What kind of prints are these?

[pond42sliders]

Something has been in my unfinished bog, and I know it isn't my dog. She has no acsess to it whatsoever, and neither do any other dogs. However the other night I heard my dog barking in a way I've not heard before. I understand the language of my dog, kamio, well. She has a rat bark, cat bark, people she knows bark and those she don't. Kids she hates bark, mailman bark and i want in bark. But this was one I'd never heard. So I went outside, she was very persistant, and I wish I had a flashlight. Because what I saw was no cat! I thought it looked like a racoon, but maybe a possom. I live in the center of town.
But, whatever it was up on the fence, was siting up and looked to be hanging onto the telephone pole. He was there long enough to where I could see that, and then he turned and scampered away along the fence. It was to dark to see his color, but his size was half the size more of a very large cat.
He also left behind a bit more evidence, which neither came from a dog or cat.
It wants my fish, I think!! :angry:


I wish I had taken the pictures before I messed with the liner...I was trying to feel if there were any tears and wasn't thinking about how I was destrying the evidence. Possoms are not all that uncommon around here, but do they get in the water to catch fish?

Susan

 

[Mmathis]

Do you have a size reference?

 

[pond42sliders]

I would say they are about the size of a Cocker Spaniel's paw print. They kinda of look like there are only three toes, or claws and a bit longer and more narrow. I wish I hadn't messed with them, there were a couple really good ones. But I'm finishing this project up as soon as I can...do not want to have leak issues.
More important I don't want any predators! Better get a scary monster out there, huh! :spider:

 

[addy1]

Here are raccoon prints, I see them quite often in the pond. They don't seem to be able hurt the liner, usually just come for a drink

http://www.bear-tracker.com/coon.html

 

[Mmathis]

I would guess, raccoon.

 

[sissy]

I was thinking raccoon also they have wide toes and sharp toenails .Dogs may get a drink from pond but usually won't go in far .raccoons looking for food .They will go fishing if they are really hungry but boy do they like eggs .Friend who lives up near Smith Mountain lake has them and they steal her hen eggs she thought it was something else but camera proved it was the little bandits .She has to lock up her garbage and just about anything else .They got in her side door one day where her pantry is and made a real mess .She put metal screens up on the screen doors and locks on the outside .She was out gardening when they did that .She even had to put one of those special doors in for her dogs that only open from a sensor on the dogs collar .They even tried to pry that open in the middle of the night .She has been there a year and is learning real fast to secure every thing .They even got in her car and destroyed things looking for food .I guess nothing stays hidden long from them when they are hungry .

 

[pond42sliders]

Oh my gosh! I had no idea they are that brave and bold. Little brats they are...to make such messes! I used to work in Yosemite, as a cafeteria server. People were always feeding the racoons, though signs told them not to as well as being verbally informed, they did anyways. So the coons would sit outside the doors and wait for a hand out. Needless to say, they were well fed (not properly) so weren't trying to force into things.
I suppose it is possible for a racoon to be hanging around in the neighborhood. That was my first thought when I saw it. There is a large field not far from me, and just six houses down and across one street is the beginning of a couple miles of ranch type houses on half acre lots. So....I hope it's just a little drink of water he's wanting. My pond is only about 3 feet deep, with terra cotta hide outs.

 

[pond42sliders]

Addy, that link showed pictures of exactly what some of the prints looked like. Except the ones with three staight lines, which I sure hope are not heron prints.

 

[fishin4cars]

Those are raccoon tracks, the reason they look a little different in the pond is it is slipping on the slick liner. Can they puncture the liner, yes they can. In fact it is fairly old they can slice it right open. Plus they are very crafty about catching fish, The good news is, there are ways to get rid of raccoons, Live traps with food are very affective, motion detector alarms, water spraying crow all will work better for them than for herons. Be sure not to leave any dog food or other food sources out while trying to drive it off or it will just keep continuing to come back.

 

[gardengimp]

I've had good luck keeping the racoons out of my veggie garden by keeping dog scat buried just below the surface around the perimeter. I guess I should add, that my dogs chase any racoons out of the yard that may show up when they are out. Since you have a dog, doesn't cost anything to test!

 

[addy1]

We have a ton of raccoons, they hardly ever come up around the house. Even with food out for the squirrels. Maybe they don't like coming that far in from the woods. With the anti heron fencing up, (which really would not keep a coon out) I have not seen their prints in the pond for over a year now. Now the ground hogs, different story, even saw one swimming in the pond, not sure if it fell in or did it on purpose. They wander the land all of the time

 

[pond42sliders]

I have to keep my pond fenced off, as my avatar shows i have a Labrador. She litterally looks more like an Otter in the water...she holds her breath and dives under looking for I don't know what. But something, because she goes right back under after having taken a breath. She does pull alot of stuff up from the river bottom, so the pond is not a place I want her anywhere near.
However she is allowed to roam free and does make her presense know to all that dares to come up to the perimeter of her property.
I never leave food out for her, but she does come in around midnight every night. So I will probably look into my options for discouraging unwanted creatures. Anyways I have this thing about microscopic monsters. I don't know how to really stop them but prevention.... to the best of my ability....is always on my mind when it comes to life cycles of parasites. And, actually, it is a concern of mine, beings there are snails in the pond. Snails, Turtles, Fish and other four legged mammals all hanging out together...is the perfect place for parasite paradice :ugh:

Susan

 

[Pond lady]

Thry may be raccoon, if you do a search on raccoon tracks you will get some very good photos online and can identify. Here in PA our fish and game commission have decided to restock river otters, and fishers. Thanks to this, I am missing since November at the very least 17 koi, at least 14 inches to over three feet. Most likely a river otter, because being as the fish are all at the bottom of the pond, something is diving. We also had tracks in the snow, I found another 15 incher frozen and dead in my bog today. This after putting up an electric fence, three and four strands and the pond is frozen over. I am at my wits end. Good luck, be very proactive.

 

[HARO]

Pond Lady;
Could also be the work of a mink. A friend's koi pond was cleaned out last winter by a mink that got under the ice, and took every last fish, about 30 in total!
John

 

[fishin4cars]

John, from what I have heard, fishers are just minks with bigger appetites and either of them could be what visited As for the parasites, yes they are there, bacteria are present as well, both can be caught by humans. Personally, I get in the ponds all the time and never caught anything I know of. I'm more worried about what I might catch at Walmart , the grocery store, or the local pharmacy..