Poll: What is this?

[dosrobles]

I saw one in Palestine watching cars drive by from a patch of cattails in the early 90’s. I stopped to get a better look and it bolted. 100% chance it was a big cat. I have seen 2 others in person and I am 100% confident in what I saw.

[Pineywoods]

Deer. That's a sapling that makes it look like a tail.

Definitely not a sapling. There is nothing in that spot. It's clear back to that dead timber on the ground.

[Pineywoods]

Need a pic from that camera, zoomed in (like you posted) with no animal there.

I don't have any other daytime pics on my phone...I'll get some off the card when I get home later.

[BuckRage]

Canine. I am thinking yote.

[Drycreek3189]

While I have never seen a cougar while hunting, I have seen two while I was working. One tried to cross Highway 43 S of Marshall, but turned around and ran back into the old Darco mine. At that time it was a hell hole of a thicket. The other was on a county road off of State Highway 31 S of US 79. I thought it was a world record bobcat until it jumped off the road and I saw that its tail was as long as its body. It was chewing on a dried up deer hide that someone had thrown out beside the road. Lots of people don’t believe that cougars roam through East Texas because they’ve never seen one. I’ve never seen a 160” buck either, but they are killed every year in East Texas.

[Pineywoods]

While I have never seen a cougar while hunting, I have seen two while I was working. One tried to cross Highway 43 S of Marshall, but turned around and ran back into the old Darco mine. At that time it was a hell hole of a thicket. The other was on a county road off of State Highway 31 S of US 79. I thought it was a world record bobcat until it jumped off the road and I saw that its tail was as long as its body. It was chewing on a dried up deer hide that someone had thrown out beside the road. Lots of people don’t believe that cougars roam through East Texas because they’ve never seen one. I’ve never seen a 160” buck either, but they are killed every year in East Texas.

Great analogy.

[easeup]

mr piney - please let our online gurus vote without trying to sway the outcome.

[Pineywoods]

mr piney - please let our online gurus vote without trying to sway the outcome.

My apologies. Y'all get to voting...

[diamond10x]

How tall is the grass brush in that spot? It's hard to tell the length of metatarsus bone, which would rule out whether its predator or prey (deer or canine/feline).

[happy bowhunter]

Coyote

[Pineywoods]

How tall is the grass brush in that spot? It's hard to tell the length of metatarsus bone, which would rule out whether its predator or prey (deer or canine/feline).

Basically just dirt. There is no grass in that area. Mainly pine straw.

[Clay C]

The rear end and tail do not look like a cat to me.

[diamond10x]

Basically just dirt. There is no grass in that area. Mainly pine straw.

canine or feline, definitely not a deer with that short metatarsus. The tail is too difficult to see but the angle of the femur, resulting in a longer thinner looking rear leg as compared to a shorter thicker looking leg has me leaning that its canine, and a domestic one by the size of the gut.

[Pineywoods]

canine or feline, definitely not a deer with that short metatarsus. The tail is too difficult to see but the angle of the femur, resulting in a longer thinner looking rear leg as compared to a shorter thicker looking leg has me leaning that its canine, and a domestic one by the size of the gut.

If it's a domestic canine it traveled a long ways. There's only one neighbor within miles and they don't have a dog.

[wytex]

Black tipped tail, looks like a mt lion to me.

Looks like it just fed on something, they get a big gut.
Go look for a kill around the area, it will be covered.