# footprints on my racing loft



## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

this morning at about 6:30 AM i headed to my loft to release my flyers and found these footprints at the steps of my loft. not sure what kind of creature this is. mountain lion maybe? i put a quarter for reference.







































kalapati
San Diego











http://blubarloft.dyndns.biz:81/jview.htm


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## rx9s (Oct 19, 2007)

Look like Raccoon prints


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Does not look like a cat print, more like a wolverine. I would not like to mess with either.
Dave

That would be a huge raccoon


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## orock (Mar 28, 2011)

I would set up a raccoon trap.


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## klondike goldie (Apr 20, 2009)

looks like a big **** track


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

It possibly could be a bobcat, or a small bear???


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## umaximus (Nov 12, 2010)

It dropped a coin too.


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## mosman (Feb 25, 2010)

Would not be a wolverine in San Diego. If your in the foot hills I bet its a small fox . Not round enough for a bobcat. And way to small for a mountain lion. Or a small wild dog.


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## Dmax06 (May 10, 2011)

pretty sure its not any type of dog or cat, my guess is a big racoon

here is a pic 

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&...&w=132&h=204&ei=sPYIT6LbDsGfiQKxscmzCQ&zoom=1


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

I am thinking a skunk!


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

Wingsonfire said:


> I am thinking a skunk!


 Looks more like a big skunk to me too .
http://www.camping-field-guide.com/animal-tracks.html


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

If it was a **** would it have the claw marks.


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

My vote is dog


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## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

just check it ,wingonfire and pigeonvill are the winners it a skunk compare
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-952774-skunk-bobcat-raccoon.php


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Too big to be a skunk!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Probably a dog. Too small to be a mountain lion. The cougar was our mascot in high school and we had a stuffed one in a glass case in the atrium. It had some pretty good sized paws.

Raccoons and opossums have fingers.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Raccoon prints have obvious fingers. Although I always see them in the mud on the banks of our pond and creek. Never seem them stamped on wood.









I think a large steel live trap is in order. Something big enough and strong enough to handle whatever this is.


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## thepigeonkey (Oct 12, 2011)

maybe a skunk? I dunno, we dont have many preditors here, just cats and sometimes ferrets and stoats. nice loft btw


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Its a raccoon. The front foot has a thumb. The skunk the toes all come out the front of the front foot


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Maybe porcupine 

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=porc...&w=150&h=153&ei=0GIJT5SJD6fx0gHEr7iYDg&zoom=1


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

The long back foot pad rules out cats and dogs, but not bears, but I think its to small for a bear.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Here's your options, tracks with 5 toes (front and rear)......
Long-tailed Weasel
Mink
Striped Skunk
Badger
River Otter
Virginia Opossum
Raccoon
Muskrat
Beaver
Black Bear
Grizzly Bear
By the size, I'd guess Badger or Otter. I don't think the toes are long enough in the front for a raccoon, and too big for a skunk.


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

I agree, too big for a skunk. And no, raccons do not have claws. It is definitely a large raccoon. I'd put money on it.

Jim


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

By the way, did I mention I have a masters degree in wildlife biology? It's a raccoon.

Jim


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If that is a quarter next to the prints, then I'd think it was too big to be a raccoon.


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## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

It is just soooo obvious .. A Bigfoot lol


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

racooons... or maybe a (tasmanian devil)....lol.....on the hunt!!! he or she migth not be alone.....theirs a few diff. prints and make sure the screens are fully sealed, those birds migth be soo stress out at nigth....


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

loonecho said:


> I agree, too big for a skunk. And no, raccons do not have claws. It is definitely a large raccoon. I'd put money on it.
> 
> Jim


Could be a large raccoon, we have some 'granddaddy' size one's around here! I just don't think the 'fingers' match on the front paws......
http://bbwildliferemoval.com/images/raccoon3.jpg
http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/blog/raccoontracks.jpg
http://jasperwildlife.com/images/raccoon-tracks.jpg


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## sport14692 (Jan 3, 2011)

I say it is Baby Big Foot


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Could it be the Lock Ness Monster ??? Roaming around for some KFC dinner ??? hahahahaha!!! Alamo


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

kalapati said:


> this morning at about 6:30 AM i headed to my loft to release my flyers and found these footprints at the steps of my loft. not sure what kind of creature this is. mountain lion maybe? i put a quarter for reference.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's a racoon, and you better take a second look at your loft security, they have been known to rip the wire off and enter. If one gets into the loft, you will have a whole lot of dead pigeons !


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

I have never been around a raccoon, but I understand that these cute & cuddly looking animal are very mean, and can drown a dog if they are in the water. Maybe you could trap them and relocate them in the hills way east of San Diego.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Good Grief! How big do raccoons come? Wouldn't want to see that around my loft.
Can they really drown a dog?


