Strange Tracks At Nebraska Golf Course

originally posted by: Halfswede
The scaling/cratering on the surface of all of the snow shows a series of melt-related features that make it almost impossible to say that these tracks are anything but somewhat large and far apart. They could easily be human or something else.

What I am trying to figure out is how the biologist she spoke with came up with jackrabbit as a possibility. He should be fired from biology.

Not really. The footfall pattern in jumping animals like rabbits will often register so close to each other that they are confused for a single track. Add some melting and they become even more intertwined. Instead of the impression of 1 foot you are seeing all 4 landing close together. A hare or rabbit is actually a pretty candidate. From these pictures it is impossible to tell. Had they followed the tracks and found some browsings or scat it would have been very helpful.

a reply to: Halfswede

The length of the glove in the original picture is probably about nine to ten inches in length. The total length of the print could be maybe thirteen to fifteen inches. It is too big for a black squirrel to make, so I think a snowshoe hare is the best guess. I do not know if a snowshoe hare is the same as a jack rabbit. We have snowshoe rabbits/hares around here and even though their back legs aren't that wide, they make a wide print. I think they must twist their legs a little when they jump making a wider looking snowshoe like back print. It could be the way their joints work, they can jump eight feet no problem.

originally posted by: CraftBuilder

originally posted by: rickymouse
I'd guess they were tracks from a very sleepy bear

Image from article...

There is no center straddle and it is from a bipedal animal. This is as far from a bear as an airplane is from a car.

Bear track pattern...

The prints are so far away from one another, looks as if almost 10 feet and then maybe 8 feet to the next. Where as a humans stride is on average 3 feet or so. Plus you can tell it was heavier than a human as the prints were much more indented into the snow. Definitley not bear prints. To my knowledge, I have never heard of bear being in Nebraska, and I have lived in Nebraska for over 20 years. I don't really see where this creature would be hiding in that part of Nebraska either without being sighted, though there aren't many people living out there. But the tracks are close to a river where it is likeley wooded, but once you get away from the river there will not be many trees. So a creature of this size would easily be spotted, unless there are many caves in that area. Can't honestly say I've been out to those parts.

a reply to: rickymouse

I agree with you! I didn't think of that, but a snowshoe hare makes sense.

a reply to: warpig69
Looks like a deer track at the end of a boot print. But who knows.

Hare tracks.. From this site here

Look pretty much the same to me.

For every pedal animal on this planet, we have bones to show they were here. The logic here is where are the bones. Surely, if something like bigfoot were here, we would have found a bone. No bone, no zone, if you get my drift.
DNA from some weird hair does not cut it. Show me a bone.

I just had to share this. I live in Nebraska. About an hour from Curtis and mountain lions are no big surprise in this region with the deer population and now elk as well. There have been several cows/calves and horses attacked by mountain lions in recent years and a mountain lion even ran right through a local small town in daylight a couple of years ago. Within the past couple of weeks this game cam picture has been circling. I found it interesting as it may be the very mountain lion those prints belong to.

a reply to: munchkinkc

Good to have another Nebraskan on the site. I saw the picture from the game cam also, they are really making a comeback in the state. I have heard there are even black bear in the Maxwell area.

a reply to: warpig69

Where in NE are you? I'm in SW NE about 20 miles from mccook. In this area people have seen mountain lions with cubs, even claims of black Panthers and wolves. I have a family farm near some cliffs where a person who owns an area where the Cabelas and many other fortunate families "hunt" Russian buffalo, mountain goats, as well as many other foreign animals for the sole purpose of mounting them. I used to clean the cabins and cook for these people and my family farm is right across the road. There is actually a dinosaur fossil monument not too far also.

I know those from E-Bay.
www.ebay.com...

www.winterkids.com...

a reply to: munchkinkc

Off Topic Alert....


GO BIG RED!!!

The mountain lion at Omaha's zoo was captured on I-680 in west Omaha. The big cats are definitely making a comeback. There's even rumor that several are inhabiting the heavily wooded creek bottoms right in the city.

a reply to: Ignatian

LOL. GBR!!! I'm pretty excited about this season but going to miss Pellini! I saw that about the lioness. Kinda scary, no doubt! I do find it funny though how game and parks claim we don't have mountain lions in this area yet they've confiscated farm animals killed by them by several friends of mine.

a reply to: munchkinkc

Game and Parks are STILL denying the cats are here? I don't get that. The proof is overwhelming.

Have you heard the urban legend conspiracy that it was Neb Game and Parks who introduced them back into the eastern part of the state, as a way to control the deer population? I've often wondered if there may be a shred of truth to that. Neb. G@P is a highly politicized organization. It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Btw, I happen to agree with that management plan. Those cats are not near as dangerous as everyone makes them out to be, although I'd certainly not want to wrestle with one personally.

a reply to: munchkinkc

I live 15 miles south of Lincoln, but I was born and raised in Gothenburg. There used to be a hunting club by Brady that was owned by Jay Novacek, they had all sorts of exotic animals you could shoot. I think a lot of animals out of Colorado are starting to push themselves back into the state. At one time Nebraska had a lot of larger predators but people pushed them out. With the growing population in Colorado, I think the animals are starting to get pushed back into the state.

a reply to: Ignatian

Being one who has hit a few deer (and a cow!) , I am all for the plan, although when they get to the point where they are killing farm animals, it's time to do something. They won't say specifically they are here but they will say we are not allowed to kill them if they are spotted on people's property. A teenager from here, (I'm in the Stratton, Trenton, Culbertson region) was stalked by one while in a tree stand recently, luckily he had his phone and called his parents who came and scared it off. They are incredible creatures and really quite beautiful but I'm with you, I definitely would not want to run into one while alone.

a reply to: warpig69

I absolutely agree with you!! Especially with the amount of elk ending up in this area. I have heard that about the black bears as well. It make a me sad that they are being pushed out of their natural environment. Btw, since you're in the Lincoln area, I have a question for you. Who is the former husker (I think) who owns that mansion near Lincoln?

all I'm gonna say about this is two things;
Dick Cheney was born in Lincoln Nebraska
and he's probably a shape shifting demon.

That cracked me up!!! Although, don't blame us for Dick Cheney!!!

a reply to: munchkinkc

Are you talking about Rod
-Kush? He made big bucks in the used furniture business, then, I heard he lost it all and is starting all over.

His house was in Gretna, was huge, even had a small golf course on the property. the house got a mold problem, and the local fire department burned the house down.

Maybe it's another former Husker tho, lots of them have been successful financially.