jacket, power dogg,face mask and cushion.  Before I had returned to my spot where I was squatting that light colored four legger was on the move parallel to the creek.  He/she was a large red fox with a very nice coat.  It didn't see or hear me as I sat down with a tree at my back.  locked and loaded the rifle, flipped open the scope lens covers and tried to find fox.

The fox was walking with head up facing the direction of travel.  Ahead of me at about 80 yards and walking from my left to right in front of me.  I turned on the rabbit distress and it stopped and looked.  Unfortunately to many branches and trees for me to line up a clean shot.. Fox kept moving like it didn't hear the call.  It stopped another time to look my way, and than continues like it didn't have a care in the world.  My thought is, that it smelled me but wasn't scared enough to run.  Wind was at my back.  Will try again tonight .

[Whitefeather]

These guys don't seem to be interested in my calling.  Just before dark, set up on my second floor deck which I had covered with a 12' x 4' blind.  Let the woodpecker sound go for about 5min straight.  Would than be quiet for 5-10 minutes than let the sound go again.  Repeated this for about 1/2 hr than tried rodent sounds and once in a while rabbit distress than back to Woody.  At about 6:30 something caught my eye about 60 yards to my left.  Scurrying down my neighbors yard was a fox hading towards woods.  I let the rodent sound go and the fox disappeared.  Just before typing this I could hear fox barking in woods.  Sounded like maybe 1/8-1/4 mile away.  Not sure. 
I am not sure what to do.  I attempted to head into woods to spot em and call, but snow now is loud because temps are droppin rapidly.

What would you recommend?  I think maybe I should just set up in woods right before dark and sit quietly. 

[uncle buck]

Barking after it ran away...This happens to all of us.. It happened to me just yesterday... You got busted... Might be better to just sit out there and hunt these canine like you would deer just post and watch...


Probably a bit late to comment on the tracks.. I think the prints in pictures 1 & 2 are coyotes.. Notice they look like a spear head and of course are large and do have the two claws in the front.. If they were wide canine prints it would be a dog. The spear type shape is always a good indicator that it's a coyotes..

[Whitefeather]

I agree they look like coyote tracks.  That was my first thought when I saw them.  But I have lived here for 8 years, been out at all times around the clock and have never heard them.  My neighbors have never heard them, and my immediate neighbor has lived here for 40 years and was a hunter.  I have called in the middle of the night to see if anything is out there and have never heard any coyote chatter.  I have however, been outside in my driveway for one reason or another and seen something pass through a shadow out of the corner of my eye looking like the size of a dog, but I would pass it up as it being my imagination.

If this was you, when would you try and call one of these dogs, and what call? 

Like I said, I have used interrogation, serenade, challenge, and never heard anything.  Have done food sounds too.  I haven't seen any predator scat.  I looked today since I now know large predators are nearby.

[Whitefeather]

Update...went out this morning around 8.  Saw one head out into the field.  No shot.  In an hour my feet were numb.  Walked back home and put on better socks and boots.  Headed out towards creek and set up in one of the multiple tree stands that are there.  Put on the woody and let rip.  5minutes at a time for about 45 minutes.  Fox came down from my left on rout to creek.  Cam back up towards me on other side.  Was smelling around a bit and I changed to Rodent call.  In about a minute fox turned other way and trotted into brush.  Don't think he winded me, wind was blowing towards me.  Decided to move closer to where I thought fox may be crossing creek.  Found another tree stand facing creek and climbed up.  Sounded woody again in same increments.  Another fox showed up heading in the same direction as others.  This one had slight limp on hind quarter.  He was bordering field and woods.  Lots of brush in between me and it.  I figured I would give it ago and sent one towards him.  Missed.  He took off the other way and I figured I just educated him.  10 minutes later he showed back up.  This time I tried rabbit distress on low volume.  It seemed interested and was milling around looking for it.  No shot.  It disappeared into the brush directly in front of me on other side of creek (70 yards)  I am convinced this is a den sight.  I will be headed back out around 2pm ( same time I saw one yesterday in same vicinity)  Wish me luck!

[uncle buck]

Try a siren ever now and then if you want to see if any coyotes are in the area.. They will howl at sirens...

[Whitefeather]

Thanks UB.  I bought one a while back after seeing you guys on here talk about it.  I have tried it in many areas, Tioga county, Cumberland, Montg. mostly in the middle of the night, and never heard anything call back.