Help with animal identification
 

Ok we were driving down the road looking for deer when i saw a smallish animal in a distant field. I stopped the car real fast and my brother started filming cuz we thought it was a coyote. I started looking at it through my binoculars and it looked like a cat but it was way too big. This thing was over 500 yards away and my brother had the 20X optical zoom all the way out. Were now leaning towards it being a really big coon or an otter, but that just doesnt seem to fit. Any suggestions would help!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8QnV35dJ_E

^ Video Url

RE: Help with animal identification
 

It moves like a coon, but sort of reminds me of a fisher. They get to be about 3 ft. long and are hump-backed like that.

RE: Help with animal identification
 

Are they anywhere near northeast Ohio?

RE: Help with animal identification
 

My money is on the otter. I have never heard of fishers being around Ohio. But I could be wrong. Otters get that big around here.

RE: Help with animal identification
 

This might sound a little far fetched, but as soon as I saw it, something in my mind says beaver. It has the right color and the humped back. It did move a little fast for a beaver.

I know beavers don't frequent fields that often but are there any bodys of water nearby?

We had a couple beavers show up at a pond near out house. We have no idea where they came from. They must have traveled from somewhere far.

The animal did resemble a coon with humped back and all. It just looked too dark to be a coon.

Fishers have a loping gait. Sorta hop as they move unlike that animal.


Very interesting though.

RE: Help with animal identification
 

I just watched that video several times. Its not a beaver! :D



I'm going to go with fisher. It has a long body and the right color.

Yeah, I'd have to say fisher.

RE: Help with animal identification
 

porcupine, perhaps?

RE: Help with animal identification
 

Bigfoot crawling on his stomach.
:D

RE: Help with animal identification
 

Using my super high tech dial up internet connection I'd have to say it's most likely a football, or possibly a garbage can lid?
The damn thing hasn't moved in over a minute and I give up.:D

RE: Help with animal identification
 

There is a river about a mile away, but it would have to cross a road and 2 large fields and a track of woods to get there. Ive heard of Fishers before but not in my area. The thing that got me about this animal is its size, its not huge but it def. is not small either.