Puzzling Drag Marks
clever...@gmail.com
Just before what little snow we had melted, I found these drag marks and set of tracks crossing our driveway. The two sets of drag marks are about 6 inches apart as seen here.
Since the accompanying tracks are of a smaller mammal (see below – the pocket knife is about 2 inches long) I thought it unlikely an animal of that size could have been dragging something large enough to make marks that far apart, and perhaps crossed the road and then doubled back. On closer examination, though, there was only one set of tracks going in one direction. I can only think of one scenario where all the visual pieces of the puzzle fit together, but it requires making an assumption that seems unlikely to fit with the rest of the puzzle. Before I throw out my idea I’d like to hear what others might think created the tracks and peculiar drag marks.
Steve Wilson
Isabella
Mike Ruzich
Just before what little snow we had melted, I found these drag marks and set of tracks crossing our driveway. The two sets of drag marks are about 6 inches apart as seen here.
<image001.jpg>
Since the accompanying tracks are of a smaller mammal (see below – the pocket knife is about 2 inches long) I thought it unlikely an animal of that size could have been dragging something large enough to make marks that far apart, and perhaps crossed the road and then doubled back. On closer examination, though, there was only one set of tracks going in one direction. I can only think of one scenario where all the visual pieces of the puzzle fit together, but it requires making an assumption that seems unlikely to fit with the rest of the puzzle. Before I throw out my idea I’d like to hear what others might think created the tracks and peculiar drag marks.
--<image002.jpg>Steve Wilson
Isabella
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Reid Carron
Just before what little snow we had melted, I found these drag marks and set of tracks crossing our driveway. The two sets of drag marks are about 6 inches apart as seen here.
<image001.jpg>
Since the accompanying tracks are of a smaller mammal (see below – the pocket knife is about 2 inches long) I thought it unlikely an animal of that size could have been dragging something large enough to make marks that far apart, and perhaps crossed the road and then doubled back. On closer examination, though, there was only one set of tracks going in one direction. I can only think of one scenario where all the visual pieces of the puzzle fit together, but it requires making an assumption that seems unlikely to fit with the rest of the puzzle. Before I throw out my idea I’d like to hear what others might think created the tracks and peculiar drag marks.
<image002.jpg>Steve Wilson
Isabella
Mary M White / Charles R Neil
On Mar 4, 2024, at 5:56 PM, Reid Carron <fishrei...@gmail.com> wrote:
A weasel caught a small bird on the ground and the drag marks are the tips of pinion feathers? Maybe?
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Mary M White / Charles R Neil
On Mar 4, 2024, at 7:45 PM, Mary M White / Charles R Neil <saar...@gmail.com> wrote:
Mary M White / Charles R Neil
Sue K
clever...@gmail.com
Regarding the tracks and drag marks, fox and marten can safely be eliminated based on the size of the tracks: too small. (As mentioned, in the photo below the knife is only about two inches long.) They do seem more appropriate-sized for weasel, but I couldn’t imagine what they’d be carrying to make the drag marks. As Reid did, I initially suspected a bird, but the drag marks seemed too distinct and carved for even the rachis (midrib) of a feather, because the vane would have left more of a “brushed” appearance.
Sue’s flying squirrel guess is close to mine: red squirrel. The tracks were identical to the numerous nearby red squirrel tracks going back and forth across the road. As for the drag marks, all I could think of was an open white pine cone. The distance between the two sets of parallel tracks is a little less than the length of a cone, and the rigid scales could explain the distinct lines in the snow. Problematic is that it’s likely that most, if not all, white pine cones would have lost their seeds by now. Given the variability in nature, perhaps a few well-dried seeds persisted in this particular cone, although that seems a stretch.
Therefore, I’m leaning towards the explanation offered by Sharon Rome: Tomten on skies. Sure enough, when I had Isabella’s local Fairytales-R-Us outlet do a forensic analysis, that’s exactly what they concluded. And given the Fairytalesque feel of this winter (as in Brothers Grimm, not the Disney versions), why not Tomtens?
Steve Wilson
Isabella
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cou...@schooloflogbuilding.com
Sharon’s probably correct. Definitely a Tomte or perhaps two Tomten on skis, dragging the difficult-to-balance platter full of milk and cookies that a helpful Shedd kindly left out for them in the nearby barn.
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