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Jay3 said:


> Good Grief! How big do raccoons come? Wouldn't want to see that around my loft.
> Can they really drown a dog?


That is what I was told.


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## orock (Mar 28, 2011)

Biggest raccoon in the wild was 62.6 pounds and 55".


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

OH my! I know I wouldn't want to run into that. I didn't know they got so big!


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## mtripOH (Jan 4, 2010)

This has got to be the best thread I have read in a while! With all my Girl Scouting expertise I have to say it is surely a raccoon.....I think Thanks all for the smile. Hope everyone is having a great New Year so far.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

You need to trap that thing so we know for sure. LOL


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

If a dog is chasing a raccoon and gets in deep water the raccoon will get on the dogs head and can drown the dog. Didn't anyone ever read "Where the red fern grows".

I also think a live trap is in order here to protect your birds.


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## TylerBro (Mar 14, 2011)

Racoon end of story!! ... I've raised them all my life .. I could tell them a mile away !!


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## TylerBro (Mar 14, 2011)

The best way to keep them away is to make ur loft safe so they move along towards ur trash can .. if u trap it more will come .. ext ext..u could buy some cleaning ammonia and use a mist bottle and spray around ur loft a few feet away .. or u could go to the local barber and get hair clippings and sprinke them around .. I used an ammonia pored line to keep them away from the road when I had them .. but it loses strength fast .. so I would pore it around it right before dark since they are nocturnal


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## Roller mike (Aug 5, 2009)

Maybe you need some good **** hounds!! lol


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Good Grief! How big do raccoons come? Wouldn't want to see that around my loft.
> Can they really drown a dog?



I live trapped a big boar raccoon last summer that weighed 48 lbs. He just barely fit in the large live trap made for raccoons. And yes, a big one like that can drown a large dog.

Jim


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I vote for a raccoon. I have this huge raccoon that has been trying to get inside my loft for years. The first time I saw it the first words that came in to my mind was "those are huge!"

Maybe these tracks can help you:http://www.bear-tracker.com/****.html
If not a raccoon, you can try this page:http://www.bear-tracker.com/mammals.html


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Awwww, Ain't he cute!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Msfreebird said:


> Awwww, Ain't he cute!


hahahahah! that's hysterical..... and yes cute...lol...


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

.


that day i measured the hind tracks and it's more than 5 inches long. this maybe a supersized raccoon. i will be looking to acquire a trap and if i catch this guy i'll have animal control take care of him before he inflicts damage to my birds.


















http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
















kalapati
San Diego

http://blubarloft.dyndns.biz:81/jview.htm


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

Descriptions always refer to averages. But there are outliers in every species. I have size 11 feet which is probably a little larger than average for a human male. My 16 year old son has size 13 feet and my 16 year old nephew has size 15 feet. If you googled the average size feet of human males, I bet it wouldn't say size 15. But they do exists and are not uncommon. Based on your measurements, That is indeed a very large raccoon. larger than average. But the 48 pounder I caught last summer probably had feet that big even though I didn't measure them.

Jim


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

Sasquatch?


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

Msfreebird said:


> Awwww, Ain't he cute!


Yeah that guy is cute but mine is cuter. 










They are nice animals and I enjoyed raising up the few that I have. But they are heartless and will kill everything in your loft and just leave a pile of dead birds. It happend to me when I was a kid and they killed almost all my tipplets.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i vote ****, hope your loft is predator proof, those guys are smart and don't give up easily


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## Backyardflier (Nov 8, 2011)

Chupacabra?? They migragrated there from the south!! LOL...=D


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## Bluecheckard (Jun 23, 2008)

kalapati said:


> .
> 
> 
> that day i measured the hind tracks and it's more than 5 inches long. this maybe a supersized raccoon. i will be looking to acquire a trap and if i catch this guy i'll have animal control take care of him before he inflicts damage to my birds.
> ...


Wow pre hope you catch that thing before it do any damages...


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## aarongreen123 (Jan 26, 2005)

get a trail cam and find out for sure. you can't do anything about if if you don't know what it is. i have had a predator break into what i thought was a very secure loft and kill everything, it sucks even more than you think it would. Tracks look different on a hard surface than they do in the mud


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

I wouldn't let animal control take him, chances r they will just kill him 
I would find a nice perfect release spot away from homes and busy roads at least 5 miles away
Plus make sure it's not a nursing female, be so sad to doom babies because of what she might do


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

altgirl35 said:


> I wouldn't let animal control take him, chances r they will just kill him
> I would find a nice perfect release spot away from homes and busy roads at least 5 miles away
> Plus make sure it's not a nursing female, be so sad to doom babies because of what she might do


You're right. Shouldn't have it killed. Just moved to a safer place to live. And yes, wouldn't want to have babies dying.


