Tracks and Possible Kill Site on Multnomah to Wahkeenah oop

[Excursionista]

Hiked up Multnomah Falls on Monday (2/9) and encountered two mysteries.

To set the scene: in many places, the trail was pretty muddy from fresh rain, with a number of snowbanks covering stretches of trail above the top of Multnomah Falls. Some small landslides have damaged the switchbacks below the connector trail to Wahkeena. Poles or crampons would be helpful, but mostly for sense of security.

Anyway, halfway between Multnomah and Wahkeena, I found clumps of fur across the trail and littered over an area about twenty feet wide. The fur was grayish with darker roots. The trail here doubles back around a small ridge; the hillside slopes up at a 45 degree angle, and in 50 feet or so, it hits the bottom of a 40 ft cliff. The area below the trail is wooded with little groundcover aside from ferns. I climbed up the hillside and found a patch of ground covered in clumps of fur. Underneath, I found what appeared to be horse manure - a flattened pile of dried greenish scat. My photos didn't turn out, but I wonder if this was a cougar kill site, and what on earth is the pile of scat? I've read that in early season, old bear scat often resembles horse manure, but the combination of widely dispersed hair and unidentified scat confused me. Ideas?

On to the second mystery: just below Fairy Falls, I found three animal tracks. This was the clearest:

Is this a cougar print? The trail was pretty muddy, lots of boot prints, no other animal tracks other than this. No sign of dog tracks. the other tracks were less clear, but one overlaid a boot print, so they're pretty recent. Notice there doesn't appear to be claw marks. Men's Montrail boot, size 11 for comparison.

I want it to be a cougar track, but I'm prepared for everyone to tell me it's a regular old dog print...

[Waffle Stomper]

I want it to be cougar too. From the field guides I looked at, the toe positions suggest cougar. I'm interested in seeing responses. I'm just now trying to learn about tracks.

[Cattrapper]

Definitely a big kitty!

[AlexanderSupertramp]

When I was up there a couple weeks ago a deer had definitely just gotten his right on the trail. There was still a whole leg with meat and everything left on the trail. Plus scat and prints of ALL sorts.

[Charley]

You didn't see a dead body up there did you? It's in the Oregonian- two hikers found a body.

[chameleon]

It's very possibly a cougar kill. Deer love the area up above Multnomah falls, and cougars love deer, as well as the topography there. However, there are so many people all time, I think cats usually steer clear of the Wahkeena/Multnomah area.

The track seems a bit tricky. Given the placement, near Fairy falls, there is the possibility that it is a well manicured dog print, rather than a cat. Cougar prints are usually a bit rounder than this print. One of the big differences between canine and feline prints is the presence of nail indentions, as cats can retract their claws, while dogs cannot. However, depending on the individual dog's physiology (as well as how well the owner maintains their nails) not all dog prints will have obvious nail indentions. So, my bet on that print would be a dog.

The scat you found could be a bear - since they eat a lot of plant matter their scat can resemble cow or horse dung. Or it could be an unfortunate human hiker who ate a bad batch of beans the night before.

In any case, I'd guess that the deer kill was a cougar! Great find.

-Zach

[Excursionista]

Or it could be an unfortunate human hiker who ate a bad batch of beans the night before.

Egads. I think the word unfortunate applies mostly to any other hiker who turned that open corner of trail and saw another hiker struggling with his beans.

I just find it highly coincidental that I'd stumble across a cougar kill on top of bear scat a mile away from a possible cougar track... while at the same time people are running around in their skivvies, or climbing waterfalls, or who knows what else.

Someone should make a bumper sticker that says "Keep the Gorge Wild," eh?

[cfm]

I dont think you can rule out a dog unless there are no other boot prints around.

[meana39]

I want it to be a cougar track, but I'm prepared for everyone to tell me it's a regular old dog print...

After coming across some tracks on the trail to Dry Creek falls last year someone provided this helpful web site to show the difference. I'd convinced myself on-trail that they just HAD to be a big dog....only to find out they actually WERE cougar tracks.

Here's the site.....I think yours are Dog prints.
http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html