Predator & Pest ID Card

Use to identify tracks, scat, and damage patterns.

Mammal tracks (front foot)

• Coyote: 2.5 in long, 4 toes, claw marks, roughly oval.
• Fox: 2 in, 4 toes, compact.
• Dog (stray): 3+ in, 4 toes, rounder than coyote; wanders.
• Bobcat: 2 in round, no claws, 4 toes.
• Raccoon: hand-like, 5 long toes, up to 3 in.
• Opossum: hand-like but thumb at right angle.
• Weasel / mink: under 1 in, 5 toes.

Damage patterns

• Coyote: lamb/chick carcass dragged off; throat bite. Eats internal organs first.
• Fox: poultry gone, no carcass; feathers scattered.
• Raccoon: digging in coop, eggs eaten in place, heads removed from chickens.
• Opossum: eggs eaten (shell left), lethargic if caught; rarely kills.
• Mink / weasel: multiple birds killed (surplus kill), bite at base of skull.
• Hawk / owl: single bird gone, feathers pile near kill site, sometimes partial carcass.
• Dog: multiple birds injured but not eaten; chase pattern.
• Bear: beehive destroyed, fence pushed down, feed bin torn open.

Pest patterns in garden

• Deer: jagged tear on leaves; browse line ~5ft; hoofprints 2-3 in.
• Rabbit: clean 45-degree cut on stems; pellet droppings.
• Vole: girdled stems at snow line; surface runs.
• Gopher: fresh mounds with plug on one side; plant disappears from below.
• Groundhog: burrow with large mound; clipped stems.
• Raccoon: corn pulled over, ears stripped in place.
• Slug / snail: mucus trails; irregular ragged holes.
• Cutworm: stems cut at soil level overnight.
• Earwig: lace-patterned damage; hides in day.
• Flea beetle: shotgun-hole damage on brassica seedlings.
• Cabbage worm: green larva, ragged holes, frass.
• Aphid: sticky honeydew, curled new growth.

Note today's damage

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