Still Waters Posted October 13, 2013 #1 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Large paw prints, with some sizable claws, have shown up on church property in Long Grove, IA. The maintenance manager with St. Ann's Parish noticed the prints yesterday and is now investigating their origin. "I noticed the huge claws, the big pads," said Dwight Gittings. Gittings was taking out the garbage on Tuesday when he noticed some unique prints in his freshly planted grass seed. http://www.kwqc.com/...n-long-grove-ia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted October 13, 2013 #2 Share Posted October 13, 2013 In August they found a mountain lion near a Des Moines School playground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted October 13, 2013 #3 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Could very well be a mountain lion...the casting looks rather cat like IMO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted October 13, 2013 #4 Share Posted October 13, 2013 (edited) From what I can see if it, it appears to be a large dog print. Probably it was walking across some clay-like mud and the claws dug in deep as the animal moved forward. EDIT: It would seem to me that a cougar claw would be more narrow then what is seen in the cast. Edited October 13, 2013 by DieChecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted October 13, 2013 #5 Share Posted October 13, 2013 From what I can see if it, it appears to be a large dog print. Probably it was walking across some clay-like mud and the claws dug in deep as the animal moved forward. Strangely that was my first impression too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderOTD Posted October 13, 2013 #6 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Bigfoot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-C Posted October 13, 2013 #7 Share Posted October 13, 2013 The DNR also said large dog print. The discoverer said they are too big for a dog. Although some dog breeds do get pretty big, what about wolf? Long Grove is a bit far from known wolf territory in Wisconsin, but... they've bad a big comeback in Wisconsin and are spreading. Today’s DNR estimate of between 626 and 662 is up 14 percent from last year’s. There are some 162 packs spread out across the northern and central parts of the state[Wisconsin], and as many as 200 cubs may be born this year. Though many of them will die, enough will likely survive to continue growth. The data have also taught ecologists a lot about what wolf habitat looks like. “We used to think that wolves needed real wilderness areas to survive,” Mladenoff says. “But that’s not true. All they needed was a place where there’s enough prey (which in the Midwest would be white-tailed deer) and where people wouldn’t kill them, either deliberately or accidentally. Then they can get by almost anywhere.” http://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/features/wolves-at-the-door/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted October 13, 2013 #8 Share Posted October 13, 2013 EDIT: It would seem to me that a cougar claw would be more narrow then what is seen in the cast. I just looked at the claws again and I think you're probably right...they look a bit too thick for a cat. Hmm...a large wolf perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted October 14, 2013 #9 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Have you seen the paw pring of a Great Dane?? There are lots of large breeds with feet as big as that cast. IMHO.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supervike Posted October 14, 2013 #10 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Woof! That's a big dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-C Posted October 14, 2013 #11 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Have you seen the paw pring of a Great Dane?? There are lots of large breeds with feet as big as that cast. IMHO.... My sister had a well over 100 lb German Shepherd. He was huge, pure black and gorgeous. He could lay his head on the dining room table. I'm sure he'd have left some impressive tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted October 14, 2013 #12 Share Posted October 14, 2013 They do look more dog-ish than anything else.....and as it was mentioned earlier, cats, all cats, retract their claws when they walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancient astronaut Posted October 14, 2013 #13 Share Posted October 14, 2013 regardless of what it is,those are some big ass claws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafterman Posted October 14, 2013 #14 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Woof woof. He said the tracks were in soft ground he had just seeded for grass. In my experience, soft ground has a tendency to make prints look a little larger than normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted October 14, 2013 #15 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Cheetahs are the only cat that does not retract their claws, and I think these are too small for a cheetah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmike1 Posted October 14, 2013 #16 Share Posted October 14, 2013 It appears to be canine in origin. Cats do not leave claw marks in their prints. The claws on this animal look to be canine as well. Too thick for feline. As others have stated any print made in soft ground will appear larger than it actually was. In other words, its a dog. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DieChecker Posted October 15, 2013 #17 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I bet a cat that was just about to pounce might leave claw marks in a print, but that would be an atypical print. I believe here, there was a long row of prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted October 15, 2013 #18 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Cheetahs are the only cat that does not retract their claws, and I think these are too small for a cheetah. Yeah, but i don't think there are many cheetahs in the wilds of Iowa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S2F Posted October 16, 2013 #19 Share Posted October 16, 2013 My first thought was dog as well. The cast doesn't look any bigger than an average large dog, especially in soft soil where normally the 'toes' spread out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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