NJ Bobcat Track Survey - winter 2005

Eastern coyote (Canis latrans) tracks on a frozen pond. Photo Credit: Ed McGowan

With a little luck, we will continue to have ample snow this winter to search for bobcat tracks intersecting our hiking trails in northern NJ. This state endangered denizen of forests, swamps, and brushlands occurs at low densities and is rarely seen. Using our trails as survey transects, volunteers will attempt to document bobcat tracks, snow permitting, on trail lands in Passaic, Morris, Warren, and Sussex counties. This survey will help to identify bobcat activity areas within large tracts of forestland in northwestern NJ.

How it works: Volunteers can do this survey during regular winter hikes, such as those planned by area hiking clubs, or through efforts of their own. This is intended to be a self-directed survey. Instructions and field forms for this survey can be downloaded here or hard copies can be requested by contacting the Trail Conference:

Bobcat Track Survey Instructions (MS Word Doc)
Bobcat Track Guide, select: (JPG)(prints 2/3 actual size) OR (PDF)
Bobcat Track Survey Form, select: (MS Word Doc) OR (PDF)
Bobcat Track Sample Survey Form, select: (JPG) OR (PDF)

Instructions include a track guide showing life-size tracks of bobcat and other possibly confusing species. Dog family (dog, coyote, red fox) tracks are generally more abundant in our winter woods but can be differentiated from bobcat tracks by their size, pad shape, stride characteristics, and perhaps most diagnostically, the presence of toe nail imprints. Bobcats have retractable claws and do not leave toenail prints.

The data form includes a short series of questions about these characteristics, which should help guide you to a proper identification. We also strongly encourage that you take and submit close-up photographs (digital preferred) of likely bobcat tracks. This will help us verify submitted records.

This effort will compliment a concurrent NJ DEP bobcat census employing live traps, scent posts and camera traps in the same general areas (More information here).

V3 Last updated: February 23, 2005   Copyright © 1996-2005  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.