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

why even trap it , its probly been there a long time already , I have raccoons here all the time ones name is Clareese, shes big and awesome , just make sure your loft is wrapped up tight and you shouldnt have any problem.

Matter of fact I hear them screaming away out there right now!


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

altgirl35 said:


> I wouldn't let animal control take him, chances r they will just kill him
> I would find a nice perfect release spot away from homes and busy roads at least 5 miles away
> Plus make sure it's not a nursing female, be so sad to doom babies because of what she might do


Animal control will not kill him, not here in California. That is the last thing that they would do.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

bbcdon said:


> Animal control will not kill him, not here in California. That is the last thing that they would do.


Oh good, most that I know just euthanize anything wild
Glad to here they are better out there
It is a dIfficult decision to weigh the risks 
I have tried to have a heart raccoons before, they are so smart it's not easy
I just make sure to inspect my pre release cages often for any weaknesses and made better areas for the birds to hide at night


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

Trapping raccoons in live traps is really not that hard. There are a few tricks that I learned for trapping them but its really common sense. With that being said, look at the laws on the books before you call animal control or an independent company. Most places, maybe not all, require raccoons to be euthanized due to the threat of them carrying rabies. Thats the case in Texas where I am. Also I wouldn't worry about nursing babies at this time of year. Raccoons generally have 2 litters or kits per year, and neither one coincides with the months of December or January. No matter how tight you think your loft is, if the raccoon wants in it will get in. I have seen them rip holes in siding on a house, have seen them go through normal roof vents on homes, as well as pulling wire off of aviary's and such. Not trying to be an alarmist or anything like that, but for your birds sake trap the animal and get it away from your loft. (As an aside the hardest animal to actually trap is an armadillo, poor eyesight and sense of smell leads to hard trapping, but it can be done!)


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## Southwing (Feb 7, 2008)

I took the picture and placed it on a trapper fourm. I will let you know what they say!


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## Southwing (Feb 7, 2008)

Everyone says its a raccoons back foot


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## SouthTown Racers (Jan 14, 2009)

Southwing said:


> I took the picture and placed it on a trapper fourm. I will let you know what they say!


That was a good idea!!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

PigeonVilla said:


> why even trap it , its probly been there a long time already , I have raccoons here all the time *ones name is Clareese*, shes big and awesome , just make sure your loft is wrapped up tight and you shouldnt have any problem.
> 
> *Matter of fact I hear them screaming away out there right now*!


Probably having a party with Hannibal, eating liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.


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## bhymer (Jan 8, 2008)

Kalapati, would you share some pictures of your finished loft.. Thanks


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

In the hill and valley in So Cal there is a lot of black bear. I'm think very very big skunk or a small black bear. I don't think you want eather by you loft.


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

bhymer said:


> Kalapati, would you share some pictures of your finished loft.. Thanks



the last time i took pictures of my loft was during construction:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=601F...BA2689DF8C4&id=601F8BA2689DF8C4!161&sc=Photos





kalapati
San Diego

http://blubarloft.dyndns.biz:81/jview.htm


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## bhymer (Jan 8, 2008)

Well thought out loft. Great job.. If studied, many can gain much experience and ideas for their next build. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Many headaches and heartaches can be eliminated from the advise of others who have been down that road before. Thanks for sharing your great loft...


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

That is one nice loft!!!. I am thinking about putting in a raised grate floor, and putting in slide out poop catchers.


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

Seriously with a coop built that well he has no need to worry about a raccoon let alone a huge raccoon .Built to perfection there .


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

PigeonVilla said:


> Seriously with a coop built that well he has no need to worry about a raccoon let alone a huge raccoon .Built to perfection there .



i don't even notice any signs of rodents infestation inside my loft for the only opening they can enter is thru the bottom of the aviary window 
then thru the trap but i think the ***** and owls presence every night is preventing them to take this route...LOL




kalapati
San Diego

http://blubarloft.dyndns.biz:81/jview.htm


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

bbcdon said:


> That is one nice loft!!!. I am thinking about putting in a raised grate floor, and putting in slide out poop catchers.



the expanded metal i am using for my flooring is doing an excellent job for me. i don't need to scrape the floor for the poop goes straight to the tray. the plywood sliding tray is coated with a good sealant to preserve the wood. i roll old newspapers on the tray and replace them every 3-4 weeks. very convenient for me. if you decide to use expanded metal make sure you have the right size on the eyelet for one of club member made a mistake in acquiring a smaller eyelet opening and he's telling me that the poop accumulates on top and he still scrapes the poop. the eyelet size i'm using i think is 2 inches but i can verify later if you want.



















kalapati
San Diego

http://blubarloft.dyndns.biz:81/jview.htm


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks for the photo.


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